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THE STATE
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 |
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TO: |
The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents |
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FROM: |
Carole Huxley |
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COMMITTEE: |
Cultural Education |
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TITLE OF
ITEM: |
Proposed Standards for Chartering Museums and
Historical Societies |
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DATE OF
SUBMISSION: |
December 17, 2003 |
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PROPOSED
HANDLING: |
Discussion |
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RATIONALE FOR
ITEM: |
Ensuring chartered institutions understand and operate
according to generally accepted professional standards. |
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STRATEGIC
GOAL: |
Goals 2, 4, and 5 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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SUMMARY:
For more than a year, the Museum
Association of New York (MANY), the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA),
the SED’s Office of Cultural Education and more recently the State Office of
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation have been working together to
develop new chartering standards aligned to those required for national
accreditation but flexible enough to be applicable to small as well as large
institutions. The Board and the Director of MANY, which includes museums and
historical societies statewide, initiated this effort through an approach to my
Office and to the Council on the Arts.
Their conviction was that many fewer institutions would develop fiscal,
stewardship or managerial problems if their boards and staff had clearer
guidance on their responsibilities and the level of performance deemed necessary
for a viable operation. We
agreed.
Over the past year, we have worked
on both standards and a proposed new process to improve the usefulness of
chartering to the State and to the institutions, themselves. The Museum
Association staff and board developed a first draft of a standards document,
which was refined by the cooperating State agencies, using the American
Association of Museums’ accreditation standards as a template. Then NYSCA and my Office provided
support for a new trustees’ training program on standards and trustee
responsibilities. This coming year, we also are planning to test training for
experienced museum trustees and professional staff to do peer reviews of
institutions seeking absolute charters.
At the Regents Policy Conference
this fall, Regents received input on the new proposed standards from a variety
of constituent groups. Following that meeting, MANY put the draft up on its web
site and conducted regional meetings for additional comments from practitioners.
The result is the attached
document for discussion at the Committee meeting. The statements in the
Executive Summary, relating to six areas of responsibility and performance for
an institution seeking an absolute charter, would form the basis for new Regents
Rules. The section headed “Standards and Practices” would not be incorporated
into the Regents Rules, per se. Rather it will provide guidance on the level of
performance within each of the six categories that reviewers would expect to see
when assessing the institution for an absolute charter. There is a voluminous appendix to the
document not included in this item listing resources for each area of
responsibility for trustees and staff of museums and historical societies.
In June after additional field
consultation, we will seek your approval for a revision of Regents
Rules.
Standards and
Best Practices for
Museums and Historical
Societies
Receiving Absolute Charters
in New York State
D R
A F T F O R D I S C U S S I O
N
Revised 12/12/2003
Prepared by the Museum
Association of New York
in
collaboration with
Office of Cultural Education,
New York State Education Department
and
the
New
York State Council on the Arts
Bureau of Historic Sites, New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation
To
view and download a copy of the Resources section of this document,
visit
www.manyonline.org
www.nysm.nysed.gov/charter
Executive
Summary
Minimum
Standards and Best Practices for museums and historical societies receiving
Absolute Charters in New York State cluster around six overarching principles of
practice. They are designed to
guide organizations in their development, elucidate expectations of acceptable
performance, and help an organization measure its effectiveness as an educator
and steward of public assets.
I.
Organization
A
museum or historical society with an absolute charter has complied with all
local, state, and federal laws and regulations. It is incorporated to serve a public
purpose, has gathered appropriate resources to serve its mission and is open and
accessible to the public on a regular basis.
II.
Mission
A
museum or historical society with an absolute charter has a clear sense of
mission and prioritizes its budget and activities to meet its stated
mission.
III.
