The Collections Trust seminars are a one-day interactive workshop for people working in collections management. They will look at the changing needs and expectations of museum audiences and how collections management practice and digital technology can help meet them. The workshop will cover: • Being an effective advocate for the wider impact of collections management • Using collections management to help your museum improve its services and its sustainability • The relationship between Museum Accreditation and SPECTRUM as the standard for collections management • How to develop a strategic approach to your collections and digital work • How to ensure that your internal policies, procedures and systems are fit for the future

1. Collections Trust Seminar
London, October 2014

2. Welcome & introductions!

3. Getting started
• Please do:
• Be an active participant
• Respect information shared in confidence
• Take the opportunity to network!

4. Resources
• In your delegate pack, you have:
• Information sheets about today’s resources
• Information about further Collections Trust events
• A Feedback & Evaluation Form
• Today’s slides can be downloaded from www.slideshare.net/collectionstrust
• All other resources available from www.collectionstrust.org.uk

5. I’m Nick Poole
CEO of the Collections Trust
since 2004, involved in the
development of national
standards & funding
programmes for museums.

6. The Collections Trust is...
...the professional association
for people who work in
Collections Management

7. Collections Management is...
...the strategies, policies,
processes and procedures
relating to a collection’s
development, information,
access and care

8. Established 1977
• To promote the education of the public by the development of museums
and similar organisations by all appropriate methods;
• To develop, promote, maintain and improve standards of collections and
information management in museums, art galleries, heritage
organisations and other collections institutions;
• To provide services and resources which improve the standards and
methods of collections management and use.

9. Not-for-profit

10. Our work
• 5 main activities, funded by the Arts Council England:
• Standards
• Professional development
• Digital support
• Outreach
• Data

11. Objectives for today
• Our objectives are to:
• Introduce you to the work of the Collections Trust
• Explore how collections management supports the needs of audiences
• Introduce the Excellence in Collections Management model
• Highlight our tools, resources and services to support your work
• Please write down 2-3 things that you want to get out of today (we’ll refer
back to these at the end of the day)

12. SESSION ONE
The changing needs and
expectations of museum
audiences

13. Discussion
• What are the key challenges which your museum is facing when developing
services for contemporary audiences?
• What are the key opportunities?
• How does your museum currently profile/gather information about onsite
and online audiences and their needs?

14. A ‘responsive’ museum...
...is designed around the
needs, expectations,
behaviours and abilities of the
audience

15. The ‘traditional’ museum...
Most cultural organisations operate in ‘vertical’ silos
Education Management Collections Retail IT

16. The ‘responsive’ museum...

18. It’s about finding the fastest,
simplest way of giving people
meaningful, emotional experiences
Not about partitioning peoples lives,
but about letting them express the
kind of connection they want to
make (including being left alone &
not having to connect to anything!)

19. ‘Create Once, Publish Everywhere’
• If collections and collections-based information are to play their part in
enhancing and extending the visitor experience, they need to be discoverable
and usable outside the museum and its website
• ‘COPE’ is the Collections Trust’s strategy for developing collections
information and collections-related content that supports:
• Collections care
• Collections discovery & re-use
• Learning and intepretation
• Visitor engagement

20. COPE in practice, from this...
BYOD PLATFORMS
COLLECTIONS
DOCUMENTATION
COLLECTIONS
DOCUMENTATION
Social
media
DIGITAL ASSET
MANAGEMENT
DIGITAL ASSET
MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION /
INFORMATION /
RECORDS
RECORDS
USER CHANNELS &
SYSTEMS OF
ENGAGEMENT
SYSTEMS OF RECORD
Museum
website
Gallery
interactives
Aggregators

21. To this...

22. Discussion
• Does your museum already think about engaging audiences in this way?
• What could collections do to help drive this kind of engagement?
• How does audience information feed into your collections management?

23. SESSION TWO
Introducing the Excellence in
Collections Management
model & resources

24. Key questions
• What does ‘excellence’ look like in managing and using a collection?
• How does this framework correspond to the minimum requirement of
Accreditation?
• What are SPECTRUM and BSI PAS 197 and how can they support excellence?

