Introducing SPECTRUM in Brazil

SPECTRUM & Museum Documentation Standards in Brazil

Nick PooleCEO, Collections Trust

Today’s session

SESSION ONE – Getting to know you

• Welcome & introductions• Understanding the challenges faced by Brazilian museums• Why standards?

SESSION TWO – The UK Case Study

• The situation for UK museums• The standards landscape in the UK• Different types of standard• The UK Museum Accreditation Scheme

Today’s session

SESSION THREE – Collections Management & Documentation

• Strategic Collections Management• CIDOC Principles• The role of SPECTRUM• Collecting Policies• Strategic Collections Development• Building Collections skills• The importance of leadership• Demonstrating value & impact

Today’s session

SESSION FOUR – A look ahead

• The future development of Collections Management & Documentation

• Putting collections online• Supporting museum development in Brazil• Building international relationships

Q & A SESSION

SESSION ONE – Getting to know you

Please introduce yourself:

• Your name• Your role• Your museum• One thing you are hoping to take away from this discussion

Introducing myself

• Nick Poole

• Working in museums since late 1990’s

• Director of the Collections Trust

• UK representative for Culture in Europe

• Former Chair of ICOM UK

• Member of UK Museums Association Ethics Committee

About the Collections Trust

• Working with 23,000 museums in 18 countries worldwide

– Connecting people with collections– Supporting professional development– Building digital capacity– Demonstrating the value of Collections Management

• We want to help as many museums as possible give as many people as possible the chance to learn about themselves and the world around them.

Three key elements of our work

• All of our work is driven by 3 guiding principles:

– Trust– Community– Expertise

• In practice, this means we:

– Publish standards– Deliver training and advice– Carry out research projects– Coordinate network activities– Celebrating achievements

Discover Refine Manage Deliver Engage Improve

Acquisition

Strategic Planning

Research

Interpretation Collections Management

Environmental Control

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Risk Management

Collections Development

Disaster Planning & Resilience

Conservation

Loans & Mobility

Exhibition Planning

Digital Content

Web/mobile

Audience Engagement

Strategic Marketing

Outreach

Education/ Learning Support

Commerce/ retail

Fundraising

Business administration

Key Performance Indicators

Process improvement

Cost reduction

Collections Trust core competencies

Digitisation

Digital Asset Management

Licensing/IPR

Documentation

The Collections Trust’s role

Discussion – what are the key challenges faced by:

• Your museum

• The Brazilian museum sector

• Museum visitors

Why ‘Standards’?

• ‘Just do it’

• Shared ethical principles

• Codes of Ethics

• Codes of Practice

• Professional best practices

• Professional standards

Benefits of Standards

• Promoting quality

• Reducing risk

• Supporting collaboration (within & between sectors)

• Reducing risk

• Creating the conditions for sustainability

• Encouraging innovation

SESSION TWO – The UK Case Study

The United Kingdom

• A federation of four countries:

– England – Scotland– Wales– Northern Ireland

• Population 62.23m

• An aging population

• 99% literacy above age 15

UK Museum Community

• The Museums Association provides a widely-accepted definition of a museum that is different from the ICOM definition:

– 'Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.'

• This definition includes art galleries with collections of works of art, as well as museums with historical collections of objects.

UK Museum Community

• 2,500 museums or museum-like organisations

• 1883 currently Accredited

• No overarching Museum Strategy

• Partly funded by Government, partly by private enterprise

• Majority of UK museums have free admission, but charge for exhibitions & services

UK Museum Community

• Separate ‘museum communities’

– National museums– Independent museums– Local Government museums– University museums– Sites and monuments– Historic houses, gardens & castles– Historic coastline– Regimental museums– Royal Palaces

Current challenges for UK museums

• A crisis of identity – whether museums should be politically ‘neutral’ or actively fight for social justice

• A transition from state funding to commercial income-generation

• Increasing complexity in terms of new material (collecting contemporary material, digital media & documentation)

• Increasing complexity in terms of delivery (websites, mobile applications, social platforms)

• A crisis in authority – in the age of Wikipedia, what is the basis of the authority of museums?

What is a Collection?

Physical Collections



Administrative Information







Collections-based

Knowledge

Collections-based

Knowledge






Collections-based

Knowledge

Collections-based

Knowledge



NarrativesNarratives




Digital AssetsDigital Assets

Collections-based

Knowledge

Collections-based

Knowledge








Collections-based

Knowledge

Collections-based

Knowledge




Physical surrogates (3D print)






Collections-based

Knowledge

Collections-based

Knowledge






The nature of the material

which society trusts us to

collect, manage and care for

has changed beyond all

recognition...

The nature of the material

which society trusts us to

collect, manage and care for

has changed beyond all

recognition...

