August 20, 2023

Found in Collection--Now what?

Introduction to Found in Collections: Orphans, Old Loans and Abandoned Property

Information anxiety is the black hole between data and knowledge, and it happens when information doesn't tell us what we want or need to know.

-- RICHARD SAUL WURMAN

They may lurk on the back shelf of your storeroom. Perhaps they rest in that case down the dark hall where no one ventures. Forget Hollywood’s monsters: these are true museum mysteries – old loans and abandoned property. Nearly all collecting museums confront the problem of old loans and/or abandoned property. However, we don’t need to hide the problem. Bring these stray items into the sunlight and face them with a plan.

Unfortunately, museums have a bad habit of accepting loans with limited documentation, “permanent” loans and objects with little or no documentation – and a lack of institutional memory about them. Many states have laws that define these situations and remedies for them. Museum organizations, in turn, have developed workshops that explain how to meet these legal requirements and to establish ownership of unclaimed loans and undocumented objects.

Readings included in this course are drawn primarily from materials assembled by the Registrars Committee of the American Association of Museums (RCAAM). Registrars and collections managers are the front line for establishing the documentation necessary to track museum objects. They’re generally responsible for identifying and processing objects with unknown or lost records.

RCAAM has assembled a large bibliography of discussions, sample forms and processes and research aids on its website. Course readings are linked with specific topics:

• Locating legislation,
• Identifying the two main types of objects with which you may be dealing,
• Addressing each type, and
• Putting a plan in motion to avoid similar situations in the future.

So why should you be concerned? Although these items may not seem like pressing issues, their very age and the uncertainty surrounding them make addressing the problem important. The passage of time makes these mysteries harder to solve. Without legal title to an object, a museum bears full responsibility for storage, insurance, record keeping, security and climate control, but is unable to take appropriate actions with an object.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________________

This article was excerpted from the introduction of this course. ©Northern States Conservation Center 2008.

To learn more join Sarah Kapellusch for MS303 Found in Collections: Orphans, Old Loans and Abandoned Property starting September 4, 2023.

Sarah Kapellusch is the Registrar at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison, Wisconsin. She has a MA in Public History and Museum Studies and a BA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She serves as the Vice President of the Wisconsin Federation of Museums and is a task force member for the American Association for State and Local History’s Nomenclature Committee. Sarah’s experiences include museum collection administration and management, metadata, PastPerfect and database management, Nomenclature 3.0, collection moves and museum start-up projects.

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!

For our course list or to sign up: http://www.collectioncare.org/course-list

To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at collectioncare.org

Earlybird Discount Deadline for October Courses is September 2, 2023

Featured Course: Creating Interpretive Gallery Tours

There is more to a guided tour than information – you also need inspiration. This course will help curators teach and coach their docents and volunteers to create interpretive stories and experiences that will help make their presentations “come to life” for their visitors.

This training course will help curators help prepare their docents for tours that:

1. Have an interpretive theme.

2. Have accomplishable objectives.

3. Has about 7 tour stops, each of which illustrate the main interpretive theme.

4. Use interpretive communications structure for each stop (provoke, relate and reveal).

5. Use the techniques of tangibles and intangibles in their presentation.

6. Encourage the use of multiple senses to relate to visitors.

7. Have a provocative introduction and then ending conclusion summary for the tour.

8. Have as much "inspiration" as "information".

9. Leave the visitors asking for more (when's your next tour?).

_____________________________________________________________________

Want to make your gallery tours come to life and better engage your visitors? Join John Veverke for MS268 Creating Interpretive Gallery Tours starting September 4, 2023.

September 2023 Courses

MS 108: Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs

September 4 to 29, 2023  

Instructor: Karin Hostetter

Description:

Volunteers are essential for most non-profit institutions. But good volunteers aren't born -- they are made. Even though they don't get paychecks, it takes time and money to have effective volunteers. Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs teaches the basics of a strong volunteer program. Topics include recruiting, training and rewarding volunteers, as well as preparing staff. Instruction continues through firing and liabilities. Participants will end up with sound foundational knowledge for starting a new or strengthening an existing volunteer program based on a nine-step process.