Governance
A
museum or historical society with an absolute charter organizes its governing
authority, staff, financial resources, collections, public programs and other
activities to meet its stated Mission and to fulfill its public trust
obligations. The governance
structure and process effectively advance diversity of participation and the
organization’s mission. The staff
and governing authority have a clear and shared understanding of their roles and
responsibilities. The Board
understands and exercises fiduciary responsibility for all the institution’s
assets. It sets policy and the
staff implements policy and reports to the full board. The organization manifests current and
appropriate evidence of planning for the future.
IV.
Administration, Human Resources, Finance, and
Facilities
A
museum or historical society with an absolute charter has educated and
future-focused leadership and management personnel in place to develop and
manage its activities. It is
committed to incorporating diversity in its staff and
volunteers.
It
has adopted professional systems and practices to assure accountable management
of its resources and to sustain financial viability. It demonstrates prudent management of
its resources and adherence to its mission by engaging in regular planning and
review that takes all parts of the organization into
account.
It
owns or occupies through lease or special arrangement safe, well-maintained,
accessible, and visitor-friendly facilities that enhance the organization’s
mission, protect collections, and provide programmatic and work
space.
V.
Collections Stewardship
A
museum or historical society with an absolute charter owns a tangible collection
of objects, historical records, buildings, archeological remains, properties,
lands or other tangible and intrinsically valuable resources that is appropriate
to its mission, and effectively manages, houses, secures, documents and
conserves it, and shares it with the public.
VI. Education,
Interpretation, and Presentation
A
museum or historical society with an absolute charter draws upon its collections
to present programs, publications, and exhibitions that address the
organization’s mission. The
organization’s public educational offerings are built upon the best scholarship
and make use of knowledge about the organization’s audiences and their learning
styles. These offerings are
promoted or offered to as broad a segment of the population as
possible.
Introduction
In
early 2002, the Office of Cultural Education, the New York State Council on the
Arts, and the Museum Association of New York began meeting to discuss issues
related to the health and well being of the state’s museums and heritage
organizations. We have been joined
recently in these efforts by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation’s Bureau of Historic Sites.
Our
conversations identified a variety of needs beginning with the strengthening of
the chartering process. A four-part
strategy was developed that included 1) development of a trustee-training
program for provisionally chartered organizations; 2) articulation of standards
and best practices by which museums and historical societies could benchmark
their performance; 3) creation of a peer review program to help evaluate the
readiness of organizations applying for Absolute Charters; and 4) analysis and
reporting of data collected by the Chartering Office.
This
document represents an important step toward helping museums and historical
societies ensure that their unique educational role is emphasized and that the
public interest in their work is protected. Museums and historical societies in New
York State are charged with tremendous responsibility. They steward the artistic, historical,
scientific, natural and cultural heritage of our communities, and they hold in
public trust the tangible evidence of human history, activity, scientific
discovery and creative genius. The
services performed by hundreds of private, not-for-profit organizations across
the state are unique and unduplicated.
The impact upon their constituents, the citizens of the State of New York
and the treasure of artifacts, specimens, objects and documents in their care is
remarkable.
In
recognition that museums and historical societies in the State of New York
perform invaluable service to the people and to the educational landscape of the
state, the state exempts these agencies from certain tax burdens. Because museums bear a fiduciary
responsibility for valuable public assets, their work must emphasize openness
when developing museum policy and procedure. As with all well-managed organizations
and businesses, practices of accountability and professional standards ensure
the effective use of scarce resources.
Of
the 1,517 agencies holding a charter from New York State, nearly 30% are
agencies holding Provisional Charters. Many of these organizations are new or
emerging, and often unaware of currently accepted museum practice or of their
responsibilities to collections, education, and access. The Museum Association of New York,
representing the state’s museum community, and the Chartering Office of the NYS
Museum (State Education Department, Office of Cultural Education) have worked
together to clarify a set of standards and best practices to guide new and
growing museums and heritage agencies, especially those working toward an
Absolute Charter from the State of New York.
