A collection management policy lays the foundation for how an institution handles situations pertaining to their collection. It can be defined as "a detailed written statement that explains why an institution is in operation and how it goes about its business. The policy articulates the institution's professional standards regarding the items left in its care and serves as a guide for the staff". Since institutions are often faced with questions that deal with what objects they should acquire, how to handle removing or loaning items in the collection, or standards of care for items; it is imperative to have a well-written policy that can help prevent possible issues on the institution's end. Prevention is the best approach when dealing with operations and objects in the collection, therefore the policy is an important document that can be looked at almost like boundaries set in place to help insure that the museum stays true to its mission while also providing the best care for the collection. The primary focus of collections management is to document the standards and practices necessary to develop, care for, and make available for use, the collection objects within a collector or institution's care. To accomplish this, a collections management policy is created in which detailed information is provided to explain the specific needs of the collection based on type, age, location, etc. Collection management policies are specific to the collection-holding institution and these policies lay out terms such as which personnel are responsible for individual tasks involving the collection, if and when an object should be acquired for or removed from the collection, who within the institution has access to the collection, and the preventive care needs of each object within the collection. Given that almost every decision a museum makes is done with its
mission statement in mind, it is important that it is included in the policy. A mission statement addresses the museum's focus in terms of its purpose and its roles and responsibilities to the public and collections. This statement is what helps determine everything the museum does and should be referenced to on a regular basis to ensure that decisions are still in line with the museum's original goal. Museum mission statements should adhere to the standards of the
American Alliance of Museums. In addition to the mission statement, policies typically include a section that outlines the scope of the collection. This is a useful part of the policy that "reviews the history of the collection; considers its strengths, weaknesses, and current uses; and states what the museum does and does not collect" . The
collections policy or
selection criteria of a library, archive or museum collection is a statement of the institution's priorities as they apply to the acquisition of new materials. Collections policies guide the process of collection development. Even the largest, best funded and most famous libraries (such as the
Library of Congress, the
British Library and
Stanford University) cannot acquire, house,
catalogue and maintain all works, so a policy or set of criteria is required for selecting which should be acquired. Generally collections policy is related to the mission or purpose of the library: for example
national libraries collect materials related to that nation or published in that nation's territory, academic libraries generally collect materials used in teaching and research at the institution which they serve and public libraries collect materials which are expected to satisfy demands from the public they serve. Sample collections policies include: • Collections policy statements of the
Library of Congress (organised by field) • Collection policy statement of the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library at the
Long Island University • Collections policy of the
National Library of New Zealand (integrated digital and physical policy) • Collection and preservation policy for
SunSITE (
digital library) As well as setting priorities for purchasing materials, collections policies also serve as a guide when libraries are offered gifts of materials or
endowments. Acquisition of materials can be less costly than the processing (sorting, cataloguing, etc.) and long-term storage costs of many materials, and even
free gifts to libraries usually have associated costs. An institutions's policy may also look to include a history of the institution.
Legal and ethical considerations In addition to general care standards, a collection management policy is also governed by the local and international legal restrictions placed on certain cultural heritage objects and the management needs associated with them. There are countless laws on the books that specify how
antiquities,
archaeological findings, and
ethnic pieces must be handled and maintained to ensure their physical safety as well as the ethical considerations that these unique collection objects must address. Examples of local laws within the United States of America include: •
Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities, June 8, 1906 ("The Antiquities Act") (16 USC 431–433): authorizes the
president of the United States to declare
national monuments, and enforces regulations protecting archaeological sites and excavated objects. •
Museum Properties Management Act of 1955, (16 USC, Sect. 18 [f]): explains the responsibilities and actions that may be performed by the
United States secretary of the interior through the
National Park Service to include accepting donations and bequests of money, purchasing museum objects and collections, making exchanges of museum objects or collections, and accepting and making loans of museum objects or collections. •
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990(NAGPRA), (25 USC 3001–13): identifies ownership and control rights for Native American cultural items. Examples of international legislation include: •
The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, (adopted 14 May 1954): an international treaty focused on protecting cultural heritage such as architectural monuments, archaeological locations, works of art, and any objects deemed to have artistic, historic, or scientific significance. •
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, (Paris, 14 November 1970): an international agreement to oppose the practices of illicit importing, exporting, and transferring of ownership of cultural property in order to better preserve the cultural property of the countries of the world. •
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, (Paris, 17 October 2003): an international agreement designed to safeguard
intangible cultural heritage while also raising awareness and appreciation thereof. Intangible cultural heritage includes "the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage."
