1. Collecting “Our Town” Artifacts: Collections Management Murl Riedel Assistant Curator KATP Workshop

2. Intent & Agenda Intent: To provide you guidance in developing a collections management policy that aid the operations of your institution –Sample Collections Management Policy –Museum Collecting: Background –Establishing a collection –Do’s & Don’ts –Collection Management Policies –Scenarios

3. What is a Museum? Origin Early Museums: Cabinets of Curiosity –Unicorn Horns –Mermaid Fins Characterizes –Highlights the extraordinary –Brings the world to the viewer The Artist in His Museum, Charles Willson Peale, 1822

4. What is a Museum? Modern To Preserve –Save fragments of your community –Document change To Educate –Bring the viewer to your community –Part of a bigger picture

5. American Association of Museum (AAM) Museum Collection –Order & Organization –Valued by people –Collected with the intent to preserve –Serves the mission –Integrity of artifact and associated information –Sept 11 th fragment

6. What Should We Collect? Objects that support your mission Common objects & fine objects Objects from all cultures and ethnic groups within your mission Objects that can be cared for properly

7. What should we NOT collect Human remains & Rare Species –There are better places for this Live ammunition –It goes boom! Hazardous artifacts –Poisons & Radioactive stuff: dangerous to staff and visitors Looted artifacts –Might be stolen

8. Important Term: Public Trust Non-Profit Organizations –Tax Exempt Status = partial public ownership –Stewards of the public collection Obligation to your audience and governing board/elected officials Obligated to protect, manage, provide access to, and maintain intellectual control over collections and associated records

9. Important Term: Intellectual Control Documentation –Unique Number –Legal Ownership –Object Name –Location –Photographs –Provenance

10. Collections Management Policy (CMP) Written Policy that addresses –Care of collections –Development of collections –Access to collections CMP is a set of policies –Acquisitions, Accessions, Registration, Cataloging, Security, Storage, Exhibition, Ethics Don’t be scared –Policies are simply a written instructional “how to” guide

11. Acquisitions Policy To accept or not to accept Most critical decision in the museum business Policy is the “how to” instruction for making this decisions

12. Players in the Game Museum Board Museum Director Curator Collections Manager Registrar Educator

13. You Are Not Alone Decisions should not be made by one person Form a committee –Sub-Committee of Trustee –Acquisitions Committee of Staff Creates engagement from others and shares responsibilities

14. Developing Policy Write down a few rules –Regular meetings (monthly) –Who attends and who votes? Before the Meeting: One person gathers info After the Meeting: One person records info

15. Factors to consider when accepting Relevant to mission Obtain legal title No extra conditions Provide proper storage Good condition Exhibition/Research Value Not duplicated Artifacts history can be documented

16. Additional Tips Not everything is important to the museum, but everything is important to the donor If you don’t want it, don’t bring it in the house If its falling apart, or going to fall apart, you won’t be able to fix it If one is good, two is NOT better Write down everything. Without documentation, an artifact is worthless Space is your most important commodity.

17. Things You DON’T Do Don’t Accept Permanent Loans – There’s no such thing Don’t Accept Conditions – No promises Don’t appraise artifacts

18. Basic Structure of Acquisitions Policy Mission Scope of Collections –Defines limits Acquisitions Committee –Decision Makers –Duties –Meetings Criteria for accepting

19. Scenario 1: Cigar Boxes Former Rock Creek School principal is offering 30 cigar boxes 5 boxes were made by manufacturers in Riley and Pottawatomie Counties 3 boxes display labels of local groceries stores and tobacco shops All boxes are worn, some are soggy and some are covered with crayon markings What do you accept and why?

20. Scenario 2: Bear Claw Necklace An antique dealer from Denver offers to sell a bear claw necklace that belonged to Chief Wabash, a Pottawatomie Indian incarcerated at Ft Riley in 1870 The necklace is in perfect condition

21. Scenario 3: Protest Signs A member from a regional extremist organization is offering 2 protest signs. The signs were used in Westmoreland, Kansas, to protest the 2011 funeral of a US Soldier. The protest led to a Supreme Court decision The signs are made of tape and cardboard and depict graphic images