These
Minimum Standards and Best Practices parallel in organization the set of
professional criteria used by the American Association of Museums (a national
museum organization) in its national accreditation program. They are designed to guide organizations
in their development, elucidate expectations of acceptable practice, and help an
organization measure its effectiveness as an educator and steward of public
assets. They directly support the
new Museum Trustee Training Program created in 2003 by the Office of Cultural
Education, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Museum Association of
New York.
This document defines
six Standards and related Best Practices and is followed by an exhaustive
resources section. The Standards
and Best Practices focus on organization, mission, governance, collections
stewardship, interpretation and presentation, and administration, human
resources, finance, and facilities.
There
are many resources to assist organizations attempting to achieve these
standards. It is important to
recognize that there exist benchmarks for museum practice that have evolved
during the last 75 years. For a
chartered museum or historical society, these standards form the basis for
meeting the responsibilities of the public trust and for achieving success as a
healthy and vital educational organization.
The
following Standards and Best Practices will be used to determine whether an
agency is operating at a sufficient level to receive an Absolute Charter from
the NYS Board of Regents. By
operating at this level, museums and historical societies that enjoy certain
financial benefits offer the people of New York some assurance they are
adequately protecting the cultural heritage of the State and using it to promote
the betterment of its citizens.
Proposed Standards and Best
Practices:
I.
Organization
A museum or historical society
with an absolute charter has complied with all local, state, and federal laws
and regulations. It is incorporated
to serve a public purpose, has gathered appropriate resources to serve its
mission and is open and accessible to the public on a regular basis. A chartered institution
will:
a.
Be a legally organized, not-for-profit institution or part of a
not-for-profit institution or government entity.
b.
Be essentially educational in nature.
c.
Have been open to the public for at least five
years.
d.
Be open to the public at least 1,000 hours per year.
e.
Have fiscal resources allocated appropriately to accomplish the
organization’s Mission. Have an
appropriate annual operating budget that addresses the care and professional
attention needed to meet its responsibilities of achieving its Mission and
serving the public interest.
f.
Have a
written plan in place for dissolving the organization should the Board and
members deem it necessary. This
plan identifies where resources will be deposited or transferred and why. The plan will determine how the public
interest in the collections, properties, lands, buildings or other assets will
be protected.
g.
Have a
clear Memorandum of Agreement with auxiliary organizations, such as a Friends
group, if applicable, governing mutual responsibilities and shared
resources.
These standards relate to Modules 1,
2, and 3 of the NYS Museum Trustee Training Program.
II.
Mission
A museum or historical society
with an absolute charter has a clear sense of mission and prioritizes its
activities to meet its stated mission.
A chartered institution will:
a.
Have a mission statement that is a clear, written declaration of the
organization’s public purpose. At a
minimum, this statement defines whom the organization serves, what actions it
engages in to meet its mission, and how these actions are carried
out.
b.
Review and update of the mission statement every 3-5 years to ensure the
organization continues to meet the changing needs of its community and
audiences. The mission statement will be adopted by
the board.
These standards relate to
Module 3 of the NYS Museum Trustee Training Program.
Best
Practice
a.
Articulate a shared vision statement in addition to the mission
statement.
b.
Develop a set of distinct values that guide all of its efforts in
addition to the vision and mission statements.
c.
Create mission statements with constituent input. Vision and values statements may also be
created with outside input.
d.
Provide everyone connected
with the organization (board, staff,
volunteers) a clear
understanding of the mission and opportunity to see the mission at
work.
III.
Governance
A museum or historical society
with an absolute charter organizes its governing authority, staff, financial
resources, collections, public programs and other activities to meet its stated
Mission and to fulfill its public trust obligations. The governance structure and process
effectively advance diversity of participation and the organization’s
mission. The staff and governing
authority have a clear and shared understanding of their roles and
responsibilities. The Board sets
policy and the staff implements policy and reports to the full board. The organization manifests current and
appropriate evidence of planning for the future. A chartered institution
will:
a.