Our changing role...

The role of museums has always been a balance between physical protection and facilitating access

We’re replacing access with activism, relevance, engagement & participation

To become relevant, the museum has to become responsive

The ‘traditional’ museum...

Most cultural organisations operate in ‘vertical’ silos

Education Management Collections Retail IT

The ‘responsive’ museum...

Standards in UK museums

• Legal basis of publicly-funded museum services – the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act

• UK Museums Accreditation Scheme is a minimum standard which museums are required to meet in order to receive public funding

• Accreditation requires the use of the 8 ‘primary procedures’ of the SPECTRUM standard

• Legal requirements for employment, health & safety and service delivery

• ‘Voluntary’ standards for different types of collection or activity

What is Documentation?

Documentation is the process by which we record a set of assertions about things in our collections...


What is it?What is it?

Where is it?Where is it?

What is it made of?What is it made of?

Who owns it?Who owns it?

Why do we have it?

Why do we have it?

What is it connected to?


Who collected it?

Who collected it? Where was it

found?Where was it

found?

How big is it?How big is it?

How much is it worth?



What is it?What is it?

Where is it?Where is it?

What is it made of?What is it made of?

Who owns it?Who owns it?

Why do we have it?

Why do we have it?



Who collected it?

Who collected it? Where was it

found?Where was it

found?

How big is it?How big is it?



Why should I care?

Why should I care?

What does it mean?

What does it mean?

What story does it tell?What story does it tell?

What is its context?

What is its context?

How do I relate to it?How do I

relate to it?What makes

it unique?What makes

it unique?

What does it help me

understand?

What does it help me

understand?Is it ethical/

political/ moral?

Is it ethical/ political/ moral?


The aim of documentation is not the creation of fixed points, but to facilitate the museum in reflecting the changing nature of knowledge & understanding about our collections.


In a connected world, knowledge flows freely between contexts and communities, becoming greater & more valuable as it travels.

Museums remain among the most trusted civic institutions, more than banks, politicians and the media.

In a world of hyper-connected information, trust has a direct value

Museums are rich in trust because of professionalism and accountability – which are expressed through Documentation, Conservation & Collections Management

Our professional standards are the reason why the public love and trust museums.

The importance of trust

Different types of Standard

• There are many different types of ‘standard’

CERTIFIED

VOLUNTARY

TECHNICAL VALUES

Different types of Standard

• There are many different types of ‘standard’

CERTIFIED

VOLUNTARY

TECHNICAL VALUES

SPECTRUMSPECTRUM

ACCREDITATIONACCREDITATION

BS5454BS5454

MISSIONMISSION

PUBLIC BENEFITPUBLIC BENEFIT

UK Museum Accreditation Scheme

• A minimum-standards scheme run by the Arts Council England

• Designed to offer museums benefits in:

– Performance– Profile– People– Partnerships– Planning– Patronage

Key areas for Accreditation

• Organisational Health– Mission– Forward Plan– Staffing & expertise– Emergency Plan– Environmental Sustainability

• Collections– Legal ownership– Collections development– Documentation policy & plan– Collections care policy & plan– Documentation procedures– Security arrangements

Key areas for Accreditation

• Users & their experience

– Quality– User-focus– Effective learning

Achievements of Accreditation

• Creating a level field for large and small museums

• Supporting the case for investing in developing the museum

• Providing a structure for prioritisation

• Providing a ‘point of entry’ for other industries who want to work with museums

• Giving politicians clarity about the scale and needs of the museum sector

SESSION THREE – Collections Management & Documentation

Collections Management & Documentation

• Strategic Collections Management• The role of SPECTRUM• Collecting Policies• Strategic Collections Development• Building Collections skills• The importance of leadership• Demonstrating value & impact

Strategic Collections Management

• Strategic collections management is about designing a museum that works well & works together

• Making decisions based on the needs of the audience and the organisation

• Ensuring effective management based on the right balance of skills, resources, systems and processes...

UsersUsers PoliticsPolitics FundingFunding CultureCulture

Organisation’s Mission StatementOrganisation’s Mission Statement



Collections Management PolicyCollections Management Policy




CareCare UseUse LearnLearn DevelopDevelop






PeoplePeople ProcessesProcesses SystemsSystems InfoInfo






Evaluation & improvementEvaluation & improvement







Rich, meaningful experiences for usersRich, meaningful experiences for users








A continuous cycle of

improvement,

learning, review,

planning and

development

A continuous cycle of

improvement,

learning, review,

planning and

development

CIDOC Principles

• CIDOC believes that collections without adequate documentation cannot be considered to be true “museum” collections. This is because:

– they cannot be adequately safeguarded and cared for– the museum cannot demonstrate its accountability for them– their value for research and interpretation is greatly reduced

The role of SPECTRUM

• SPECTRUM acts as the bridge between the strategic aims of the organisation and the way the museum delivers its work

• Connecting staff, procedures, systems and information to support the aims of the museum

• It is not a fixed standard – it is like a recipe book. Museums take from it what they need to improve their Collections Management.

