museum basics - documentation nigel monaghan national museum of ireland
TRANSCRIPT
Systematic Collecting
• World Travel• 19th Century Growth• Increasing focus• Classification• Access for researchers• Public Access
Documentation for Museums
• Large Collections• Grave to Cradle Process• Many Uses
– Obtain Resources– Plan Resources– Security– Care– Services
Object Life Cycle
• Entry• Acquisition• Accession• Catalogue• Move• Loan
• Condition Report• Conservation• Photography• Exhibition• Disposal• Exit
Object Life Cycle - Policies
• Entry• Acquisition• Accession• Catalogue• Move• Loan
• Condition Report• Conservation• Photography• Exhibition• Disposal• Exit
Acquisition
• The process of taking possession of property
– Why have you got it?– Should you have it?– Who owns it?– Is it insured?– Are you keeping it?– Is it a “museum object”?
Accession
• The process of adding an object to the museum collection
• Transfer of Title– Secure the ownership
• Register the Object– Issue a number– Record basic details– Capture information
• Issue receipt– Terms and conditions– Copyright
Numbering your Accessions
• Museum code– Puts you in control of your own
unique set of numbers• NMINH = National Museum of Ireland Natural History
• One main number per item• NMINH : 2005.34
– Sub-numbers for parts of an object• NMINH : 2005.34.5
• Mark the number on the object
Documentation - Registers
• Permanent record• Filed safely• Copied
• Copies– Microfilm– Photocopy– Store off-site
Documentation - Marks
• Direct on object• Ink, pencil, chalk• Issues
– Permanence– Adherence– Handwriting
Label Types• Tags - tied to object• Labels - loose• Labels - glued to object• Tablets - object glued on
Materials
• Paper and card• Acid free• Buffered• Testing
• Inks• Wet (Indian ink)• Dry (laser copier)
Inventory/Moves
• Has it got a home?– Accommodation
• Is it at home?– Inventory– Movement control
• It’s not there!– Loan?– Conservation?– Loss?– Temporary/Permanent?– Report, to whom?
Loans
• Loans-in/out– Policy– Form(s)
• Dates in/out• Terms• Conditions
– Condition Reports– Who is in charge?– Facilities Reports
• Facilities Reports– Security
• Personnel• Alarms• Locks
– Environment• Monitored?• Managed?• Stable?
– Specific to Object
Condition Reports
• What state is it in?• Static
– Broken– Complete– Faded– Dirty
• Active– Infested
Conservation
• What does it need?– Environment
– Treatment
• What has been done?– Cleaning
– Repair
– Mounting
– Replication
Photography
• Reference No.• Date• Person• Format• Image store
• Copyright– Photographer– Permission
Exhibition
• Increases demand for information– Published catalogue– Publicity
• Activities– Location control– Measurement– Photography
Deaccession, Disposal, Exit
• Have we got a clear written policy?– Make submission– Clarify reasons– Clarify ownership– Record object details– Offer to other
museums– Sell/skip
Documentation - Catalogues
• A catalogue is a structured set of data that describes a museum collection
• The purpose of a museum catalogue is to convey information about objects to a variety of users. – General public– Learned public– Staff/managers
Catalogues - FieldsNumber NMIAA : 1940.1
Locality Balline, Co. Limerick
Period Iron Age
Date late fourth century BC
Manufacture Romano-British
Inscription EX OFFI ISATIS ; EX OFC VILIS ; EX O NONT
Publication Ó Ríordáin 1947 ; Macalister 1949 ; Bateson 1973 ; Raftery 1994
Description Four cow-hide-shaped silver ingots and cut plate
Number of items 5
Catalogues - Syntax
Dates: today
28 Sep 2013
28th September 2013
28/9/2013
9/28/2013
2013.09.28
2013-09-28
Collections Trust
• Was MDA until 2008• The UK
Museum Documentation Standard (now free)
• Guides• Thesauri
Collections Trust
WC2 09 Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD
HELP http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk
1
• Pre-entry• Object entry• Loans in• Acquisition• Inventory control• Location movement
control
• Transport• Cataloguing• Object condition
checking and technical assessment
• Conservation and collections care
2
• Risk management• Insurance and
indemnity management• Valuation control• Audit• Rights management• Use of collections
• Object exit• Loans out• Loss and damage• Deaccession and
disposal• Retrospective
documentation