Have a board-approved and legally acceptable set of by-laws or
constitution that is filed with the State Education Department which states the
organization’s name, purpose, governing structure, lines of authority, board
duties, officers, and terms of office for setting a course of trustee membership
and organizational renewal.
b.
Have a board that broadly represents the organization’s constituencies
and that assembles a diverse, but complementary, set of skills and
expertise.
c.
Have a written organizational chart or description of the framework and
responsibilities of the governing authority, and a current list of board
members.
d.
Have a written and board approved institutional code of ethics, as well
as conflict of interest statements addressing staff, volunteers and trustees,
and a method for upholding them, that are based upon the codes of ethics of the
American Association of Museums and/or the American Association for State and
Local History.
e.
Have a written and approved job description for board members that
includes a definition of their duties and responsibilities and that delegates
authority for day-to-day operation of the museum to the organization’s chief
executive (or the equivalent
position.)
f.
Have in place a regular program of board
orientation.
g.
Have board leaders participate in a trustee training
program.
h.
Have in place a written, multi-year long-range or strategic plan that
supports and advances the mission, and that integrates the organization’s
financial information. The plan
should include a set of clear goals, strategies for reaching these goals, and a
timeline for completion. There
should be evidence of regular review and revision of plan.
i.
Conduct an annual meeting and elections that conform to law and to the
organization’s constitution and by-laws.
j.
Maintain complete records of Board and committee meetings, finances,
fundraising, and other important matters relating to the
organization.
These standards relate to
Modules 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the NYS Museum Trustee Training
Program.
Best
Practice
a.
Meet a minimum of four times per year to ensure good communication and
productivity among Board, Board committees, and staff.
b.
Perform annual self-assessment of the board’s governing
effectiveness.
c.
Have in place a regular and ongoing program of board education and
training.
d.
Support the organization financially in addition to volunteering time and
expertise.
e.
Seek out, employ, and embrace a full range of diverse perspectives in
fulfilling its mission.
IV.
Administration, Human Resources, Finance, and
Facilities
A museum or historical society
with an absolute charter has educated and future-focused leadership and
management personnel in place to develop and manage its activities. It is committed to incorporating
diversity in its staff and volunteers.
It has adopted professional
systems and practices to assure accountable management of its resources and to
sustain financial viability. It
demonstrates prudent management of its resources and adherence to its mission by
engaging in regular planning and review that takes all parts of the organization
into account.
It owns or occupies through
lease or special arrangement safe, well-maintained, accessible, and
visitor-friendly facilities that enhance the organization’s mission, protect
collections, and provide programmatic and work space. A
chartered institution will:
a.
Ensure that the organization’s activities fulfill its stated mission.
b.
Have a written, multi-year plan that guides and evaluates operational
directions.
c.
Have an annual review and update of its written, multi-year plan. A provision for that review and update
is addressed in the plan.
d.
Use the plan as a guide to board and staff
recruitment.
e.
Have an organizational chart for the organization delineating a clear
chain of communication and reporting and a list of principal professional and
administrative personnel.
f.
Maintain membership in at least one regional, state or national museum
service agency in order for board, staff, and volunteers to remain current with
evolving museum practices.
g.
Submit an annual report in a form prescribed by the Chartering Office to
the New York State Education Department.
h.
Have filed all reports to granting agencies on time and in complete
order.
Best
Practice
a.
Be familiar with a variety of management models and use them as
appropriate.
b.
Ensure activities directly support the stated
mission.
c.
Provide constituent input for planning processes.
d.
Seek out, employ, and embrace a full range of diverse perspectives in
fulfilling its mission.
Human
Resources
a.
Seek and foster a diverse staff and volunteer
corps.
b.
Ensure that any museum staff responsible for collections management,
interpretation, research or educational programming and exhibitions, or who is
representing the organization in workshops or other professional settings, has
appropriate professional experience, paid or unpaid, in a museum, historical
society or institution of higher learning, or graduate level training in the
practices of historical societies or museums.
c.
