Northern States Conservation Center
Collections Caretaker eNewsletter
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Welcome to the Collections Caretaker e-Newsletter from Northern States Conservation Center. the newsletter is designed to bring you content that is pertinent to situations we all encounter in our museum and archives work. Feel free to let us know what topics you would like to see featured in Collections Caretaker or even contribute and article. |
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In this Issue
Why are Collection Inventories Important?
Online Museum Security Conference
Featured Course
November Courses
Conferences and Meetings
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Why are Collection Inventories Important?
By Peggy Schaller
What IS so important about doing that inventory of the collection? Why should you put other duties aside and perform this unglamourous task? For one thing, how can you successfully perform all those glamourous tasks, such as exhibits and public programs, if you do not know what you have in your collection? Secondly, how do you know that wonderful ‘whatzit’ is still where it was the last time you saw it 10 years ago? Is it even still in the museum? By the way, what is that pile of dust sitting in the place where that lovely black silk hat used to be?
Perhaps you can see where this is going. Periodic inventories of your collections are critical to fulfilling your stewardship obligations as a repository of public trust. ‘Visiting’ with your collections will remind you of the wonderful things you have in the museum and may spark a new idea or two about how to improve or change your exhibitions or public/educational programs. It will also allow you to monitor your collections for condition and stability, telling you that a change may be needed in the storage/exhibition environment, that the method of housing a particular artifact needs to be improved or changed, or that no changes at all are needed. Periodic inventories also play a large part in the security of the museum and its collections. If you never look in that storeroom, how will you ever know if something is missing and, if it is missing, was it stolen or just misplaced. A misplaced artifact is as good as stolen for all practical purposes.
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Online Museum Security Conference From IFCPP
The 22nd Annual Conference of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection (IFCPP) will be conducted October 13–15 & 18–19, 2021, featuring a robust, interactive, virtual symposium. This year’s agenda includes a multitude of timely presentations specific to the concerns of varying cultural property protection practitioners, enhanced person-to-person discussions, Q&A forums, networking and breakout opportunities, virtual exhibits, and much more. The schedule is being developed with your time in mind, normally about 4 hours of sessions and discussions per day. With conference registration comes a Bonus Leadership Series, discounts on all of IFCPP’s Online Certification Programs, and priority access to an all-new subscription program. For more information and to register, click here.
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This is a great opportunity to learn more about Cultural Property security--museums, libraries, archives, zoos, aquariums and related institutions. Security is a big part of what we do in cultural properties such as these. Not only to we make our properties and collections available to the public, but we must make our property safe for our visitors and keep our collections safe as well.
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Featured Course:
Advanced Interpretive Techniques -Interpreting the "Rest of the Story"
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Interpreting "the rest of the story", a powerful Interpretive communications technique for revealing and releasing the "rest of the stories" hidden in artifacts, objects, historical figures/events, landscapes, or sites through both live presentations and interpretive media text and label copy. This course will help you utilize and blend the Paul Harvey Rest of the Story format with Tilden's Interpretive Principles. An interpretive technique marriage that can be embraced and used throughout your interpretive career.
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starting November 1, 2021.
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Featured Course:
Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs
New Dates: November 1 to 30, 2021
Have you done some evaluation but did not get helpful information? Do you wish you could do evaluations, but think it is too hard or too expensive? Do you wonder how to get people to use an offered program more? Evaluations are feasible and easy. This course will help you determine what you really want to know, choose the right process to gather the information, develop meaningful questions, and figure out what the results tell you. Please have a program or text in mind (real or imagined) to work with during the course. Note: this course will not be looking at statistical analysis.
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Early Bird Discounts Available for Full Length Courses
An Early Bird Discount is available for anyone who signs up for a full length course from museumclasses.org 30 days prior to the start of that course.
Sign up for a full length course up to 30 days prior to its start and save $100.00!
To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at collectioncare.org
2022 Schedule coming soon!!!
Earlybird Discount Deadline for January 2022 Courses is December 4, 2022
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November Courses
November 1 to 12, 2021
Instructor: Peggy Schaller
Description:
The heart of every museum is its collection. A mission statement is critical to preserving that collection. Participants in The Mission Statement will discuss their mission statements and whether they really make a difference. Peggy has seen and heard it all as a consultant to small and large museums. She will help you figure out ways to make your mission statement work for you.
November 15 to 19, 2021
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
What do you do with collection objects that no longer belong in the scientific collection but are too good to throw out? What do you do with the donations that just don't quite 'fit?' Use them in education collections. Their value as educational objects for the public is immeasurable.