The core elements of SPECTRUM

• SPECTRUM helps museums review their work with their collections, celebrate good practice and identify opportunities to improve!

• SPECTRUM Standard including translations/ localisations, SPECTRUM Digital Asset Management, the SPECTRUM Schema and the Archive of previous versions of SPECTRUM

• SPECTRUM Labs, including new ideas and potential applications of the SPECTRUM Standard

• SPECTRUM Resources which support the application of the standard

• SPECTRUM Community which includes anyone who uses the standard nationally or internationally

STANDARD

WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY (23000)

COMPLIANCE

GUIDANCEPDF/XML/PRINT+ SCHEMA

NEW IDEAS

SPECTRUM Facts & Figures

• 23,000 museums using SPECTRUM Compliant™ systems

• 8000 professionals actively involved in the development of the standard

• 17 SPECTRUM Partner systems

• Translations in Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Flanders, Germany

• Active communities in the Nordic countries

• Under development in Qatar and China

http://standards.collectionslink.org.uk

http://standards.collectionslink.org.uk/

http://www.vocman.com/cultureGrid

http://www.vocman.com/cultureGrid

The benefit of standard procedures

• Ensures consistency when collections staff change

• Provide a language for non-collections staff to engage with collections-related work

• Provide an effective way for different museums to talk to each other

• Promotes security and accountability

• Promotes the efficient use of time and resources

Collecting Policies

• Connecting the collecting activity of your museum with your mission

• Defining what to say ‘yes’ to (and when to say ‘no’)

• Providing the basis for shared collecting activity

• Taking a strategic overview of how your collection should develop in the future

Strategic Collections Development

• A collection should not be static, it needs active development to ensure that it continues to support the museum’s mission and the needs of your audiences

• There is a need for Acquisition policies to ensure that the collection is actively being developed

• Need to support an active, inclusive approach to disposing of material from collections

• Finding ways to avoid institutional bias when we decide what to keep and what to get rid of

• We need to understand different models of disposal, including sharing collections with the community

Collections Skills

• Being a successful museum professional requires more than skills in collections management

• There is a strong structure of shared values including a commitment to accountability and transparency

• Museum professionals need skills in management and finance as well as knowing about their collections

• Need to ensure structured professional development throughout your career in museums

• Planning for continuity – how do you avoid losing knowledge when people leave?

ENTRY-LEVEL ACADEMIC MID-CAREER LEADERSHIP LEGACY

CORE VALUES Integrity, accountability, openness, honesty, diversity, efficiency

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Housekeeping, handling, packing

Collections theory, research, documentation

Environment, IPM, security, labelling etc.

Strategic CM, Collections

development

Organisational knowledge

transfer, research

MANAGEMENT Time-management

Project Management

PPM, Risk, HR, Finance,

Marketing

Strategic planning, advocacy

Continuity planning

SUBJECT EXPERTISE Broad interest General subject

focusPractice-based

expertise

Specialist academic

knowledge

Subject knowledge

transfer

SOFT SKILLS Mentoring, facilitation, negotiation, communication, networking

Developing integrated skills

The importance of leadership

• All of the standards and best practices in the world will not solve the problem if leaders are not engaged

• Collections development requires long-term commitment – there are very few ‘quick wins’

• Costs are very clear, but the return-on-investment is much less clear

• Taking action to prevent future problems, not waiting until things have gone wrong before you act

• Developing a museum-specific ‘Management & Business Administration’ qualification – mixing management, enterprise, commerce and museum skills

Demonstrating value & impact

• There are many different systems for evaluating the impact of collections-based work

• Some systems are quantitative, based on measurement and performance indicators, and some are qualitative, based on judgement and peer-review

• About achieving a balance between inputs (time, effort, resources) and outputs (direct, short-term impact and indirect long-term impact)








Value for whom?Value for whom?

Measuring the value of culture

• An attempt by the UK Government to decide which model of ‘value’ to use

• Presenting the weakness of the ‘economic value’ argument

• Presenting the weakness of the ‘intrinsic cultural value’ argument

Measuring the value of culture

Total Economic ValueTotal Economic Value

Use ValueUse Value Non-use ValueNon-use Value

Existence ValueExistence ValueActual useActual use Option ValueOption Value

For yourselfFor yourself For others (altruism)For others (altruism) For future generationsFor future generations

People love museums, even if they don’t go to them....