Have written position descriptions for all personnel paid or
unpaid.
d.
Have a written personnel handbook or policy statement that delineates the
organization’s rights
and responsibilities to its personnel and volunteers.
f.
Have an annual review by the Board of all the organization’s salary
levels and benefits, using available comparative data from the field to assist
with the establishment of competitive compensation.
g.
Provide professional development opportunities for staff and volunteers
to learn new skills, research, write, teach, mentor, and network with
colleagues.
Best
Practice
a.
Seek out, employ, and embrace a full range of diverse perspectives in
fulfilling its mission.
b.
Provide competitive compensation that matches or exceeds levels found in
related fields and industries.
c.
Implement a benefits structure that recognizes the diverse needs of the
organization’s employees.
d.
Encourage regular staff participation in cross-functional teams to
problem-solve and create policy.
a.
Have a current annual budget detailing expense and revenue approved by
the Board of Trustees, and timely and accurate interim reports to the entire
Board and chief executive to ensure a sound basis for
decision-making.
b.
Ensure that ancillary activities do not negatively impact the
organization’s cultural or historical resources, inhibit it from fulfilling its
mission, or confuse constituents about its purpose.
c.
Have a financial accounting system in place designed by or approved by a
certified public accountant experienced in nonprofit law, codes and best
practices.
d.
Have formal, written financial policies in place regarding the handling
of funds, financial reporting to regulatory and oversight agencies and to
donors; investment guidelines, and audit procedures.
e.
Have a written investment policy for invested/endowed funds that defines
the organization’s position on risk and growth and any other guidelines for
managing those funds.
f.
Have an annual audit or review of financial statements by a committee of
the Board or an objective third party, and acceptance of the financial review by
a formal vote of the Board.
g.
Complete on time all required state and federal financial
reports.
h.
Have publicly available copies of the organization’s IRS notification of
tax-exempt status and tax returns.
i.
Apply for and maintain exemption from local real estate taxes for any
real property it owns.
j.
Maintain a current, valid lease, memorandum of understanding or
memorandum of agreement for the use of any property that the organization does
not own.
k.
Apply for, obtain and maintain tax-exempt status from the Internal
Revenue Service under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code unless it
does not receive contributions from the public or intend to seek grants.
l.
Conduct the financial affairs of the organization such that ownership of
the collections and any historic structures or properties owned by the
organization are not jeopardized by debt.
m.
Forbid using the collection or any part thereof as collateral for a
loan.
Best
Practice
a.
Have an endowment fund large enough to keep the organization stable and
viable during economic downturns.
b.
Develop budgets in conjunction with strategic
plans.
Facilities
a.
Have facilities and grounds (if applicable) that support the
organization’s mission, programs and services, collections storage, personnel,
and meeting space.
b.
Recognize the potential historical significance of the structure(s) and
grounds it occupies, and manage those facilities and grounds in a manner
consistent with the prevailing standards of historical preservation (as
codified, for example, in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic
Preservation and the Association for Preservation Technology International/AIC
New Orleans Charter for the Joint Preservation of Historic Structures and
Artifacts).
c.
Have facilities and grounds that reflect special physical needs of the
organization’s visitors, staff, and volunteers, including well-maintained, clean
and accessible public and work spaces, with visible and easily comprehended
signage.
d.
Have written plans that address 1) cyclical maintenance with evidence
that facilities and systems are inspected at least annually; 2) development of
the facilities and grounds to meet the organization’s mission; 3) the
significance of historic structures, furnishings, and
landscapes.
e.
Have a written emergency plan that addresses emergency incidents and
policies and procedures ensuring disaster preparedness for staff, volunteers,
visitors, and collections.
f.
Encourage police, fire, and other emergency services to become familiar
with the physical facilities and with special
requirements.
g.
Have identified potential dangers to human safety, collections, and
facilities and are addressing them.
