Museum Archives and Resource Sharing

By Melissa Bowling

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) Museum Archives Section Working Group has been developing an online tool for the museum archives community to aid in the sharing of resources across institutions. Currently, the Working Group is gathering examples of forms, policies, and procedures to populate this online resource. You can view the resources that were gathered last year here.

At this time, the Working Group is trying to improve and expand this online resource to make it more useful to the museum archivist community. Based on a survey completed by Museum Archives Section members, as well as evaluative work, the Working Group has created a list of specific policies, procedures, and forms that it is trying to collect for it’s online resource. Please refer to the more detailed list, here, at the bottom of this post (here will be hyperlinked with an anchored link to the list). It is important to the Museum Archives Section Working Group that the resources selected for sharing represent different types of museums from many regions.

Once these documents are gathered, the Working Group will select examples of best practices to upload those to the SAA standards portal, as well as the Museum Archives website. All documents uploaded to the portal will be available to the public. Please note that not all of the documents that are collected will be uploaded to our site – the Working Group will be selecting diverse examples to share online.

The SAA Museum Archives Section would like to thank you in advance for your willingness to help build this valuable resource for the museum archives community.

Using the subject heading, “Museum Archives Resource Sharing,” please email submissions to melissa.bowling@metmuseum.org .

Requested Submission Documents:

• Social media policies
• Confidentiality or restriction policies
• Reader registration forms from small museums
• Collection development policies that discuss cooperative collecting
• Records management policies or manuals from non-art museums
• Records retention schedules from a public university museum
• Electronic records policies
• Electronic record retention schedules
• Mission statements or statements of purpose for non-art museums
• Preservation policies covering physical materials
• Preservation policies covering digital materials
• Processing manuals
• Standard series examples
• Consortium policies or agreements
• Space planning documents
• Disaster plans or plan sections covering digital assets
• Loan policies and forms
• Repository overviews or descriptions
• Assistant Archivist job descriptions or other job descriptions
• Oral history release agreements
• Access policies
• Digital asset management policies

2012-2013 Museum Archives Section Working Group: Barbara Austen, Pam Spriester Bell, Melissa Bowling, Rachel Chatalbash, Ryan Evans, Caroline LeFevre, Susan Miller, Dawn Sueoka, Lindsay Turley, Jennifer Whitlock, Brian Wilson

A New Community for Museum Cataloging

Nomenclature 3.0 for Museum Cataloging is a structured and controlled list of object terms organized in a hierarchical classification system. It provides a way to index and catalog collections of human-made artifacts based on their function. A museum standard for over 30 years, the third edition of Nomenclature, produced in 2010, includes over 5,000 new object terms. More importantly, the lexicon has been improved and expanded, grouping similar object terms and offering increased levels of naming. These enhancements help catalogers determine the best term quickly and accurately.

 

How Can a Museum Adapt Nomenclature 3.0 to Suit its Own Needs?

While museums with specialized collections will appreciate the level of specificity they can achieve when cataloguing, not all institutions will require this level of naming. As Nomenclature points out, museums are encouraged to determine how far they want to go. Catalogers with a collection of carpenter’s planes may decide to use only the primary object term “Plane” or they may differentiate further between “Plane, Leveling” and “Plane, Grooving.”

The lexicon does not include all possible names for all possible museum artifacts. Rather than clutter Nomenclature 3.0 with multiple terms for musical instrument cases (e.g., “Case, Clarinet,” “Case, Trumpet,” “Case, Flute”), the generic primary object term “Case, Musical Instrument” is provided. Institutions with an extensive musical instrument collection can modify the lexicon by adding further specialized instrument cases as secondary terms under the generic primary term.

As long as new terms are added within the Nomenclature 3.0 framework, the reasons for adding the terms are documented, and the additions are made after careful consideration, the lexicon will function properly. When adding terms, it’s best to refer to the definitions given for the classifications and sub-classifications and to review existing object terms carefully to determine if any of them qualify as a broader term for the term to be added by the institution.