26. LEGAL
PROFESSIONAL
MUSEUM

27. Museum development

28. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
Detailed Model

29. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW

30. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW

31. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION

32. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES

33. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
RESOURCES
MISSION
COMPETENCIES

34. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
RESOURCES

35. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
RESOURCES

36. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
ETHICS
RESOURCES

37. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
ETHICS
LEGAL
RESOURCES

38. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
ETHICS
LEGAL
TECHNICAL
RESOURCES

39. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
ETHICS
LEGAL
TECHNICAL
TOOLKITS
METHODOLOGIES
RESOURCES

40. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
ETHICS
LEGAL
TECHNICAL
TOOLKITS
METHODOLOGIES
LEADERSHIP
RESOURCES

41. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
ETHICS
LEGAL
TECHNICAL
TOOLKITS
METHODOLOGIES
LEADERSHIP
ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE
RESOURCES

42. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
DO
REVIEW
MISSION
COMPETENCIES
SKILLS & CPD
STANDARDS
ETHICS
LEGAL
TECHNICAL
TOOLKITS
METHODOLOGIES
ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE
LEADERSHIP
EVALUATION & METRICS
RESOURCES

43. Key questions
• How does your museum review and improve its work?
• How could ‘plan’, ‘do’, ‘review’ be applied in your work?

44. SESSION THREE
Developing a ‘Digital Strategy’

45. Key questions
• How is your museum using technology to engage audiences?
• Do you have a Digital Strategy?
• How do you plan for the implementation of IT/digital in your museum?

46. Tate Digital Strategy
• Implicitly linked to the Strategic Plan
• ‘Digital as a Dimension of Everything’
• Aligning the development of:
• Content
• IT infrastructure
• Social media
• Publishing & distribution
• Retail & income generation

47. HRP Strategic Planning
• No separate ‘Digital Strategy’
• 4 principles:
• Guardianship
• Discovery
• Showmanship
• Independence
• Digital underpins and supports the achievement of these principles, rather
than acting as a standalone priority

48. HRP Strategic Planning
VISITOR JOURNEY
7 ‘personas’
ANALYTICS & CUSTOMER DATA ASSET MANAGEMENT
IT INFRASTRUCTURE
CHANGE PROGRAMME

49. Digital Benchmarks
• A simple diagnostic tool
• Mapping progress
• Celebrating success
• Planning development
• An integrated approach

51. Digital Benchmark “Range Statements”
Strategy
Level Description
0 · The organisation has no strategic plan or statement of mission or purpose *
1 · The organisation has a strategic plan or mission which does not reference engagement
through technology
2 · The organisation has a strategic plan, which includes projects and programmes, some of
which make use of technology.
· Digital is not fully integrated into the strategy, which is not regularly reviewed.
3 · The organisation has a strategic plan, which includes projects and programmes, some of
which make use of technology.
· Digital is integrated into the strategy, which is regularly reviewed.
4 · The organisation has a strategic plan/mission in place which references the use of digital
technologies to support core delivery, or it has a separate (but connected) digital strategy
in place.
· There is at least one digital champion within the senior management of the organisation.
· The strategic plan is regularly reviewed and updated.
5 · The organisation has a strategic plan/mission in place which integrates the use of digital
technologies to support core delivery.
· The digital elements of the plan are owned and championed at a senior (Board &
management) level and supported by appropriate budgets.
· Digital technologies are embedded across all teams/departments of the organisation.
· Digital delivery and engagement through technology are embedded within the
organisation’s performance framework.
· The strategic plan is regularly reviewed and updated.

52. Mid-sized regional museum

53. Smaller museum

54. Showing progress

55. Collections online
• Having things online does not automatically lead to access
• It is a significant investment of time and effort
• The 90/8/2 rule:
– 90% of your content acts as marketing for the museum
– 8% might make money if you invested heavily in it
– 2% of most collections will be a solid, bankable revenue stream

56. What people want from online collections…
CONTENT
A BIT A LOT
METADATA

57. What people want from online collections…
CONTENT
A BIT A LOT
METADATA
FUN

58. What people want from online collections…
CONTENT
A BIT A LOT
METADATA
FUN
RESEARCH

59. What people want from online collections…
CONTENT
A BIT A LOT
METADATA
FUN
RESEARCH
LEARNING
OUTREACH

60. What people want from online collections…
A BIT A LOT
60
CONTENT
METADATA
FUN
RESEARCH
LEARNING
DATA MINING
COLLECTIONS
MANAGEMENT
AGGREGATION
OUTREACH