Collections policy Written as a subsection of the overarching collection management policy, most collectors and cultural institutions utilize a
collections policy, or selection criteria policy, in which it is outlined what purpose the collection serves, and the types of objects that are considered most relevant. The collection policy lays out the scope of the collection and its relevance to the institution's mission statement by serving as "a broad description of the [institution's] collections and an explanation of how and what the museum collects and how those collections are used." The scope of the collection as laid on it in this policy serves to define if, when, and how a cultural institution chooses to accession or deaccession objects from its collection. Additionally, as different types of collections require unique care protocols, the collection policy also details the categories associated with the collection such as library or archive, education or research, permanent, and exhibit. The collection policy might also address conflicts of interest for employees who hold personal collections that are similar to those of the institution within which they are employed. As part of the collection scope policy, collectors and institutions must lay out acquisition terms to ensure only relevant objects are successfully accessioned into the collection. This portion of the policy discusses: who within the institution is authorized to make decisions on whether an object is acquired or not, under what legal terms the object is to be acquired (i.e. documentation proving legal purchase, import and export restrictions, and intellectual property rights), and
repository agreement information if the object is to be stored within an offsite facility.
Loans and temporary custody of objects Collectors and collecting institutions sometimes transfer objects to or from their collections for temporary periods of time as part of loan or temporary custody agreements. These loans help share and disseminate information to different communities and can prove mutually beneficial to both collection-holding individuals or institutions. Within the collections scope section of a collections management policy, there is typically an area dedicated to discussing the procedures for loan approval and acceptance, associated acquisition fees, required documentation, specific insurance requirements, and monitoring instructions for the temporary holdings. This section may also include information about old loans and works with restrictions governing if and when they are allowed to leave the holding-institution. A risk management plan or risk mitigation strategy is the section of the policy identifying potential
hazards for the collection based on the region in which the collection is located, including fires, earthquakes, criminal activity, or flooding, in addition to damages from repairs, building failure, improper collections care, and neglect. To inform risk management plans, a significance assessment and a risk assessment or a collection condition assessment is conducted.
Preventive conservation in London, England. Collections care can be defined as the physical preventive care measures taken to prevent damage or delay the natural deterioration of cultural heritage collection objects. These practices strive to provide enhanced safety for collections by minimizing damages from external sources such as improper handling, vandalism, climate changes, overexposure to light, and pests. A collections management policy carefully examines the preventive conservation needs of the individual objects within the collection, in order to provide practices and standards for how to mitigate threats, as well as the proper procedures for addressing issues as they arise. Sub-topics within this section may include display and storage housing, packing and transport, and integrated pest management.
Display and storage housing When objects are held within a collection, either in storage or on display in an exhibit, the primary concern should be on the continued safety of the collection. To accomplish this, the collector or holding-institution must take into consideration proper housing containers, as well as environmental conditions necessary to prevent damages. The collections management policy for the collection should contain sections in which display and storage housing needs for the objects are addressed in full. Consultation with a
conservator-restorer may be necessary to fully address these topics. In terms of housing, solid
structural design is vital in ensuring objects remain undamaged while stationary. This includes accounting for padding and support of the objects to prevent damage from bumps and snags, and stable display cases or mounts, which often requires collaboration with a
mount maker to ensure proper creation and installation. Stands, shelves, drawers, and cases, in addition to fasteners, adhesives, papers, and foams, must all be chosen based on their compatibility with the structural design and materials of each individual object. The collections management policy should outline housing specifications such as the use of acid-free (pH neutral) and dye-free materials; types of enclosed
cabinetry where available; appropriate coverings such as fabrics (e.g. unbleached
muslin),
polyethylene sheeting, and
closed-cell foam (e.g. Ethafoam); containers made of paper, plastic, wood, or metal; enclosures such as folders or mats; and standards for frames, supports, and mounts. The main environmental conditions that require outlined protocols in the collections management policy include
temperature,
relative humidity (RH), light, and
contaminants. It is impossible to completely prevent natural deterioration of objects, but by carefully monitoring and implementing policies regarding environmental conditions, the effects of these conditions can be greatly reduced. •
