MAM When is good, good enough presentation

New ques(ons and sustainability in Collec(ons Care

or

Websites, List-‐serves and groups:

h6p://museumpests.web.zaks.com/ -‐ This site is divided into four main sec@ons (preven@on, monitoring, iden@fica@on, treatment) expanding on the main elements listed above which are necessary in developing, implemen@ng and managing an IPM plan for your ins@tu@on – whatever your collec@on type.

h6p://www.nps.gov/museum/publica@ons/conserveogram/

cons_toc.html -‐ They are short, focused leaflets about caring for museum objects, published in loose-‐leaf format. New topics are added as needed and out-‐of-‐date issues are revised or deleted. Semiannual supplements will be issued for an indeterminate period.

h6p://www.spnhc.org/ -‐ Society for the preserva@on of Natural History Collec@ons (SPNHC) is an interna@onal organiza@on devoted to the preserva@on, conserva@on and management of natural history collec@ons.

h6p://www.aam-‐us.org/ -‐ "The American Associa@on of Museums’ mission is to strengthen museums through leadership, advocacy, collabora@on and service.”

***Other resources I use:

RCAAM, NHColl, Museumpest.net, Linkedln AAM discussion group, MCN-‐L, blogs, etc……..

Websites, list-‐serves and groups cont’d

h6p://www.minnesotamuseums.org/ -‐ Minnesota Associa@on of Museums (MAM) The Minnesota Associa@on of Museums provides a forum for individuals who work in and with museums throughout the state.

h6p://[email protected]/c2c/ -‐ The free Connec@ng to Collec@ons Webinar series featured six live online sessions. The Ins@tute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with Heritage Preserva@on and the American Associa@on for State and Local History (AASLH), presented a webinar series based on the na@onal ini@a@ve Connec&ng to Collec&ons: A Call to Ac&on. These six webinars are free of charge to staff of museums, libraries, and archives who seek to enhance collec@ons care at their ins@tu@ons. This site runs the archived sessions!

h6p://www.midwestmuseums.org/ -‐ The Associa@on of Midwest Museums (AMM) is an organiza@on that provides resources to museums and cultural ins@tu@ons and services to museum professionals in an eight-‐state region in the Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Books that I think are helpful:

Fiduciary Responsibili@es In Prac@ce

What’s the difference between plans, policies, and procedures?

Plans Policies Procedures

•  Specific goals •  Rationale •  How they will be achieved •  Who will implement •  When will it happen •  What will it cost •  Time-limited •  Approved by governing

authority

•  General guidelines to regulate activities

•  Ethical and professional standards for exercising good judgment

•  Delegate authority for implementation

•  Not inherently time-limited •  Approved by governing

authority

•  Detailed methodology for performing activities

•  Protocols to follow when implementing policy

•  Succinct directions to accomplish a specific task

•  Step-by-step “how to” •  Approved at the staff level

1.   Maintain the highest legal, ethical, and professional standards

2.   Establish plans, policies, and procedures to guide opera@ons

3.   Delegate authority through policy and procedure

What is Collec@ons Planning?

“Collec@ons planning is the process of crea@ng a plan that guides the content of the collec@ons and leads staff in a coordinated and uniform direc@on over a period of years to refine and expand the value of the collec@ons in a predetermined way. By crea@ng a plan, a museum seeks to gain intellectual control over collec@ons, ensure that the collec@ons support the mission of the museum, reinforce its interpreta@on and research ac@vi@es, and ensure adequate resources for collec@ons acquisi@on and care” (AAM web site).

Why Collec@ons Planning?

“The Accredita@on Commission has iden@fied a pa6ern of recurring problems connected to collec@ons stewardship and ins@tu@onal planning: insufficient resources to support collec@ons; collec@ons unrelated to the ins@tu@on’s mission; and a lack of integra@on between planning for collec@ons, interpreta@on, and facili@es” Gardner & Merri6 (2002) Museum News.

Collec@on Policy “A detailed wri9en statement that explains why a museum is in opera(on and how it goes about its business. The policy ar(culates the professional standards regarding objects leC in its care and serves as a guide for the staff and as a source of informa(on for the public.” Malaro (1998) A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collec3ons.

Why Develop a Collec@on Policy?...besides fiduciary accountability

Covers broad range of collec@on related topics: scope of collec@ons, acquisi@on, accession, deaccession, intellectual control, preserva@on, security, use of collec@on, collec@on ethics, loan, insurance, rights and reproduc@on, abandoned property, and cultural sensi@vity and repatria@on.

Contents of a Collec@on Policy

•  Abandoned Property •  Care of Collec@ons •  Repatria@on and Management of

Culturally Sensi@ve Material •  Loans •  Insurance •  Authoriza@on

•  Introduc@on •  Standards of Conduct and Ethics •  Scope of Collec@ons •  Acquisi@ons and Accessions •  Deaccessions •  U@liza@on of Collec@ons

Note: SMM Collec@ons Policy sec@on on deaccessioning is a part of “Things GREAT and SMALL -‐ Collec@ons Management Policies” by John E. Simmons Chapter 8 pages 61-‐62

SMM collec@on policy on our website

Things that work for me…..