61. What people want from online collections…
A BIT A LOT
61
CONTENT
METADATA
FUN
RESEARCH
LEARNING
DATA MINING
COLLECTIONS
MANAGEMENT
AGGREGATION
OUTREACH
Digitize relatively few things & spend your
money on quality and context

62. What people want from online collections…
CONTENT
A BIT A LOT
METADATA
FUN
RESEARCH
LEARNING
DATA MINING
COLLECTIONS
MANAGEMENT
AGGREGATION
OUTREACH
Digitize relatively few things & spend your
money on quality and context
Digitize lots of things, use standards and
don’t worry too much about promotion

63. Additional resources
• Collections Trust Digital Benchmarks Tool
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/digital/digital-benchmarks-for-the-culture-sector
• Going Digital resources, toolkits, simple guides and glossary:
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/going-digital
• Guidance on developing digital stragies
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/digital-strategy
• Free Simple Guide to Digitisation
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/digitisation

64. SESSION FOUR
Collections Standards Toolkit

65. Key topics
• The role of professional standards
• The Collections Trust Collections Standards Toolkit
• Collections Link standards resources
• Collections Management Competencies
• Structure & role of SPECTRUM

66. LEGAL
PROFESSIONAL
MUSEUM

67. Legal frameworks
• Museums & Libraries Act
• Equalities Act
• Charities Act
• Cultural Property Law
• Copyright Law
• Civil rights & protections

68. Codes of Ethics
• MA Code of Ethics for Museums
• ICOM Code of Ethics
• Ethical principles associated with Charitable Status

69. Professional Standards
• Museums Accreditation Scheme
• SPECTRUM Standard
• BSI Publicly Available Specification 197 Code of Practice for Collections
Management
• BSI Publicly Available Specification 198 Environmental Management
• GIS Guidelines

70. Standards Toolkit
• Produced by Collections Trust with support from Arts Council England
• http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/standards-toolkit/introduction
• Structured around four sections:
– Collections Development standards
– Collections Information standards
– Collections Access standards
– Collections Care & Conservation standards

72. Introducing SPECTRUM!
International industry
standard for Collections
Management

73. SPECTRUM Facts & Figures
• 23,000 licensed users
• 40 countries
• 8 languages
• 17 SPECTRUM Partner systems
• Adoption as a national quality standard in 4 countries
• Interest from 5 new territories

74. STANDARD
WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY (25,000)
GUIDANCE
COMPLIANCE
(17)
PDF/XML/PRINT
+ SCHEMA
NEW IDEAS

77. http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum

78. Uses of SPECTRUM
• Not a mandatory standard
• A ‘recipe book’ for developing or reviewing practices in your museum
• Useful for the development of your Procedural Manual
• Promotes accountability & good practice
• Primary procedures are a requirement of Accreditation

79. Collections Management
Competency Framework
Defining the skills and
competencies of the
professional & volunteer
collections management
workforce

80. Why a Competency Framework?
• Informing the teaching and training of core collections management skills
and competencies
• Promoting investment in CPD
• Raising awareness of the value and impact of CM skills on the wider
delivery of museum services
• Advocating for investment in CM competencies
• Providing a structure to engage with other industry partners eg. CC Skills,
MA, CILIP

81. Competency Framework
PRACTITIONER/
APPRENTICE
MANAGER/
PRACTITIONER
LEADER/
EXPERT
ETHICAL, LEGAL AND
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
DEVELOPING POSITIVE
RELATIONSHIPS
DELIVERING EFFECTIVE
OUTCOMES
COMMITMENT TO
CUSTOMER FOCUS

82. Professional development
• Ensuring that museums have access to the Collections Management skills
& competencies they need:
– Teaching on University Museum Studies courses
– Providing a Competency Framework for employers
– Delivering a Collections Management Traineeships programme
– Promoting practical apprenticeships
– Free Collections Trust Seminars across England

83. Traineeships programme
• Runs between October 2014 & September 2015
• Cohort of 20 trainees
• Combination of practical workplace-based training, CPD, mentoring and
peer support
• Aimed at enabling new entrants to the profession to build their
collections management skills and confidence
• www.collectionstrust.org.uk/traineeships

84. DISCUSSION

85. SESSION FIVE
Collections Management and
Museum Accreditation

87. Guiding principle
Collections are central to the function of a
museum.
The management of the collections within an
Accredited museum is consistent with the
statement of purpose, policies and strategic vision
for the organisation.
To do this effectively, and to allow for regular
review and improvement, a coherent set of policy
statements, plans and procedures should be put in
place – a collections management framework.
This will address collections development,
information, access, care and conservation.