MS227: Care of Paintings

September 4 to October 14, 2023

Instructor: Elizabeth Burton

Description:

Caring for paintings requires some knowledge of the component structure of paintings and the reaction of those components to both natural and man-made environments. This course looks at the painting structure, the effects of damaging environments, and proposes simple steps for basic care. Topics include the structure of paintings, proper condition reporting with standard damage vocabulary, and basic care and handling including environments, storage, and transport. The course is intended to help those entrusted with the care of paintings in any environment.

MS 268: Creating Interpretive Gallery Tours

September 4 to 29, 2023  

Instructor: John Veverka

Description:

There is more to a guided tour than information – you also need inspiration. This course will help curators teach and coach their docents and volunteers to create interpretive stories and experiences that will help make their presentations “come to life” for their visitors.

This training course will help curators help prepare their docents for tours that:

1. Have an interpretive theme.

2. Have accomplishable objectives.

3. Has about 7 tour stops, each of which illustrate the main interpretive theme.

4. Use interpretive communications structure for each stop (provoke, relate and reveal).

5. Use the techniques of tangibles and intangibles in their presentation.

6. Encourage the use of multiple senses to relate to visitors.

7. Have a provocative introduction and then ending conclusion summary for the tour.

8. Have as much "inspiration" as "information".

9. Leave the visitors asking for more (when's your next tour?).

MS303: Found in Collections: Orphans, Old Loans and Abandoned Property

September 4 to 29, 2023   

Instructor: Sarah Kapellusch

Description:

Every museum has a few stray items. Some lost tags long ago. Others turn up as surprises during inventories. A few are all that remain from long-ago exhibits. While you'll want to keep some, others may be deteriorating. Even worse, some pose significant hazards for staff and the rest of the collection. All raise legal and professional questions. How do you deal with objects that have no records? Or loans from unidentified or deceased lenders? Found in the Collection addresses how to identify abandoned objects and old loans. It further covers the application of state laws and rules for identifying owners or establishing ownership.

October 2023 Courses

MS 204: Materials for Storage and Display

October 2 to 27, 2023    

Instructor: Laura Elliff Cruz

Description:

One of the great benefits of the 21st century is the abundance of materials for storing and displaying collections. Materials for Storage and Display covers this vast array in detail. Lectures and handouts separate materials by properties: rigid, padding, barrier and attachments. Slide shows illustrate the use of each. The course emphasizes acid-free materials and how to retrofit less appropriate materials. Materials for Storage and Display keeps current with the latest materials available for preservation. Using material testing as a decision making tool is covered.

MS217: Museum Cleaning Basics

October 2 to November 9, 2023 NEW DATES 

Instructor: Elizabeth Burton

Description:

Cobwebs in the gallery, dust on the dinosaur skeleton, mice in storage - a dirty museum results in poor visitor experience and poor collections preservation. In a museum, cleanliness really is next to godliness. Museum Cleaning Basics explores everything you need to know about cleaning your collections. Participants learn when to clean - and when not to clean. They also learn how to make those decisions. Topics range from basic housekeeping to specific techniques for specific objects. You will learn why cleaning is important and how to prevent damage when cleaning. We will look at specific techniques that minimize damage while getting the work done. And we will discuss when to call in a specialist, such as a conservator. Students will create a housekeeping manual for their institution.

MS 234: Archives Management

October 2 to 27, 2023     

Instructor: Jennifer Edwards

Description:

Archives include flat paper, photographs, bound pamphlets, books, small 3-dimensional objects, and magnetic media. The Archives Management course covers an introduction to the materials found in archives and typical use of these materials including use patterns, retrieval needs, finding aids, handling and exhibition. The last half of the course details optimum storage options for archival materials. Storage includes furniture, storage techniques, standardized and specialized housing such as folders and boxes and custom-made housings.

Conferences and Meetings

Double check each organization's website for more information.

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!