UCL publishes collections review toolkit
Geraldine Kendall, 24.08.2011
Tool to help museums document and assess their collections
University College London (UCL) Museums & Collections has produced a toolkit for museums interested in conducting collections reviews.
The UCL Collections Review Toolkit draws on the department's experience in carrying out a wholesale review of its collections between 2007 and 2009 in order to survey aspects of their care, use and significance. The Museums Association (MA) was an external stakeholder during the process.
UCL looked at nearly 380,000 objects from 19 separate collections and 190 different stores. The review was intended to document collections care, establish current curatorial activity and standards, and identify whether material was used for teaching, research or public engagement.
The toolkit features guidance, practical examples and tips to help museums adapt UCL's methodology for their own collections. It also addresses common questions raised by attendees of UCL's recent Reviewing Collections workshops, which were run in partnership with the MA.
UCL cultural property advisor Subhadra Das said: "We wanted to provide colleagues with a concise, instructive and user-friendly document that would showcase the UCL Collections Review as a case study and which would allow them to develop their own review tools to suit their own situation and organisation.
"We hope we've achieved that with the UCL Collections Review Toolkit and welcome feedback about whether this is the case."
UCL hopes the toolkit will be useful to museums for forward planning, preparing for Accreditation and communicating to governing bodies, funders and incoming staff.
UCL Collections Review Toolkit is available to download from the UCL Museums and Collections website. A detailed methodology article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal is also in the pipeline.
To download the toolkit, click here (pdf)
To go to the UCL website, click here
MP special on Collections Reviews (members and subscribers only)
The UCL Collections Review Toolkit draws on the department's experience in carrying out a wholesale review of its collections between 2007 and 2009 in order to survey aspects of their care, use and significance. The Museums Association (MA) was an external stakeholder during the process.
UCL looked at nearly 380,000 objects from 19 separate collections and 190 different stores. The review was intended to document collections care, establish current curatorial activity and standards, and identify whether material was used for teaching, research or public engagement.
The toolkit features guidance, practical examples and tips to help museums adapt UCL's methodology for their own collections. It also addresses common questions raised by attendees of UCL's recent Reviewing Collections workshops, which were run in partnership with the MA.
UCL cultural property advisor Subhadra Das said: "We wanted to provide colleagues with a concise, instructive and user-friendly document that would showcase the UCL Collections Review as a case study and which would allow them to develop their own review tools to suit their own situation and organisation.
"We hope we've achieved that with the UCL Collections Review Toolkit and welcome feedback about whether this is the case."
UCL hopes the toolkit will be useful to museums for forward planning, preparing for Accreditation and communicating to governing bodies, funders and incoming staff.
UCL Collections Review Toolkit is available to download from the UCL Museums and Collections website. A detailed methodology article for publication in a peer-reviewed journal is also in the pipeline.
To download the toolkit, click here (pdf)
To go to the UCL website, click here
MP special on Collections Reviews (members and subscribers only)
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