These standards relate to
Modules 2, 3,4, 6, and 7 of the NYS Museum Trustee Training
Program.
Best
Practice
a.
Have systems in place and in use to monitor safety and
security.
b.
Practice its emergency response procedures
regularly.
V.
Collections Stewardship
A museum or historical society
with an absolute charter owns a tangible collection of objects, historical
records, buildings, archeological remains, properties, lands or other tangible
and intrinsically valuable resources that is appropriate to its mission, and
effectively manages, houses, secures, documents and conserves it, and shares it
with the public. A chartered
institution will:
a.
Have a written and Board-approved collections management policy filed
with the State Education Department that is tailored to the mission and
circumstances of the institution and outlines the scope of collection, authority
to accept, accessioning, deaccessioning, lending and borrowing objects,
inventorying, access to collections and conservation; and collecting ethics for
staff and board.
b.
Own its collection outright and without restriction, as opposed to
holding large numbers of objects as “permanent loans” or with other uncertain
status.
c.
Have accessioned a majority of the collection (as measured by number of
total objects or number of distinct accessions) using standard museum, library,
and archival registration methods.
d.
Have a deed of gift for every new acquisition. Demonstrate that attempts are underway
to clear title to collections where legal evidence is missing, including deeds
of gift (with the exception of items that are considered abandoned
property).
e.
Have a copy of all collections records stored securely
offsite.
f.
Have and use printed forms for deeds of gift, cataloguing and description
information, location files, loan agreements and object history.
g.
Have in place a system for uniformly naming collections for cataloguing
purposes using standard museum, scientific, and/or archival practices.
h.
Have all staff and volunteers responsible for handling collections
trained in object handling by a professional registrar, curator, or
archivist.
i.
Have in place a disaster preparedness plan that addresses collection
protection and care in the event of an emergency.
j.
Review the conditions of collections on a regular
basis.
k.
Protect collections and collection records to the extent possible from
adverse environmental conditions, such as light, heat, humidity, pollution,
pests, and unsuitable storage containers and/or shelving.
l.
Maintain a basic level of care when exhibiting or using collection items
to avoid over-exposure to light, heat, dust; over-handling or touching; and
improper use of adhesives or fasteners that would in any way degrade or destroy
the original integrity of the item.
m. Store
collections only in buildings or facilities owned, rented, or leased by the
organization or in commercial warehouses, or in suitable buildings or spaces
provided by government or another chartered institution. Forbid the use of private homes,
apartments, offices, garages, barns or similar spaces for collections
storage.
These standards relate
to Module 2 of the NYS Museum Trustee Training
Program.
Best
Practice
a.
Have a written and board-approved collecting scope statement that defines
collecting interests and intents in support of achieving the organization’s
Mission. This document of
collections scope shall be reviewed by the full board once at least every three
years as part of the review of the mission. See Section II. b.
b.
Employ current standards of care in the exhibition and use of collections
regarding mounting, lighting, rotation, and handling in an effort to reduce
degradation or loss of the item’s original integrity and/or intrinsic
characteristics.
c.
Make collections information accessible to a variety of users by
computerizing collections records, keeping them safe from accidental or
deliberate damage, ensuring that they are easily searchable, and that they are
readily adaptable to new technologies.
d.
Provide staff and volunteers with an up-to-date set of collection
management procedures that support the collection management
policies.
VI. Education,
Interpretation, and Presentation
A museum or historical society
with an absolute charter draws upon its collections to present programs,
publications, and exhibitions that address the organization’s mission. The organization’s public educational
offerings are built upon the best scholarship and make use of knowledge about
the organization’s audiences and their learning styles. These offerings are promoted or offered
to as broad a segment of the population as possible.
A chartered institution
will:
a.
Have a written interpretive plan that identifies audiences, specific
subject matter and the organization's approach to the material consistent with
the organization’s Mission. The
plan will have clearly stated goals for audiences to be reached and subject
matter to be covered.
b.
