Collections management is whatever is done to develop, care for, and document museum objects and make them available for use. The following resources were compiled from organizations throughout the nonprofit and museum sector. AAM reviewed and approved each one based on the organization’s authority and expertise and the resource’s usefulness related to the topic. Clicking the links below will take you off the AAM website.
2014 Food in Museums Survey Results
In 2014 the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) surveyed 351 people from 21 countries regarding the policies of food and collections in museums. The results of the survey are summarized followed by a discussion of common themes.
Collections Policies and Preservation
The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) has a technical leaflet on library collections policies. It discusses the preservation issues that should inform the collection policy.
The National Park Service’s (NPS) Museum Handbook (PDF) has a chapter with several sample collections management policies. It is specifically designed for museums, archives, libraries, historic sites, and for zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens with living collections. Use these guidelines to create a new collections policy or revise your institution’s existing collections policy. collections management forms, including gift acknowledgment certificate, ownership statement, transfer of copyright statement, exchange agreements, transfer of property statement, incoming loan forms and flowcharts, and accession forms and flowcharts.
Protecting Collections During Special Events
Connecting to Collections shares the steps Barbara Heller, director and conservator of special projects at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), took to better protect collections during the planning and hosting of special events.