88. Accreditation Requirements
• 2.1 Satisfactory arrangements for ownership of collections
• 2.2 Collections Development
• 2.3 Documentation policy
• 2.4 Care & conservation policy
• 2.5 Documentation plan
• 2.6 Care & conservation plan
• 2.7 Documentation procedures
• 2.7 Expert assessment of security arrangements

89. ‘Primary’ procedures
Requirement 2.7: “The primary SPECTRUM procedures must be in place in the
form of a documentation procedural manual that is available for inspection on
request.”
•Object entry
•Acquisition
•Location and movement control
•Marking and/or labelling
•Cataloguing
•Object exit
•Loans in
•Loans out

90. Accreditation support
We can
• Publish standards and guidelines
• Share case studies
• Work with partner museums in the regions
• Share questions & answers with our networks
• Provide statements of support
We can’t
• Answer questions directly over the phone or by email

91. SESSION SIX
Understanding the ‘user
journey’ and collections

92. The ‘user journey’...
...describes how people
discover your museum, what
they do while they’re there
and how you maintain the
connection after they leave.

93. The key challenge for collections
is to find ways of enhancing and
extending the user journey so
that people are:
•More likely to discover the
museum
•More likely to engage with the
museum
•More likely to develop a lasting
relationship with the museum

94. Key questions
• Does your museum have profiles or personas for your key audience
segments?
• How can collections support, enhance and extend the user journey?
• Is there more collections and audience development people could be doing
to share insight?

95. SESSION SEVEN
Developing effective
collections management
systems

96. Key topics
• What is a ‘Collections Management System’?
• How to develop effective systems for Collections & Digital Asset Management
• Integration with other systems

97. ‘Choose a CMS’ database
http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/choose-a-cms

98. Digital Asset Management
• Launched SPECTRUM DAM in 2013
• Providing guidance on how to manage photographs, scans and recordings
alongside the collection
• Launched SPECTRUM DAM Partners Scheme in 2014, validating software
providers who can demonstrate they work with collections systems
• Free guide ‘How to Buy a Digital Asset Management System for your
Museum’
• http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum/spectrum-digital-asset-management

99. LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

100. FOCUS SESSION

101. Practical Guides
• Simple practical guides to key areas of Collections Management:
• Titles:
– Collections Management: A Practical Guide
– Documentation: A Practical Guide
– Copyright: A Practical Guide
– Governance & Collections: A Practical Guide
– Integrated Pest Management: A Practical Guide
• Available from www.collectionstrust.org.uk/shop
(RRP £24.99 & ebook £20.00)

102. Special programmes
• We have developed resources, guidelines, factsheets and interactives
around a series of special programmes focussed on different aspects of
Collections Management:
– Security (www.collectionstrust.org.uk/security)
– Energy efficiency (www.collectionstrust.org.uk/energy-efficiency)
– Pests! (http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/pest-management)
– Insurance (http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/insurance)
– Participation (http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/participation)

103. Going Digital
• New 3 year ‘back to basics’ programme on IT in museums
• Kicks off with a launch event at Tyne & Wear Museums in November
• Covering:
– Basic IT audit and planning
– Photography and scanning
– Buying equipment
– Copyright
– Collections Management Systems
– Digital Asset Management Systems
– Sharing collections online

104. Going Digital
• Free tools & resources including:
– IT Audit toolkit
– Digital Strategy interactive
– Beginners Guide to Digitisation
– How-to copyright factsheets
• http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/going-digital

105. Keep in touch
• We offer a variety of ways of keeping in touch with our work
– Collections Management LinkedIn community (7,900 members)
– Fortnightly email newsletter
– www.twitter.com/collectiontrust
– www.facebook.com/collectionstrust
– www.slideshare.net/collectionstrust