Collecting Our Town Artifacts: Collections Management

Transcription

1 Collecting Our Town Artifacts: Collections Management KATP WORKSHOP 13 JUNE 2012

2 American Association of Museum (AAM) Museum Collection Order & Organization Valued by people Collected with the intent to preserve Serves the mission Associated information

3 What Should We Collect? Objects that support your mission Common objects & fine objects Objects from all cultures and ethnic groups within your mission Objects that can be cared for properly

4 What should we NOT collect Human remains & Rare Species There are better places for this Live ammunition Hazardous artifacts Poisons & Radioactive stuff: dangerous to staff and visitors Looted artifacts Might be stolen and ownership cannot be transferred to you

5 Important Term: Public Trust Non-Profit Organizations Tax Exempt Status = partial public ownership Stewards of the public collection Obligation to your audience and governing board/elected officials Obligated to protect, manage, provide access to, and maintain intellectual control over collections and associated records

6 Important Term: Intellectual Control Documentation Unique Number Legal Ownership Object Name Location Photographs Provenance

7 Collections Management Policy (CMP) Written Policy that addresses Care of collections Development of collections Access to collections CMP is a set of policies Acquisitions, Accessions, Registration, Cataloging, Security, Storage, Exhibition, Ethics Don t be scared Policies are simply a written instructional how to guide

8 Acquisitions Policy To accept or not to accept Most critical decision in the museum business Policy is the how to instruction for making this decisions

9 Players in the Game Museum Board Museum Director Curator Collections Manager Registrar Educator

10 You Are Not Alone Decisions should not be made by one person Form a committee Acquisitions Committee of Staff Creates engagement from others and shares responsibilities

11 Developing Policy Write down a few rules Regular meetings (monthly) Who attends and who votes? Before the Meeting: One person gathers info After the Meeting: One person records info

12 Factors to consider when accepting Relevant to mission Obtain legal title No extra conditions Provide proper storage Good condition Exhibition/Research Value Not duplicated Artifacts history can be documented

13 Additional Tips Not everything is important to the museum, but everything is important to the donor If you don t want it, don t bring it in the house If its falling apart, or going to fall apart, you won t be able to fix it If one is good, two is NOT better Write down everything. Without documentation, an artifact is worthless. Space is your most important commodity.

14 Things You DON T Do Don t Accept Permanent Loans There s no such thing Don t Accept Conditions No promises Don t appraise artifacts

15 Basic Structure of Acquisitions Policy Mission Scope of Collections Defines limits Acquisitions Committee Decision Makers Duties Meetings Criteria for accepting

16 Case Study: Protest Signs A member from a regional extremist organization is offering 2 protest signs. The signs were used in Westmoreland, Kansas, to protest the 2011 funeral of a US Soldier. The protest led to a Supreme Court decision The signs are made of tape and cardboard and depict graphic images