A Collections Management Policy is a core document for any collecting institution that governs the legal and ethical requirements of the institution’s collecting practices and collections care. Writing a policy for the first time or updating a policy can be overwhelming due to the complexities of constantly changing legal and ethical requirements. Utilizing multiple teaching tools, including readings, podcasts, videos, and discussions, this course will guide participants through the development process of their Collections Management Policy. Additionally, this course will draw participant’s attention to the protection provided by a carefully written Collections Management Policy from unlawful or unethical decision making. At the end of the program, participants should feel confident to edit an existing Collections Management Policy or write a new one with a focus on those collections-related law and ethics that impact our ability to care for, use, and manage collections.
Course Outline
Session 1
- Date: September 17, 2024
- Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET
- Topic: The first session of this course will focus on the different ways objects can be acquired and how the title of ownership passes to the museum.
Session 2
- Date: September 19, 2024
- Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET
- Topic: The second session of the course will be diving deeper into special laws and ethics that can impact acquisition methods and quality of title, such as copyright or questionable provenance.
Session 3
- Date: September 24, 2024
- Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET
- Topic: The third session will move on to non-title holding acquisitions, such as loans and temporary custody.
Session 4
- Date: September 26, 2024
- Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET
- Topic: We will conclude the course with the fourth session on how to dispose of, or deaccession, objects no longer wanted by the museum.
*Please note: All meetings will be conducted using Zoom Meeting.
Coordinator/Instructor
Rebecca Kennedy has collaborated with diverse collections and cultural institutions to elevate the preservation and management of collections. Following the completion of an MA in Museum Studies from The George Washington University, Rebecca dedicated eleven years to preservation and collections management at the Smithsonian Institution before founding Curae Collections, LLC in 2018.
Rebecca contributes actively to committees within the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and Association of Registrars and Collections Specialist (ARCS), demonstrating her commitment to bolstering the cultural institutions and their workers. Additionally, she serves as an editor for the Collections Journal and imparts her knowledge as an instructor on Collections Management for the George Washington University. As a peer-reviewed Professional Associate (PA) of AIC, Rebecca garners recognition for her contributions as an allied professional within the conservation community.
Registration Fee:
- $99 USD Early Bird Through September 2, 2024
- $149 USD September 3 - September 16, 2024
Connecting to Collections Care courses are made possible in part by generous support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Rebecca Kennedy (Moderator)
Collections Care Specialist at Curae Collections Care, LLC
With nearly 15 years of experience, Rebecca has worked with a variety of collections in storage and on exhibition in diverse media. Her career began as a registrar for an historical society in Florida. After graduating with her MA in Museum Studies from The George Washington University, Kennedy worked in preservation and collections management at the Smithsonian Institution for 11 years. Her projects consisted of rehousing, exhibition installation, offsite storage management, object cataloging, deaccessioning and much more.
In 2016, Kennedy completed a training in First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAC) by the International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). This FAC course expanded her impact in helping institutions prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters. She also served on the inaugural team of the Smithsonian’s Preparedness and Response in Collections Emergency (PRICE) for two years and the steering committee for the DC Alliance for Response. She is a Professional Associate (PA) of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC).
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Session 0: Introduction to Course and Instructor
Introduction to Course and Instructor
Open to view video.
Course Resources
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
A syllabus, summary of the course content, and suggested resources!
Session 1: Anatomy of a CMP & Acquisitions
Podcast: Law, Ethics, and Collections Management Policies
Open to view video.
Video: Anatomy of a CMP
Open to view video. | 15 minutes
Open to view video. | 15 minutes
Video: Acquisitions in your CMP
Open to view video. | 19 minutes
Open to view video. | 19 minutes
Assignment #1: Acquistion Methods
Graded as Pass/Fail
Graded as Pass/Fail
A brainstorming activity to prepare for the acquisition section of the CMP. It is recommended you start working on the assignment prior to the live in-person session so you can ask any and all questions relevant to help you build a CMP.
Live Chat: C2C Care Course Developing a Collections Management Policy Session 1
09/17/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/17/2024
09/17/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/17/2024
Topic: The first session of this course will focus on the different ways objects can be acquired and how the title of ownership passes to the museum.
Optional Podcast: Acquisition Types Explained
Open to view video. | 12 minutes
Open to view video. | 12 minutes
Optional Video: Legal Issues Involving Fake and Stolen Art
Recorded 09/18/2019 | 2 minutes
Recorded 09/18/2019 | 2 minutes
Pryor Cashman, "Legal Issues Involving Fake and Stolen Art." YouTube video, September 18, 2019, 1:19.
Session 2: Special Acquisitions
Podcast: Acquisition of Objects of Foreign Origin
Open to view video. | 9 minutes
Open to view video. | 9 minutes
Podcast: Natural Science Collections
Open to view video. | 5 minutes
Open to view video. | 5 minutes
Video: US Antiquities Laws
Open to view video. | 14 minutes
Open to view video. | 14 minutes
Video: Nazi-Era Looted Art
Open to view video. | 9 minutes
Open to view video. | 9 minutes
Assignment #2: Special Acquisitions
Graded as Pass/Fail
Graded as Pass/Fail
Review your collection and see if any or all of these special acquisitions apply and therefore added to your CMP. If uncertain if any laws or ethics apply for your institution, ask the isntructor during the live session!