Present regularly scheduled educational and public programs and exhibits
that use and interpret collections for the public’s benefit.
c.
Have identified diverse and distinct audiences to serve and a
demonstrated knowledge of the characteristics of each of those
audiences.
d.
Develop programs for school groups with input and advice from
teachers. Align programs with the
New York State learning standards.
e.
Have representatives of its various audiences involved in developing
public programs, publications and exhibitions.
f.
Have major programs, educational materials, publications and exhibit
offerings informed by staff and a variety of professionally trained scholars,
subject matter experts, and interpretive specialists serving as consultants,
advisors or reviewers.
g.
Employ a variety of presentation and teaching techniques that acknowledge
the ways audiences gather information and learn. Offer programmatic accommodations for
audiences with disabilities.
h.
Present written announcements about public programs in advance to major
media in the geographical area served by the organization.
i.
Carry out written, oral and observational evaluations of its education
programs, materials, publications, and exhibitions and use the results to inform
and improve future program planning.
j.
Have a formal and appropriate written program of maintenance and
presentation of exhibits.
These standards relate to
Module 2 of the NYS Museum Trustee Training Program.
Best
Practice
a.
Seek out, employ, and embrace a full range of diverse perspectives in
fulfilling its mission.
b.
Recognize and address language barriers and cultural traditions in the
development of its programs and materials.
c.
Collaborate and partner with traditional and non-traditional
organizations and agencies to attract new and diverse
audiences.
d.
Create programs that are distinctive to the organization and embody its
values.
e.
Provide self-guided educational material on exhibits for parents’ use
with children and for individuals seeking more in-depth information about the
subject.
VII. Useful
Definitions
a.
Accessioning - formal process used to accept legally and to record an artifact,
record or specimen as a collection item (Malaro, 1979); involves the creation of
an immediate, brief and permanent record utilizing a control number or unique
identifier for objects or records added to the collection from the same source
at the same time, and for which the institution accepts custody, right, or
title.
b.
Archives - non-current records of individuals, organizations or institutions
preserved because of their continuing value.
c.
Artifact (human) - a human-made item, often manufactured or created from
naturally-occurring materials and made for use in a cultural
context.
d.
Cataloging - creation of a full record of information about an artifact, record,
or specimen, cross-referenced to other records and files; includes the process
of identifying and documenting these objects in detail.
e.
Collecting - the process of sampling the natural and cultural world using a
variety of techniques that are dependent on (1) the organism or material being
obtained and (2) the intended use for the sample or the research methods likely
to be applied.
f.
Collection - (1) a group of artifacts, records or specimens having historical,
artistic, cultural, scientific, natural history or other value that share like
characteristics or a common base of association (e.g., geographic, donor,
cultural); (2) an organizational unit within a larger institutional structure
(e.g., a collection within a university biology
department).
g.
Collection Care - the responsibility and function of an institution with
collections that involves developing and implementing policies and procedures to
protect the long-term integrity of artifacts, records, and specimens, as well as
their associated data and documentation, for use in research, education and
exhibits.
h.
Collection Management - the responsibility and function of an institution that
fosters the preservation, accessibility, and utility of their collections and
associated data. The management
process involves responsibilities for recommending and implementing policy with
respect to: artifact, record or specimen acquisition, collection growth, and
deaccessioning; planning and establishing collection priorities; obtaining,
allocating, and managing resources; and coordinating collection processes with
the needs of curation, preservation, and collection use. These responsibilities may be shared by
collection managers, subject specialists, curators, and other institutional
administrators.
i.
Conservation - the application of science to the examination and treatment of
museum objects and library and archival materials, and to the study of the
environments in which they are placed (Duckworth et al. 1993). This involves activities such as
preventive conservation, examination, documentation, treatment, research, and
education (American Institute for Conservation, 1993
draft).
j.
