Collections

Explore these resources to support you in effectively managing museum collections. ​Bear in mind some of these resources are aimed at those in the Museum Accreditation scheme but can be used by all.

• Policies and plans
• Storage and object handling
• Preventative conservation
• Documentation
• Ethics
• Copyright and rights management
• Safety and security
• Emergency plan
• Digitisation
• Contacting a specialist

Policies and plans

• A good starting point is the Collections Trust guidance on Managing Collections
• Template: Care and conservation policy – Collections Trust ​
• Example collections care and conservation policy: Tyne and Wear Museums Care and Conservation policy ​
• Example collections management policy: Collection Management Policy 2017-2022 (readingmuseum.org.uk)
• SHARE guide: How to plan and prioritise for collections care
• Template: Collections development policy template – Collections Trust
• Collections rationalisation, planning for action

Storage and object handling

• SHARE guide: Packing museum objects
• SHARE guide: Object handling guidelines
• Equipment and suppliers for textiles and costumes

The Museum of London also has a great set of e-learning training resources which covers handling museum objects, packing and moving, as well as hazards, pest management and emergency planning:

Collection care e-learning resources (museumoflondon.org.uk)

Preventative conservation

• Conservation Housekeeping equipment list​
• Housekeeping and maintenance checklist for museums
• SHARE guide: Introduction to Environmental Monitoring
• SHARE guide: How to plan and prioritise for collections care
• Pest Management: checklist
• SHARE guide: Using insect traps and pheromones in historic houses and museums

Documentation

• Guidance: Developing a documentation procedural manual – Collections Trust
• SHARE guide: Labelling and marking museum objects
• NMDC guide: Loans between nationals and non nationals
• Preparing for a loan – a guide
• Oral history, some top tips on asking the right questions

Ethics

• Code of Ethics for Museums – Museums Association​
• The ethics of disposal – Museums Association​

Copyright and rights management

• Template: Example copyright agreement template  [word doc]
• Guidance: Basic copyright guidance from the Collections Trust
• Procedure: Spectrum 5.0 rights management procedure 
• A basic guide to copyright and museum FAQs

The resources section on Naomi Korn’s website also have a huge amount of information on museums and copyright, orphan works, online privacy and data protection:  https://naomikorn.com/resources/

Safety and security

• Carrying out a security audit: Collections Trust
• If you would like to receive a copy of ‘Museum Safety and Security’, the PowerPoint presentation given by Stephen Armson-Smith at the 2020 Museums Essex AGM then please email philip.wise@colchester.gov.uk
• Insuring museum collections, a guide
• Presentation: Hazards in museum collections
• New (2022) Hazards Poster from SHARE, created in collaboration with Larry Carr: Download the guide.

Emergency plan

• Emergency plan – Collections Trust
• Flood water ingress case study: Flood water ingress due to burst pipes – Collections Trust
• Emergency planning toolkit (2008) – quite old now, so won’t necessarily mean you could follow this and meet the 2018 Accreditation standard, but it still is relevant

Digitisation

Guide to digitising museum collections – SHARE Museums East

Contacting a specialist

If you work with a collection and would like to get additional expertise to help care for it, you may need to contact a specialist in that collection. There are various networks and groups out there that can help you.

The following networks, supported by SHARE Museums East, are related to collections. Information and contact details can be found on the Networks page on the SHARE website.

• Conservation Network
• Costume & Textile Network
• Heritage Engineering Network
• Maritime Heritage East Network
• Natural History Network

You can also download this full list of national Subject Specialist Networks and their contact details. Themes covered include social history, aviation, geology, photography, musical instruments and much more.