 

How Can You Find out More about Nomenclature 3.0?

As a way to introduce Nomenclature 3.0 to the museum public, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has established an online community for users of Nomenclature 3.0 for Museum Cataloging: http://aaslhcommunity.org/nomenclature/.

There, visitors can find a tutorial explaining the changes found in the third edition and keep up with the news on such issues as the lexicon’s adoption by software vendors, upcoming presentations, etc. Users can also query experts about the proper name for an object, propose new terms, and find recent updates to the lexicon.

Although many improvements have been made to meet the needs of its users and to reflect changing museum standards, Nomenclature will always be a work in progress. It is hoped that this new edition helps museums improve their data management and provides a firm foundation upon which future editions will be based.

The AASLH’s The Nomenclature Committee also invites museum cataloguers to participate in its Nomenclature Future Updates Survey. Your input is necessary to ensure that the Committee has the necessary input from users in the field.

Westing by Musket and Sextant is out: WestMusing is in!

By James G. Leventhal

One of the author’s favorite records.

Many years ago Stephanie Weaver of Experienceology encouraged the Western Museums Association to start exploring the use of Ted-like talks to enliven the Annual Meeting and to provide better year-round content on the then recently launched blog site westmuse and other outlets. Well, Stephanie, your wait is over!…soon.

At the fall meeting of the Western Museum’s Association, WMA will launch for the first time: westmusings. Based on TED Talks success and their model of “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world,” these talks will provide an important platform for tomorrow’s leaders to speak today at WMA 2013 in Salt Lake City, with their short, rehearsed, engaging presentations available for distribution on the web through westmuse.org and other WMA portals, perhaps streaming live as well.

Who are our heros? Well, there’s Mike Edson, and our good friends at Museum Computer Network who launched their ignite series of talks this past fall in Seattle:

See the vid above, and read the text here.

WMA is looking to amplify the mindset and philosophy of young leaders in the field, as well as to mirror the practice we preach in our institutions and creating on-line access to professional development.

Who will be westmusing?! Amazing people like:

Whitney Ford Terry in Seattle

Whitney Ford Terry, Public Programs Coordinator, Henry Art Gallery
A graduate of the University of Washington’s Museology program, Whitney Ford-Terry organizes lectures, screenings, workshops, and events as the Public Programs Coordinator at the Henry Art Gallery. She has had the opportunity to work in a variety of non-profits and museums like MoMA PS1, KEET-TV/PBS, and The Experience Music Project (and Science Fiction Museum). As co-curator of The Hedreen Gallery, Ford-Terry developed a series of experimental exhibitions, ad-hoc collaborations, and opportunities for free choice learning and interdisciplinary study at Seattle University. She is also a contributor to ARCADE magazine, a blogger for Art21, and an active community volunteer.

Scott Stulen, Project Director for mnartists.org, amongst other responsibilities at Walker Art Center, including playing a leadership role in their essential public-facing offering Open Field. As lead organizer of the Cat Video Festival, and Project Director for mnartists.org and Manager of the Walker Art Center’s OpenField, Stulen’s artist’s statement reads: “I am interested in how popular culture bonds with fragments of memory to create unexpected connections and points of entry, which linger decades later. I am fascinated in how familiar, yet isolated references can be combined to create a new experience, which is both personal, but strangely out of context. I view my role much like a DJ, sampling fragments of pop culture, personal and collective histories and false memories and combining them into a singular work. The key is in selecting, remixing and dropping of the appropriate sequence of samples, thus leading the audience to find meaning in unexpected places.”

And MORE!! Stay tuned for: sponsorship updates, more profiles, roller derby, knowing your own bone and Alaska’s great non-white North.

