Collections Management

Policy Documents

Underpinning every well-managed collection is a Collections Policy document. I drafted the unified Museum-Library Collections policy for the RIHS in 2006, and revised it again in 2017. Collections Development Plans work in concert with management policies to guide staff in working to fulfill an organization’s mission.

RIHS Collections Policy 2006
File Size:	154 kb
File Type:	pdf

Collection Development Outline
File Size:	47 kb
File Type:	pdf

Collections Care

Rehousing, labeling, tagging, and cataloging objects for safe, secure storage ensures their long-term preservation. I have experience working with art and historical artifacts dating from the 17th to the 21st century

.Installing shelves and cabinets can vastly improve collections storage and made risk management and disaster response much easier.

(function(jQuery) {
function init() { window.wSlideshow && window.wSlideshow.render({elementID:”766858829149002867″,nav:”thumbnails”,navLocation:”bottom”,captionLocation:”bottom”,transition:”fade”,autoplay:”0″,speed:”5″,aspectRatio:”auto”,showControls:”true”,randomStart:”false”,images:[{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide01_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide02.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide03_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide04_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide05.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide06_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide07_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide39.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide40.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide42.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide43.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide44.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide46.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide48.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide49.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide50.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide52.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide08.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide11.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide12.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide16.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide23_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide24_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide20.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide17.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide21.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide25.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide26.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide27.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide28.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide29.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide30.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide31.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide34.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide35.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide36.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide56_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide57_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″},{“url”:”1/6/2/6/16261628/slide58_1.jpg”,”width”:”400″,”height”:”300″}]}) }
jQuery(document).ready(init);
})(window.jQuery)

Deaccessions

Sometimes museums need to make hard choices. Deaccessioning can be necessary when mission re-focusses or changes. Deaccessioning can cull duplicate or irrelevant items to make way for much needed storage space.

In 2005-2006, the RIHS undertook a detailed study of its collections too determine which pieces to retain, and which to deaccession. This reappraisal took place during a financial crisis, when the Society was experiencing annual structural deficits– sometimes as large as $750K.

This presentation, made to the Board of Directors, explained the choices made by the curatorial and executive team, and the expected income from sales. The resulting monies are in a restricted fund which allows annual purchases of new collections.