Collections Management Key Performance Indicators

• Providing a set of tools for museums to define their own performance indicators, based on:

– Quantitative indicators (such as number of objects catalogued to a particular level)

– Practical indicators that interface with existing museum activities– Directional indicators specifying whether an organization is getting better– Actionable indicators (things your organization can control to affect or

drive change)– Financial indicators (such as cost)


• Key features of collections performance indicators:

– Consistency and comparability : Definitions should be consistent over time and between institutions to enable comparison of like with like

– Clarity: Indicators are simple, well-defined and easily understood

– Controllability : Only aspects of performance over which there is control should be measured

– Limited : The organisation should always concentrate on a limited number

of PIs that give the most valuable collections management information

– Feasibility : Can the PIs be measured easily?

Generic Learning Outcomes

• Developed by the UK Government to provide evidence of the impact of learning activity in museums, focussing on:

– Skills– Attitudes and values– Knowledge and understanding– Activity, behaviour & progression– Enjoyment, inspiration & creativity

• Successfully used as a planning and advocacy tool. Validity as statistical evidence is less clear.

Generic Social Outcomes

• Developed to help museums describe and evaluate the impact of their work with communities, focussing on:

– Stronger and safer communities

– Health & wellbeing

– Strengthening public life

• Providing tools to collect and analyse data about this impact across different museum activities.

• www.inspiringlearningforall.gov.uk

http://www.inspiringlearningforall.org.uk/

MA ‘Public Attitudes’ research

• Research carried out by the UK Museums Association to learn what the public want from museums:

• Essential purposes– Care and preservation of heritage– Holding collections and mounting displays– Creating knowledge for and about society

• Priority purposes– Promoting economic growth through tourism and regeneration– Facilitating individual development through education, stimulation and

building skills– Promoting happiness and wellbeing

MA ‘Public Attitudes’ research

• Low-priority purposes– Fostering a sense of community– Helping the vulnerable– Protecting the natural environment

• Purposes challenged by the public– Providing a forum for debate– Promoting social justice and human rights

• The public have a different idea of what the impact of museums should be

• The ‘essential’ and ‘priority’ activities are exactly those which we find hardest to provide evidence for

Designation & Significance

• A scheme to recognise the outstanding significance of specific collections

• Explicitly stating that not all collections are equal, and some are worthy of better protection

• Identifying methods for defining ‘significance’ beyond the view of the museum and the curator

• Looking at significance for local communities, particularly ‘communities of interest’ and even in global terms

• Prioritising heritage protection on the basis of significance and value

SESSION FOUR – Looking ahead to the future

The future of Collections Management

• Collections Management can power confident, exciting museums for a wide range of audiences

• We have to break down the barriers between different museum activities and get rid of the idea of ‘front of house’ and ‘back office’

• The challenge will be to collect a wider range of material, and deliver experiences through digital and real-world channels, while remaining true to the values of preservation and accountability

The future of Documentation?

Putting Collections Online

• We need to learn that ‘online’ is not an experience any more than ‘in-gallery’ – it is one of a number of tools with which we can deliver experiences for people

• Most normal members of the public do not value online collections very highly

• For the people for whom online collections are useful, they are very, very useful

• We need to understand more about what people want from experiencing collections online

The continuum of use…

96

CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

FUN

RESEARCH

LEARNING

DATA MININGCOLLECTIONS

MANAGEMENT

AGGREGATION

OUTREACH

SPECTRUM & the CIDOC CRM

CIDOC CRM

LIDO, ESE, ?

Abstraction layer

Collections management layer

Data interchange layer

By mapping up to CIDOC CRM from SPECTRUM, we can support COPE by supporting a richer & more future-proof data interchange layer

A model of museum development

Supporting Museum Development in Brazil

• Developing your museum community needs to happen both from the grassroots (bottom-up) and the policy level (top-down)

• Standards alone do not deliver museum development – you need a policy framework, commitment, time, resources and support structures

• It is best thought of as a large-scale change programme – modernising and professionalising your entire community won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen without sustained support.

There is a golden thread that connects the card-index cataloguing of the 1970’s with the future of opening up collections online

Documentation is about much more than cataloguing objects, it is what allows those objects to tell and re-tell their stories

In a connected world, it is the professionalism and accountability of our documentation & collections care which give us our trusted status

Practical Guides

• A Practical Guide to Collections Management

• A Practical Guide to Documentation

• Both available from Collections Trust (RRP £24.99)

• www.collectionslink.org.uk/shop

http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/shop

Thankyou!

www.collectionslink.org.uk/spectrum

@NickPoole1

These slides online at http://www.slideshare.net/nickpoole

http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/spectrum

http://www.slideshare.net/nickpoole

Introducing SPECTRUM in Brazil

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