WMA 2012: Presentation for An Update on the Connecting to Collections Initiative in the Western States

Session

An Update on the Connecting to Collections Initiative in the Western States

Moderator

Connie Bodner, Ph.D., Senior Program Officer, Office of Museum Services, IMLS

Presenters

Kara West, Assistant Director for Field Services, Balboa Art Conservation Center
Keni Sturgeon, Curator & Museum Director, Willamette Heritage Center
Eric Taylor, Heritage Lead, 4Culture

Description

Since its introduction through a national summit in 2007, the Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections initiative has developed a bookshelf, organized a series of forums, developed an online community, and funded statewide planning and implementation grants to raise public awareness of the importance of caring for our treasures – underscoring the fact that these collections are essential to the American story. Representatives leading statewide efforts in California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as a representative from IMLS shared updates on program development in the western states, lessons learned, and the availability of national and region resources.

To learn more about the Connecting to Collections program and state-by-state impact, visit the IMLS website: http://www.imls.gov/collections/

And join the conversation at the online community. Created by IMLS and Heritage Preservation, the online community features resources, a discussion board, and access to webinars and other opportunities for discussion that is continuing the community of practice forged by the initiative, www.connectingtocollections.org.

Presentation

An Update on the Connecting to Collections Initiative in the Western States from West Muse

Science for All: The Importance of Museums in Conveying Research

By: Andrea Godinez

Do you consider yourself a scientist? Or see the ways that research affects your daily life? Sometimes, for those of us who are not working in a lab or the field, science can seem exclusive and disconnected from our lives.

That’s why I have devoted my career to telling stories of science and research in ways that are hopefully accessible to our audiences – including those who identify themselves as non-scientists. I often tell these stories through words or visual marketing pieces. However, it is easy to overlook the importance of connecting our visitors to first-hand experiences that engage them in the research happening at museums like the Burke every day.

This is one of the main reasons why I am looking forward to attending “The Joy of Discovery: Sharing Research with the Public” session at the upcoming Western Museums Association’s Annual Meeting. A session about designing a museum’s physical space to convey research to its visitors is very intriguing to me. The Burke Museum is working toward building a new museum facility, and at the heart of our effort is bringing research and the collections to the forefront of the visitor experience.

UW graduate student Adam Huttenlocker shows fossils from the Burke Museum collections to young visitors at the museum’s annual Dino Day. Adam conducted fieldwork in Antarctica with our vertebrate paleontology team as part of his doctoral dissertation. Photo by Lora Shinn.

At the Burke Museum, we have over 15 million objects in our collections. These collections are an essential part of the world’s research library, for anyone to “check out” and use to answer questions about the world and our place in it. One of the main goals we strive to accomplish through our communications strategies and the museum environment is to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of these collections and how they can be used. Specifically, how do we help convey the importance of research through museum collections? And how can we draw connections between this research and a visitor’s daily life so it is relevant to them? These are questions that we’re exploring at the Burke Museum, and I look forward to learning how others have addressed these questions at the WMA session.

In the past, I have attended museum conferences as a student. This year, I’m attending WMA’s annual meeting as a museum professional. I look forward to discussing best practices with others from a variety of jobs and backgrounds, and bringing these thoughts back to my work. Many of the session speakers are emerging museum professionals, and I highly recommend both students and those who are new to the field attendance the conference – because we’re talking and bringing innovative ideas to the table.

If museums continue to bring collections accessibility to the forefront of the visitor experience, then maybe we can create opportunities for our audiences to imagine themselves as a scientist. Or, provide the platform for visitors to engage with science and research in ways that show the relevance to everyone’s lives. Whichever way we engage museum audiences in research, I hope to see even more people inspired by science and recognize the role museums play in this practice.

Andrea Godinez, M.A. Museology, is the Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle, Washington. She is a graduate of the University of Washington’s Museology Graduate Program and is interested in connecting diverse audiences to museums, evaluating the impact of museums on society (and vice versa), and creating engaging content through dynamic programming and storytelling.