Live Chat: C2C Care Course Developing a Collections Management Policy Session 2
09/19/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/19/2024 | 60 minutes
09/19/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/19/2024 | 60 minutes
The second session of the course will be diving deeper into special laws and ethics that can impact acquisition methods and quality of title, such as copyright or questionable provenance.
Optional: UNESCO, "End trafficking, save culture."
Recorded 05/17/2017 | 3 minutes
Recorded 05/17/2017 | 3 minutes
UNESCO, "End trafficking, save culture." YouTube video, May 17, 2017, 2:46.
Optional: Public Education Project, "CONSERVATION HISTORY: Nature's Protectors - Heroes of the US Fish and Wildlife Service
Recorded 08/15/2023 | 4 minutes
Recorded 08/15/2023 | 4 minutes
Public Education Project, "CONSERVATION HISTORY: Nature's Protectors - Heroes of the US Fish and Wildlife Service." YouTube video, August 15, 2023, 3:59.
Optional: CITES 101
Recorded 05/06/2022 | 6 minutes
Recorded 05/06/2022 | 6 minutes
DOI-ITAP, "CITES 101." YouTube video, May 6, 2022, 5:43.
Optional: Understanding the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act & Lawsuits Involving Nazi-Looted Art.
Recorded 03/20/2019 | 7 minutes
Recorded 03/20/2019 | 7 minutes
Pryor Cashman, "Understanding the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act & Lawsuits Involving Nazi-Looted Art." YouTube video, March 20, 2019, 6:23.
Optional: ARPA and You
Recorded 07/10/2016 | 5 minutes
Recorded 07/10/2016 | 5 minutes
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, "ARPA and You." YouTube video, July 10, 2016, 4:32.
Session 3: Loans, Temporary Custody, and Copyright
Podcast: Loans in the CMP
Open to view video. | 6 minutes
Open to view video. | 6 minutes
Podcast: Found in Collections, Unclaimed Loans, and Abandoned Property
Open to view video. | 12 minutes
Open to view video. | 12 minutes
Podcast: Copyright and Culture
Open to view video. | 6 minutes
Open to view video. | 6 minutes
Assignment #3: Working with Undocumented Objects
Graded as Pass/Fail
Graded as Pass/Fail
Do you have an unclaimed loans, abandoned objects, or objects found in collection? If so, use this time to work on identifying how you want to address this in your CMP.
Live Chat: C2C Care Course Developing a Collections Management Policy Session 3
09/24/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/24/2024 | 60 minutes
09/24/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/24/2024 | 60 minutes
The third session will move on to non-title holding acquisitions, such as loans and temporary custody.
Optional: Open Access + CMA
Recorded 01/23/2019 | 2 minutes
Recorded 01/23/2019 | 2 minutes
Cleveland Museum of Art, "Open Access + CMA." YouTube video, January 23, 2019, 1:40.
Optional: Copyright for Visual Artists
Recorded 03/25/2022 | 5 minutes
Recorded 03/25/2022 | 5 minutes
U.S. Copyright Office, "Copyright for Visual Artists." YouTube video, March 25, 2022, 4:37.
Optional: Art exploration with AI
Recorded 06/01/2019 | 2 minutes
Recorded 06/01/2019 | 2 minutes
Microsoft Developer, "Art exploration with AI." YouTube video, May 1, 2019, 1:44.
Session 4: Deaccession & Disposal
Podcast: Deaccessioning and Disposal
Open to view video. | 12 minutes
Open to view video. | 12 minutes
Assignment #4: Disposal Methods
Graded as Pass/Fail
Graded as Pass/Fail
Thought exercise to determine which disposal methods your institution will allow.
Live Chat: C2C Care Course Developing a Collections Management Policy Session 4
09/26/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/26/2024 | 60 minutes
09/26/2024 at 1:00 PM (EDT) | Recorded On: 09/26/2024 | 60 minutes
We will conclude the course with the fourth session on how to dispose of, or deaccession, objects no longer wanted by the museum.
Optional: NAGPRA Comic: Journeys to Complete the Work
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Atalay, Sonya, Shannon, Jen, and John G. Swagger. Journeys to Complete the Work. United States: NAGPRA Comics, 2017.
Optional: Museum works to repatriate artifacts looted from West Africa
Recorded 12/07/2022 | 8 minutes
Recorded 12/07/2022 | 8 minutes
PBS NewsHour, "Museum works to repatriate artifacts looted from West Africa." YouTube video, December 7, 2022, 8:10.
Optional: University of California, Berkeley repatriates cultural artifacts to Indigenous tribe
Recorded 10/10/2022 | 8 minutes
Recorded 10/10/2022 | 8 minutes
PBS NewsHour, "University of California, Berkeley repatriates cultural artifacts to Indigenous tribe." YouTube video, October 10, 2022, 8:07.