Curation - the process whereby artifacts, records, or specimens are identified
and organized according to discipline-specific recommendations using the most
recently available scholarship and expertise; a primary objective of this
process is to verify or add to the existing documentation for these objects or
records, and to add to knowledge.
k.
Deaccession - the formal process used to remove an artifact, record, or specimen
permanently from the collection, with appropriate transfer of title (Malaro,
1979).
l.
Deterioration - change in an object's or record’s physical or chemical state.
"Damage, on the other hand, is the consequent loss of attributes or value:
aesthetic, scientific, historic, symbolic, monetary, etc." (Michalski,
1992).
m.
Documentation - supporting evidence, recorded in a permanent manner using a
variety of media (paper, photographic, etc.), of the identification, condition,
history, or scientific value of an artifact, record, specimen, or
collection. This encompasses
information that is inherent to the individual item and its associations in its
cultural, historical or natural environment as well as that which reflects
processes and transactions affecting it (e.g., accessioning, cataloging,
loaning, sampling, analysis, treatment, etc.). Documentation is an integral
aspect of the use, management, and preservation of an artifact, record,
specimen, or collection.
n.
Maintenance - routine actions that support the goals of preservation of and
access to the collection such as monitoring, general housekeeping, providing
appropriate storage and exhibition conditions, and organizing a
collection.
o.
Object - a material, tangible item of any kind; an inclusive, non-specific term
for specimen, artifact, etc.
p.
Preparation - the procedures used in the field or in the institution to enhance
the utility of an organism, object, or inorganic material for a specified
use. The resulting specimen may
represent only a portion of the original organism or material or may be
otherwise altered from its original state.
Procedures should be compatible with intended uses and conservation
objectives, and should be documented.
q.
Preservation - those aspects of conservation that involve preventive measures,
such as maintenance procedures and correcting adverse environmental conditions;
in natural science conservation, preservation also includes treatments carried
out initially to prepare specimens.
r.
Preventive conservation - actions taken to minimize or slow the rate of
deterioration and to prevent damage to collections; includes activities such as
risk assessment, development and implementation of guidelines for continuing use
and care, appropriate environmental conditions for storage and exhibition, and
proper procedures for handling, packing, transporting and use. These responsibilities may be shared by
collection managers, conservators, subject specialists, curators, and other
institutional administrators.
s.
Registration - (1) the process of assigning an immediate and permanent means of
identifying a artifact, record or specimen for which the institution has
permanently or temporarily assumed responsibility; one facet of documentation;
(2) as an institutional function, includes the logical organization of
documentation and maintaining access to that information.
t.
Repository - a collection administered by a non-profit public or private
institution, that adheres to professional standards for collection management
and care (e.g., Alberta Museums Association, 1990; Lee et al., 1982;
American Society of Mammalogists, 1974) to ensure that artifacts, records, or
specimens acquired will be professionally maintained and remain accessible for
future use.
u.
Sampling - selecting a portion as a representative of the whole; in natural
science collections, sampling refers more specifically to the process of
removing a portion of a specimen or artifact for analysis. The analysis may be destructive to the
sample.
v.
Specimen - an organism, part of an organism, or naturally-occurring material
that has been collected, that may or may not have undergone some preparation
treatment. It may exist in its
original state, in an altered form, or some combination of the two. A specimen may be composed of one piece
or many related pieces. It may be
composed of one physical or chemical component or represent a composite of
materials.
w.
Stabilization - treatment of an object or its environment in a manner intended
to reduce the probability or rate of deterioration and probability of
damage.
x.
Treatment - actions taken, physically or chemically, to stabilize or make
accessible a specimen or artifact; includes, for example, techniques such as
preparation, cleaning, mending, supporting, pest eradication, and
consolidation.
y.
Voucher - a specimen and its associated data that physically document the
existence of that organism or object at a given place and time. This definition is more broadly based
than that put forth by Lee et al. (1982) in recognition of the potential
for specimens held in a collection for use as substantiating
evidence.
