Museum Basics - Documentation

Nigel Monaghan

National Museum of Ireland

Cabinet of Curiosties 1599

Ferrante Imperato’s museum, Naples

Cabinet of Curiosities 1655

Olaus Worm’s museum, Leiden

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

Entry

Write it down NOW!

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

Documentation - Labels

• Stay with objects• Hold most data• Catalogue number• Links to other data

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)

Publications & Archives

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

Before

After

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

Documentation - Catalogues

• Item entry• Catalogue numbers

Catalogues - Records

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 - Terminology

bequest

gift

loan

purchase

transfer

untraced find

How did we get it?

Catalogues - TerminologyGift

Bequest

Contribution

Donation

Endowment

Offering

Presentation

Present

Terminology - Room Codes

Catalogues - Syntax

Dates: today

28 Sep 2013

28th September 2013

28/9/2013

9/28/2013

2013.09.28

2013-09-28

Catalogues - Automation

Find it fast

Multiple copies

Sharing

Security

Safety

Permanence

Documentation - Backlogs

• Step by step process• Mark, label, record• Reconcile

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

Documentation: A Practical Guide

By Margaret Harrison and

Gordon McKenna

Price: £24.99

ISBN: 978-1-900642-16-3