A Question of Lenders’ Insurance Values

By: Renee Montgomery

Scenario:  Your museum is securing a loan critical to its upcoming exhibition. The lender returns the loan contract.  His declared insurance value is high, but the loan is vital to the exhibition and it’s ticklish to question this lender.  The contract is countersigned with everyone hoping the loan will simply come and go without incident so the value never becomes an issue in an insurance claim.

The question of inflated loan values is a delicate area of exhibition production –both from your side and your insurer’s.  Once your institution has approved a value, under the conditions of most collection policies, your underwriters must honor this amount in the event of a total loss claim.  In the case of a partial loss (or damage) claim, the value becomes the basis for adjustment , meaning, a damage to an object valued at $1 million rendering the artwork to lose half its value, let’s say, will result in a $500,000 claim, but if the work had been valued at $500,000, the claim would settle at $250,000.  As a result, underwriters depend on museums to carefully vet loan values.  A massive settlement with one institution’s lender, can translate into higher premiums for you upon insurance renewal.  In some cases your museum might be purchasing special coverage specifically for your exhibition or paying the lender’s premium, so a higher lender value can signify direct costs.

My intention with this blog is to provide museums with some tactics helpful in resolving the issue of inconsistent insurance values assigned by lenders.

As with most controversies, an open dialogue is usually the best solution. The museum can explain to the lender “We’ve been seeing all the values come in from lenders for this exhibition and notice yours is high compared to similar objects.  Can we ask what you based the value on?”   In my experience, mis-stated values normally stem from unsophisticated lenders who were simply guessing at approximate values, and are usually responsive to questioning.  Of course, museums are careful not to furnish an appraisal during any of these conversations, but to forward the lender to an appraiser(s), auction house, and/or artist’s dealer for clarification.

Museums may also ask the lender to supply a copy of an appraisal – implying this is needed for bureaucratic reasons if necessary.  For instance, at my museum, the curator handily blames me: “Gee, I’m sorry; our risk manager requires an appraisal.”  Or your museum can explain your insurance company requires substantiation.  In my experience, when lenders have been asked for documentation, I’ve been happily surprised.  Many collectors closely follow the market.   The lender may even respond with a bill-of-sale if he’s acquired the object lately.

Sometimes we hear lenders claim, “This work is priceless, it’s impossible to set a value!”   Museums must tactfully push through that sort of description.  The claim of pricelessness can be true in limited instances but almost every type of art or artifact is bought and sold on the open market nowadays and has a value,  (e.g., George Washington’s personal copy of the Constitution/Bill of Rights recently sold at auction).

Another strategy is to agree to insure for the “fair market value at time of loss” rather than for a declared value, so the issue is put off to experts later if needed.  Further ideas are conferring with other museums who’ve hosted exhibitions of similar material. Colleagues can’t disclose their lenders’ values of course but may furnish revealing information, e.g., “Yes, we dealt with that lender.  He has a curator advising him. ”   Or perhaps your own insurance agency knows the lender – through positive or negative loss history.  Again, in my experience, most feedback from the insurance agencies regarding particular lenders has been favorable.  Your brokerage may happen to serve the collector too and be aware of an appraisal you could request from the collector.

Another possible solution is to ask the lender to continue his own insurance, so any claim settlement impacts his record, not yours.  Bear in mind that many lenders (or their agents) may wish to invoice a premium however.  Naturally in these cases, you’re obtaining an insurance certificate naming all the borrowers (including tour venues) as additionally assured or waiving subrogation rights.

If dealing with other institutions, look for a quid pro quo situation before negotiating, for instance, “we are looking forward to lending to your upcoming exhibition and value our partnership with your museum, but must resolve this value issue.”  Most colleagues and private collectors are sensitive to the realities of budget limitations  so if you mention the [inflated] insurance value could impact your costs, they may be see the value less as an abstract approximate number, and be willing to pinpoint it better along market rates.