November 1 to December 10, 2021
Instructor: Ernest Conrad
Description:
The museum's brick exterior wall is crumbling. The powder coated metal storage shelves have active rust under the foam padding. Objects in fur storage are covered in mold. It is raining in the exhibit hall. This is the damage that occurs to museum buildings or collection when staff do not understand preservation environments. Preservation Environments is essential knowledge for any collecting institution. Everyone should understand how humidity and temperature are controlled by a building and its mechanical system. For museum staff considering a new building - and any institution planning to expand or rebuild an existing one - Preservation Environments provide important information for calculating whether the proposed improvements will actually improve the environmental control of your protective enclosure. Participants learn the advantages and disadvantages of numerous methods of temperature and humidity control. Preservation Environments does not try to turn museum professionals into engineers. Rather, it arms them with the knowledge they need to work with engineers and maintenance professionals. And helps explain why damaged occurred and how to keep it from happening again.
November 1 to 30, 2021
Instructor: Ann Coppinger
Description:
Caring for textiles demands an understanding of how and why they deteriorate. This course offers a simplified explanation of the origin and structure of textile fibers as well as the finished textile object; be it either a piece of whole cloth or a finished garment. Care of Textiles teaches students to identify fibers, fabric structures and finishes, write condition reports, and understand the agents of deterioration that are harmful to various fabrics both in storage on exhibit. Topics include preparing textiles for storage and exhibit, the use of archival materials with textiles, and three dimensional supports.
November 1 to 30, 2021
Instructor: Peggy Schaller
Description:
Collection inventories are vital to collection management and security. You need to know what is in your collection to be able to manage it well. This means regular inventories must occur. But knowing you must do them and actually having the time and manpower to complete an inventory are two different things. Collection Inventories discusses everything you ever wanted to know about collection inventories. From how to set one up to how to conduct an inventory. Other topics include what to look for during an inventory and how to reconcile the information.
November 1 to 30, 2021 NEW DATES
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
Have you done some evaluation but did not get helpful information? Do you wish you could do evaluations, but think it is too hard or too expensive? Do you wonder how to get people to use an offered program more? Evaluations are feasible and easy. This course will help you determine what you really want to know, choose the right process to gather the information, develop meaningful questions, and figure out what the results tell you. Please have a program or text in mind (real or imagined) to work with during the course. Note: this course will not be looking at statistical analysis.
November 1 to 30, 2021
Instructor: John Veverka
Description:
Interpreting "the rest of the story", a powerful Interpretive communications technique for revealing and releasing the "rest of the stories" hidden in artifacts, objects, historical figures/events, landscapes, or sites through both live presentations and interpretive media text and label copy. This course will help you utilize and blend the Paul Harvey Rest of the Story format with Tilden's Interpretive Principles. An interpretive technique marriage that can be embraced and used throughout your interpretive career.
Course Goals: Upon completion of this course participants will:
- Have a working knowledge of Tilden's Interpretive Principles and the Paul Harvey presentation style and format.
- Have a working knowledge of the Model of Interpretation.
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Many organizations have put together information on resources for Museums and Covid-19. Here are a few links to those Resources. Check back with these organizations for updates.
Use the drop-down menu in the upper right to find Webinars, Virtual tours and more
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Conferences and Meetings
Double check each organization's website for more information. Some may still be going virtual this year due to continued safety concerns over Covid 19.
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2021
International Foundation for cultural Property Protection, Virtual
October 13-15; 18-19, 2021
Southeastern Museums Conference, Chattanooga, TN
October 25 - 27, 2021
Association of Midwest Museums and Wisconsin Federation of Museums, Virtual conference
November 1-5, 2021
New England Museum Association, Newport, RI
November 17-19, 2021
National Association for Interpretation, Palm Springs, CA
November 3-December 4, 2021
Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Wilmington, DE
October 14-16-2021
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2022
American Alliance of Museums, Boston MA
May 19-22, 2022
Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums, Tacoma, WA
June 23-28, 2022
Society of American Archivists, Boston, MA
August 20-27, 2022
Oklahoma Museums Association, Enid, OK
September 14-16, 2022
National Association for Interpretation, Cleveland, OH
November 29-Decemver 3, 2022
2023
American Alliance of Museums, Denver, CO
May 19-22, 2023
Society of American Archivists, Washington, DC
July 22-29, 2023
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Submissions and Comments
How to submit an article or upcoming workshops for inclusion in the Newsletter:
If you would like to submit an article, notice of an organizational meeting or upcoming workshop for an upcoming Collections Caretaker Newsletter, send your submission to [email protected].
We are always looking for contributions to this newsletter. Submission deadline is the 10th of each month.
Have a comment or suggestion?
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Sincerely,
Helen Alten, Director
Peggy Schaller, Publications Manager
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