Collections management

This process involves assigning unique identification numbers to individual objects within a collection, and attaching relevant accompanying documentation to the item such as curatorial worksheets, photographs, condition assessments, and accession and/or deaccession information.

The policy articulates the institution's professional standards regarding the items left in its care and serves as a guide for the staff".

A mission statement addresses the museum's focus in terms of its purpose and its roles and responsibilities to the public and collections.

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.

This in turn allows the collector or institution to set guidelines for improving, growing, and developing the collection in a way that is of most benefit.

[29] Deaccessioning is the opposite of accessioning and involves the permanent removal of an object and all associated records from a collector's or institution's collection.

Like the accession portion of the collection policy, the deaccession section lays out the terms under which an object may be considered for removal, as well as the individuals with the authority to approve the process.

Additionally, this section lays out the legal restrictions associated with removal of the object, and the types of disposal that are appropriate based on the reason for the deaccession.

These loans help share and disseminate information to different communities and can prove mutually beneficial to both collection-holding individuals or institutions.

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.

Sub-topics within this section may include display and storage housing, packing and transport, and integrated pest management.

To accomplish this, the collector or holding-institution must take into consideration proper housing containers, as well as environmental conditions necessary to prevent damages.

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.

[39] 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.

[40] The main environmental conditions that require outlined protocols in the collections management policy include temperature, relative humidity (RH), light, and contaminants.

Proper display and storage housing will help to mitigate some of the risks of accidental damage, but it is important to create and implement high standards for the routine care and handling, as well as the packing and transporting, of collection objects.

[48] 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).

Ideally, the object will be packaged in a shipping container that provides protection from shock, vibration, sudden climate changes, and mishandling.

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.

The disaster preparedness and emergency response plan should also include detailed instructions explaining how each type of disaster should be handled including the initial threat assessment and response, evacuation procedures where appropriate, damage mitigation plans, salvage priorities, and post-damage inventories and recovery procedures.

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;[59] social capital, when ensuring representational parity through community engagement and advocacy of stakeholders;[60] and environmental impact, when emphasizing waste reduction, life cycle assessments and environmentally safer alternatives to conservation chemicals, packaging and transport materials.