Posts
Collections Stewardship
Collection Ranking: Making deaccessions work for you
For all the objects in a museum’s collection that meet the standard criteria for accessioning—they fit the museum’s mission, are in good condition, and have thorough provenance—a …
How Science Museum of Minnesota Put Its Collections and Research on the MAP
The timing was right for Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) to participate in the Collections Stewardship Museum Assessment Program (MAP) program in 2018. Since our last MAP, in 1985, we had …
Doing More with More: Investing in Earned Income
As the saying goes, “it takes money to make money.” Often museums feel they can’t risk their slim financial margin on speculative ventures, but not taking such risks comes with a cost as …
Museopunks Episode 38: Decolonization and its Discontents
As decolonization moves more firmly onto the agenda in museums, so too does its critique. In this episode, we speak with Sumaya Kassim, author of the essay ‘The Museum Will Not Be …
Artificial Intelligence Is Revealing Secrets About How the Ghent Altarpiece Was Made—and Damaged
Thanks to artificial intelligence, researchers have been able to better understand x-rays taken of the Ghent Altarpiece, a two-sided piece of art. Typically, x-ray images of artwork can …
The battle to rebuild centuries of science after an epic inferno
Read this article for a story of the people who are rebuilding their research, the collections, and their lives in the year following the fire that devastated Brazil’s National Museum …
How one museum is repatriating Indigenous belongings
Canada has been making strides to bring justice to indigenous peoples, even promoting a bill to ensure a national strategy around the topic of repatriation. Zoe Tennant spoke with, Lou-ann …
Thinking about the Unthinkable: Disaster preparedness and emergency response plans for small museums
Since 1981, the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) has been assisting small and mid-sized museums in their quest to achieve best practices and national standards. The process begins with an …
How Rapid-Response Exhibits Are Changing the Way Museums Engage Their Communities
Many museums have started collecting in response to current situations in the world. There are some that are now beginning to use those rapid response collections to develop quick and …
Should These Clothes Be Saved?
The New York Times explores the story of the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection, an unofficial collection of ordinary women’s clothing from 20th century America maintained as …
How Museums Tidy Up
Deaccessioning and disposal are part and parcel to a healthy museum collection and can help a museum clarify its mission. In this article, Ellen C. Caldwell discusses the challenges and …
Collaborating with Emergency Responders to Protect Cultural Heritage
Protecting cultural heritage collections is crucial to preserving our nation’s history, sustaining the economy, and fostering resilience so that communities can respond to and recover from …