Numbering, accessions and paper product: keep it simple but complete and legible!

Using volunteers with collec@ons work: it usually is a good thing

Collec@ons Plan – even a rough drao is a good idea for SO many reasons

Priori@es – how to decide or can you?

Caring for collec@ons now and for the future – think farther out

Electronic material coming in to support collec@ons – ACK!!!!!

Your best defense is a good offense – by that I mean taking the @me to have policies and procedures in place

Thanks for listening………

Good Enough

Constraints

•  Large lobby windows

•  Basement collec(on storage area

•  Limited collec(on space

•  Limited staff & budget

Large Lobby Windows

•  Installed UV filters

•  We try not to display sensi(ve materials

Center Hall Gallery – Light spills from lobby windows into galleries

•  Closely monitor light levels

•  Rotate items on display

•  Use facsimiles when possible Purchased light meter through a grant from MN Valley Electric Coopera3ve

For exhibits, we… • create body forms out of ethafoam, poly & stockine9e, • paint/prime exposed wood • adjust light cans (using a light meter)

•  Secure collec(on items, in cases, encapsulate

•  monitor items and rotate as needed…

Collec3on Storage Area

Florescent Lights

Damp wall

Overhead water pipes

Furnace vent

Wood Flooring

Cramped shelving

Four HVAC furnaces

Sump pump

Ethafoam buffer

Organized – in PastPerfect

Raised 4” off cement floor

Dehumidifier

Landscaped to mi(gate water infiltera(on

Locked collec(on cages

Curator’s Office

-‐ Store sensi(ve collec(on items including paper items, nega(ves, photographs…

-‐ House collec(on paperwork files

Limited Collec3on Space

•  Organize limited space

•  Hang items

•  Use stairwell

Volunteers – Go8a LOVE ‘em

•  Inventory boxes •  Repack items

•  Sew muslin bags for oversized tex(les

•  Sew in labels, …

•  Work on specific projects in depth

(ex: digi3ze oral history tapes, enter informa3on into PastPerfect, organize deed of giGs & related paperwork)

Limited Staff & Budget

We write grants, and seek sponsorships and dona@ons to purchase archival supplies, light meter, hobos and various other items related to collec@ons care.

Execu@ve Director: Kathleen Klehr

Curator: Theresa Norman

952-‐445-‐0378

[email protected]

www.sco6countyhistory.org

Conserva@on Supply Sources Acid-‐free @ssue paper: •  Conserva@on Resources, 4432 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22151, 800-‐634-‐6932,

[email protected]

•  Light Impressions, PO Box 787, Brea, CA 92822-‐0787, 800-‐828-‐6216, [email protected]

•  Talas, 20 West 20th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011, 212-‐219-‐0770, www.talas-‐nyc.com

•  University Products, 517 Main St., PO Box 101, Holyoke, MA 01041-‐0101, 800-‐628-‐1912, www.universityproducts.com

Unbleached, unsized muslin: •  TestFabrics, Inc., 415 Delaware Ave., Po Box 26, West Pi6ston, PA 18643, 570-‐603-‐0432,

www.tesxabrics.com

Acid-‐free tex@le storage boxes: •  Conserva@on Resources, 4432 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22151, 800-‐634-‐6932,

[email protected]

•  Light Impressions, PO Box 787, Brea, CA 92822-‐0787, 800-‐828-‐6216, [email protected]

•  MuseuM Services Corpora@on, 385 Bridgepoint Drive, South Saint Paul, MN 55075, 800-‐672-‐8954, 651-‐450-‐8954, [email protected]

•  University Products, 517 Main St., PO Box 101, Holyoke, MA 01041-‐0101, 800-‐628-‐1912, www.universityproducts.com

Tex@le and Conserva@on Related Websites:

•  www.conserva@on-‐us.org -‐ American Ins@tute for Conserva@on of Historic & Ar@s@c Works

•  www.americanquilter.com -‐ American Quilter’s Society

•  www.cci-‐icc.gc.ca -‐ Canadian Conserva@on Ins@tute

•  [email protected] -‐ Canadian Conserva@on Ins@tute, Preserving My Heritage

•  www.nps.gov/hfc -‐ Harpers Ferry Center

•  Midwest Regional Conserva@on Guild

•  www.seregistrars.org/Tools.html -‐ Southeastern Registrars Associa@on

Tex@le Care Bibliography

•  Alig, D. and H. Mailand, Preserving Tex&le: a guide for the nonspecialist. Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1999.

•  Emery, I. The Primary Structure of Fabrics: an illustrated classifica&on. London, Thames & Hudson, 1994

•  Perry, D., et al. Iden&fica&on of Tex&le Materials. Manchester, UK: The Tex@le Ins@tute, 1985.

•  Sullivan, Brigid. Guidelines for Furnishings Maintenance and Protec&on. Harpers Ferry Center: U.S. Department of the Interior, 1991.

Thanks for coming and listening…

Ques@ons or comments?

MAM When is good, good enough presentation

Career

Transcript of MAM When is good, good enough presentation