If the matter simply can’t be resolved, an internal risk management discussion should occur (e.g., with your supervisor, curator, conservator), taking into consideration:  the value, length of loan, lender, the relative fragility, and risks to which the object will be exposed or not, e.g. a complicated travel itinerary.  Discuss any special mitigation measures you can employ:  obtaining outgoing condition reports and photos preferably signed off by the lender and your staff (or your agent) at the lender’s door, special advance inspection by a conservator, a possible courier, and/or special security safeguards, e.g., display under a vitrine.  In some cases, the prudent approach may be to simply delete the loan from your exhibition.

If you must proceed, try to reduce your risks, for instance, by agreeing to insure on your premises only and not during transits, where damage is statistically more likely to transpire.  Or, similarly try to limit your insurance responsibility to the less-likely risks of loss, theft or mysterious disappearance, thereby avoiding the whole issue of depreciation in the event of damage.

Of course, issuing loan contracts early allows more time to negotiate values.  A loan form returned the day before the pickup date gives little time to sort out difficulties.   Finally, developing internal procedures in advance, outlining how inconsistent loan insurance values will be addressed, will speed up the process and help you manage expectations. Procedures should be accompanied by staff training or sensitization.

Renee Montgomery is Assistant Director, Risk Management, for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California.

Collections Access: Northwest African American Museum

By: Katie Williams

The Northwest African American Museum, Main Entrance just after opening in 2008. Photo by Jennifer Richard.

The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) is not a collecting institution at this time. This fact has made describing our collections policy to the public tricky, because, isn’t that what museums do? They mainly collect objects and care for them in perpetuity, right?  In response to many collections questions, and requests for us to accession countless objects that may or may not meet our mission, my answer is this: “We collect more stories than objects”. This makes sense. Whenever we have an exhibit, we go out in the community to collect the local histories that enhance, or create, our exhibitions. Objects on display are generally borrowed for the length of the show and then returned. We do not have the space and resources to keep everything. We do have a small collection of local sports memorabilia, pertinent news clippings, pictures and other artifacts that tell the story of the African American community in the Northwest. My favorite is the small stone Wounded Eaglet by sculptor James Washington Jr. that was dropped off by a well meaning board member just after the museum opened. We were able to keep that one. But what do we do with everything else? How are we still able to keep the things that matter the most – in our case, personal stories, and still provide the public with access to them?

The Northwest African American Museum is now located in the remodeled bottom level of the three story historic building.

This summer NAAM is partnering with the Garfield RecTech/ARC Summer Youth Video Internship Program. Garfield High School was identified as an ideal School Partner because of their video production activities and a coordinated collaboration with the youth internship program. The program takes place at Garfield Community Center and runs each summer with funding from the city and a crew of high school students from Garfield High School just around the corner. The students will attend a series of classes to interview local Tuskegee Airmen who have settled in the area, and also record their stories.

The product of their work will be a new online curriculum packet that discusses the history and contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen with focus on local Airmen including video links and downloads that includes interviews with local Airmen. These brave pilots were trained and served during WWII, so it is important to say that this project is indeed timely.  The Sam Bruce Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen was named for an Airman who was a Garfield High School graduate and the Chapter will serve as a resource for the project.

Lt Col Ed Drummond, Tuskegee Airmen, and Katie Williams stand in the Journey Gallery at NAAM.

It has always been a goal among the staff at NAAM to develop an oral history program, and also start a youth project that focuses on collecting oral histories. This project is especially exciting because it fulfills those two goals and lays the groundwork for future programming. Best of all, these amazing stories from our local Tuskegee Airmen will be preserved and accessible on our website to everyone, including those not able to come to the museum.

When thinking about how to make collections accessible to the community, the goal is sometimes not about the object, but the stories that those objects represent, and more importantly, the person behind them.

Katie Williams is not a Curator, but a Museum Educator, at the Northwest African American Museum.