10 Current Trends in Collections Care

Collections for the Future: 10 Key Trends in UK Museums Nick Poole, CEO, Collections Trust

Introducing me
CEO of Collections Trust
Chair of International Council of Museums UK
Chair of Europeana Network
Background in banking and corporate finance
Working in museums since 1998
Can’t speak Swedish (sorry!)

Introducing Collections Trust
Support museums, archives, libraries and galleries in unlocking the potential of their collections, by:
Providing know-how
Developing and promoting excellence
Challenging existing practices
Pioneering new ideas
Bringing experts together

Our work
5 Programmes:
OpenCulture
Collections Link
Culture Grid
Excellence in Collections (Standards)
International
www.collectionstrust.org.uk for more information

10 Current Trends
‘ Holistic’ management
Risk management
Object-centric management
Workflows
Using Stored Collections
Using data & visualisation
Understanding impact of use
Understanding Light
Understanding Cost
Basic Collections Care

1: ‘Holistic’ Management
Understanding how all of the elements of the museum, library or archive work together
Understanding the impact of decisions in one area (such as collections care) on other areas (such as access or education)
Allowing for change and variation over time, while preserving an environment that is generally beneficial to the preservation of the objects
Less about absolute standards, much more about decisions, balance, cost/benefits and risk

Conceptual model of an organisation

Conceptual model of museum functions

Putting it together

Putting it together Users Politics Funding Culture

Putting it together Organisation’s Mission Statement Users Politics Funding Culture

Putting it together Organisation’s Mission Statement Collections Management Policy Users Politics Funding Culture

Putting it together Organisation’s Mission Statement Collections Management Policy Care Use Learn Develop Users Politics Funding Culture

Putting it together Organisation’s Mission Statement Collections Management Policy Care Use Learn Develop Users Politics Funding Culture People Processes Systems Info

Putting it together Organisation’s Mission Statement Collections Management Policy Care Use Learn Develop Users Politics Funding Culture People Processes Systems Info Evaluation & improvement

Putting it together Organisation’s Mission Statement Collections Management Policy Care Use Learn Develop Users Politics Funding Culture People Processes Systems Info Evaluation & improvement Rich, meaningful experiences for users

The ‘place’ of Conservation
Very important to view Conservation as an integrated part of the whole organisation, not as a separate function
Understanding the place of conservation in the value chain of delivering experiences for users
Avoiding thinking of the institution in terms of ‘front of house’ and ‘back of house’
Understanding the economic value of conservation

2: Risk Management
Everything involves a degree of Risk
Different interpretations of Risk:
Object-centric risks
Disaster management
Institutional/financial risks
Systemic risks
Legal risks
The role of the Museum, Library or Archive manager is not to remove risk, but to make decisions based on a balanced assessment of risks and likely outcomes.

3. Object-centric Management OBJECT Intended lifespan Intended use Material properties Object factors Heat Light Humidity Pollution Ventilation Environmental factors Energy use

4. Workflows
Thinking about the processes inside the museum, library or archive
Analysing what the institution does and reducing complexity to deliver efficiency
Understanding how different processes (such as acquisition) interact with others (such as condition checking)
Based on the SPECTRUM 4.0 Standard
V&A used workflows to analyse their Acquisitions process & reduced the workload by approximately 30 hours per object

5. Using Stored Collections
Making more active use of Collections in store
Understanding the barriers and opportunities
‘ Collections for People’ research programme
Data & analysis now online: www.ucl.ac.uk/storedcollections
20% of UK museums report more than 400 visitors to stores per year
54% report significantly increased demand for access to stores
Size doesn’t matter, but attitude does

6. Using Data & Visualisation
‘ Smart’ buildings are generating significant quantities of data
Data can be visualised to develop strategies, for example for pest control and environmental management
UK National Archives ‘Building Environment Simulation Project’
Natural History Museum ‘Integrated Pest Management Visualisation Tool’
Visualising participation, travel and environmental impact

Building Simulation Project
22-month project assessing impact of:
Changes in external environmental conditions
Changes in building structure
Changes in operation of HVAC
Changes in quantity of content
Changes relating to occupancy and use
Annual energy load = 33kWh/m 2 /year, of which 70% is cooling, 30% heating
HVAC systems can be powered down in April, May & December and at weekends while maintaining a reasonable comfort level
A net 43% saving in energy load can be achieved

127 data points across the National Archives stores providing near-realtime data about the interaction of internal and external environmental changes and collections impacts such as mould growth.

7. Understanding use
One of the most significant sources of variation in heat, humidity and environmental hazards (eg. vibration) for Collections is people
Maintaining a normalised internal environment isn’t simply a question of setting upper and lower limits for temperature and humidity
It’s about managing the building proactively in a way that is sympathetic to the way it is used

8. Understanding Light
One of the most significant factors in energy load and temperature
Very emotive issue (particularly for fine-art collections!)
Many museums are considering moving from traditional light sources to LED lighting
Understanding not only the environmental impact, but the impact on the ‘quality’ of light

9. Understanding Cost
Heating and energy bills have increased dramatically (in some cases by up to 35% since 2006)
Very little overall investment available for Conservation & Collections Management

10. Basic Collections Care
Preservation & collections care are the responsibility of the whole organisation
Curators, managers and other specialists need to be educated about the role of Conservation and collections care and their impact on it

OpenCulture 2012
Annual Great Collections Management Exhibition and Conference
26 th & 27 th June 2012 in London
UK & international Collections Management community
Speakers covering new developments in Collections
Opportunities for networking & collaboration
www.collectionslink.org.uk/openculture2012

Contact
Nick Poole
Collections Trust
[email_address]
@NickPoole1
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk
This presentation is online at http://www.slideshare.net/nickpoole

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10 Current Trends in Collections Care

by Nicholas Poole

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