Collection records are more open than ever before, and museum work must balance the needs of the institution and its audience. As we prepare for the launch of a province-wide collections website, the following priorities have been identified:
- Images of the museum’s collection, be they scanned photographs, artwork or documents, or photographs of 3-dimensional artefacts.
- Begin & End dates (meaning when the object was made)
- Georeferencing – documenting where the photo was taken or object was made
- Updating of records so that each artefact shares its own personal story
The goal is to include as much information as possible for each collection record- don’t limit yourself to the first page of the database! This will be a very long process, but by working methodically you will see excellent progress being made, and will be enabling future staff/volunteers to easily continue with the work. The suggested order should be followed whether there is one person dedicated solely to the database, if it falls under a wider job description of a staff member or if a larger team is working on the database.
Summer staff can be invaluable to accomplishing this work, but must be given proper training and supervision throughout the process. Work with your students, staff, and volunteers to determine their interest and abilities.
Step 1- Create Database Records
Fill in as many fields as possible from existing paper records. Ensure that no paper documentation was missed, such as notes on a gift agreement or temporary receipt.
- When entering object names, ensure that the Chenhall Nomenclature book is used to maintain consistency and meet a professional standard.
- Include beginning and end dates, as these will be searchable on the new Website.
- Include an associated georeference as it will also provide users with a strong visual reference about the object’s history.
- Transfer history and narrative information from the paper records because if this information is lost it may be impossible to gather again.
Step 2- Do an Inventory
This is an opportunity to fill blanks in remaining fields. Begin the inventory in a particular room, in a particular section of the room. It is important to do this methodically to avoid wasting time figuring out if an artefact was already done.
- Ensure that all artefacts are located in the same building, room and specific location that are listed in their database records. Update information if required.
- Keep a list of any artefacts without an accession number. Make note of location and take a photograph so that you can try to reconcile the objects.
- Fill in as many empty fields in the database record as possible. The ideal process is to work from your database on a laptop so that information can be immediately added and nothing gets missed.
- Object photographs should also be taken at this time. All artefact records need to include an image. Ensure that you have paper and a pen to record the accession numbers of the artefacts photographed to rename the digital image (especially important if you’re handling a lot of similar-looking items). Take your time, get professional quality photographs and document carefully so future photographers will be able to pick up where you left off.
- Three dimensional objects should be photographed following the rules presented in Creating and Uploading Digitized Images and Artefact Photography Tips. Two dimensional objects, such as photographs and documents should be scanned. Images should be named by the following system:
- File name matches accession number but uses dashes or underscores in place of periods, ie. Documentary photos of an artefact with the accession number 1997.6.3 should be named 1997-6-3.tif or 1997_6_3.tif.
- Scans should be at least 1200 pixels in width. If you can’t tell how to see pixel amount, set the scanner to a resolution of 600 dpi.
- Digital photographs should be taken at the camera’s highest possible resolution.
- Ensure that all of the collection images are kept in the same folder.
Step 3- Enriched Records
Every collection record should serve as the justification for that object being in your collection. It should tell a personal story – the life history of that object that answers who, what, when, where, why and how. This is essentially reviewing all of your records and filling in any “holes”.
- The Enriched Record Fields pdf on the ANSM website lists the fields considered by CHIN to constitute an enriched record. Some of these fields (e.g. Brand Name) will not be applicable for all artefacts. Ensure that all applicable fields are complete.
- Talk to local experts of the individual artefacts. This should include interview donors to get the personal history of the object(s) (if this was not done during the initial donation), talking to craftspeople, local historians, etc.
- Research the background context of the artefact, consulting libraries, the internet, archives, etc.
The individual history of each object is what makes them stand out, and is the information visitors and researchers find most appealing and useful- and also uniquely distinguishes your institution from others.
Step 4 – Loan Reconciliation
Loans should only be accepted for a specific purpose and limited time period. The old notion of a “permanent loan” (objects loaned to the museum for an indefinite period and without any sort of renewal process) has been abandoned by the museum community due to the high risks involved with this practice. It is absolutely imperative to reconcile old loans:
- Identify loaned items in the collection, creating lists by lender. Prioritize the list based on the number of loans. The lender with the largest number of items should be approached first, although the museum may need to adjust the priorities based on age, health, whether the lender is leaving the community in the near future, etc.
- Draft a formal letter with the list of loaned items and offer the lender 3 options:
- Sign over ownership & any associated intellectual property rights, officially donating the item(s) to the museum.
- Renew the loan agreement and agree to revisit the loan on an annual basis.
- Take their loaned item(s) back.
Reconciliation of loans, especially very old loans, often requires discussion and signing authority which is only held by senior staff and/or board members. This work can be carried out in conjunction with other steps, especially if it is delegated to a board member. Summer staff should only assist in two ways:
- Compile the list of loaned items, having one list per lender.
- If possible, determine contact information for the lender.
- Use resources such as the phone book, community directory, 411.ca, etc.