Temperature: There is some flexibility allowed when addressing temperature, as it is impossible to control external weather. However, policy standards should aim to set temperature ranges that are optimized for the type of objects being preserved, the collector's or institution's energy and financial restrictions, as well as human comfort levels within both exhibit galleries and storage facilities. •
Relative humidity: Like temperature, RH standards, also allow for some fluctuations, although policies should take into account that excessive
moisture or sudden dramatic shifts in relative humidity, can be harmful to almost all cultural heritage materials and may cause issues such as
corrosion,
mold growth, cracking, warping, or
embrittlement. •
Light: There are two types of light-
ultraviolet (UV) and visual
light as perceived by the human eye- that need to be addressed within collections management and care. The effects of visual light exposure is cumulative, but visual light is necessary to view and safely handle objects within a collection, which means that standards should be established to limit time and intensity levels of visual light exposure, without risking visitor or staff safety. UV light, on the other hand, is not necessary for viewing or handling of collections, and as such should be eliminated as much as possible through the use of
filters in order to prevent damage such as yellowing or disintegration. or corrosion. It is extremely important to ensure that staff are aware of and educated on standard practices for handling objects such as hand washing protocols, the appropriate use of cotton or latex gloves, established practices for identifying structural weaknesses that may require special care, and the accepted modes of transportation of objects within the holding-institution (i.e. flatbeds, carts, tote pans, pads, and tissue papers). Sometimes a collector or institution will have a need to move objects outside of exhibit and storage locations. The collection management policy, which discusses the proper procedures for loans and acquisitions, must therefore also address proper packing and transport protocols to ensure that the objects arrive at their destination safely. To ensure safe transport, safe handling techniques must be combined with individual packing requirements for the specific object being shipped. Ideally, the object will be packaged in a
shipping container that provides protection from shock, vibration, sudden climate changes, and mishandling. Collection management policies will advise staff on how best to address issues such as "the object's fragility, the shipping method, the climate through which the objects will travel, and the climate at the object's destination."
Integrated pest management Within the collections care section of a collections management policy, there is typically a section dedicated to integrated pest management (IPM). This section covers the policies related to the prevention and suppression methods of various types of pests typically found within collections. IPM focuses on utilizing non-pesticide prevention and treatment techniques in order to minimize health risks for personnel as well as damages to the collection itself. Examples of types of pests that should be addressed include "insects, mold, mice, rats, birds, and bats." The collection management aspect of IPM involves creating and implementing policies for the routine inspection of objects and housing facilities, authorized trapping procedures, and documentation of all inspections or trapping programs utilized within the facility. These policies are called cultural controls, and the physical techniques utilized as part of the collections care are known as mechanical controls. • deter potential intruders (e.g. warning signs,
security lighting and perimeter markings) =
risk prevention; • detect intrusions and monitor/record intruders (e.g. intruder alarms and CCTV systems) =
risk mitigation; and • trigger appropriate incident responses (e.g. by security guards and police) =
emergency preparedness. It is up to security designers, architects and analysts to balance security controls against risks, taking into account the costs of specifying, developing, testing, implementing, using, managing, monitoring and maintaining the controls, along with broader issues such as
aesthetics,
human rights, health and safety, and societal norms or conventions.
Emergency management Created in conjunction with the collection management policy, most collecting institutions will also possess a disaster preparedness and emergency response policy that outlines what procedures should be taken to prevent injury or loss of life for all personnel and building visitors, as well as how to minimize damages or loss to the collection.
Sustainability policy Sustainability is defined as the use, development and protection of resources to meet both current and future generation needs. Collection sustainability policies are collection or institution specific, as they balance the collections economic and social context against the collections environmental impact, while ensuring compliance with local and national legislation. A sustainability action plan is used to identify unsustainable practices, outline a target goal and completion timeframe, and assign responsibilities. Sustainability policies and sustainability action plans consider sustainability through the lens of; economic resource use, when considering cost-benefit of collection storage, staffing, procurement, maintenance and waste processes; social capital, when ensuring representational parity through
community engagement and advocacy of
stakeholders; and environmental impact, when emphasizing waste reduction,
life cycle assessments and environmentally safer alternatives to conservation chemicals, packaging and transport materials. Sample sustainability policies include: • Sustainability action plan of the Australian Museum • Sustainability policy of the Museum of Contemporary Art (Australia) • Sustainability Policy of the Science Museum Group • Environmental Policy of the National History Museum ==See also==