Marti L. Allen, “Collections Training Regimes,” Handout

“Hit the Floor Running: Experiential Collections Curriculum that Works”

3:45–5:00 PMThurs, April 27, 2006 AAM Conference, Boston, MA

Suggested Curricula for Course on

INTRODUCTION TO MUSEUM REGISTRATION AND COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT

Twice Weekly, 2-Hour Class (Half are Process Labs Taught by Staff)

Plus Once weekly 2-Hour Free Lab in Presence of Museum Staff

3–5 students in class

WK / TUESDAY / THURSDAY
1 / Jan. 4, 109 ALLN
Agenda:
  • Lecture and discussion: The Museum Registration Discipline: Theory and Guiding Principles.
Assignments:
  • Written assignment, due one week from today: write an essay on your career goals and expected contribution of this class toward goal achievement. Include a one-year plan, a three-year plan, and a five-year plan (3-5 pages, double-spaced).
  • [Readings for object handling workshop.]
/ Jan. 6, 109 ALLN
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Introduction to Collections and Security Staff.
Tour of Collections Areas.
Object Handling Workshop.
Assignments:
  • [Readingson condition-reporting.]
  • Complete security forms, report to Security for ID photo.
Important Notice RE Free Labs: Schedule up for at least 2 hours/week with collections staff to come in and work on your projects and/or consult with staff as needed. Ten of these hours between now and end of term must be spent hours assisting museum staff with inventory (oral report due March 29; final written report due April 7).
2 / Jan. 11, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Hand in Career Goals Essays.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Condition Reporting Workshop.
Assignment:
  • [Readings pertinent to museum donations and accessioning.]
  • Notice: Starting with these readings and continuing throughout the course, you will be required to write one-sentence summaries of each reading assigned and turn in at the beginning of the next class meeting.
/ Jan. 13, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Do condition reports on 5 objects in Museum’s recent donation, each a different medium (due next class period).
Inventory: Principles and Processes.
Under supervision of Collections Manager, return workshop objects to storage.
Assignments:
  • [Readings pertinent to museum law relating to donations and accessioning.]

3 / Jan. 18, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
  • Condition reports.
Agenda:
  • Pop Assignment (first ten minutes): Have students exchange one condition report each and review their peer’s work.
  • Lecture: Donations and Accessioning: The Law.
Assignment:
  • [Readingson museum policies and processes for donations and accessioning.]
/ Jan. 20, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
Agenda:
  • Pop Assignment(first five minutes): Have students pool summaries of readings and select the one that best sums up the readings.
  • Process Lab: Donations and Accessioning: Processes.
Assignment:
  • [Readingson museum cataloguing and manufacture techniques.]

4 / Jan. 25, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
Agenda:
  • Pop Assignment (five minutes): Have the students exchange summaries of readings and copy-edit their peer’s work.
  • Lecture: Museum Cataloguing.
Assignment:
  • Go over copies of Museum’s paperwork for its most recent donation and complete accompanying question sheet.
/ Jan. 27, 370 ALLN
Due today:
  • Completed donations question sheet.
Agenda:
  • Go over donations question sheet.
  • Process Lab: Collections Manager will accompany you to Temporary Storage to help you select five recently donated objects and set you up to accession and catalogue them. Completed assignment due for Pre-Grade Feb. 22.
  • Start accessioning the 5 objects.
Assignment:
  • Take home exam on Donations, Accessioning, Cataloguing, and Condition-Reporting.

5 / Feb. 1, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Completed exams.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Cataloguing Workshop.
Complete a cataloguing form (identification, description, measurements, etc.) for at least one object and go over it with a classmate.
Assignment:
  • Finish accessioning your objects (paperwork, numbering, file-making, assigning location, etc.).
/ Feb. 3, 370 ALLN
Due today:
  • Accessioning paperwork.
Agenda:
  • Pop Assignment (five minutes): Have the students exchange their accessioning paperwork and comment on their peer’s work. Refer questions to collections manager.
  • Process Lab:
Work on cataloguing your objects under supervision of collections manager.
Complete cataloguing forms for at least two objects and trade with classmate for review.
Assignments:
  • [Readings on collections policies.]
  • Polish up two catalogue forms for pre-grading.

6 / Feb. 8, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
  • Two polished cataloguing forms for peer review.
Agenda:
  • CheckPointCharlie.
  • Exams back.
  • Peer review of two cataloguing forms.
  • Lecture: Collections Policies.
Assignments:
  • [Pertinent readings on loans.]
  • If needed, make an appointment with instructor to talk about your exams.
/ Feb. 10, 370 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Work on cataloguing your objects under supervision of collections staff.
Go over peer-reviewed cataloguing forms.
Complete cataloguing forms for two more objects and trade with classmate for peer review.
Assignments:
  • Go over copies of Museum’s paperwork for its most recent loan and complete accompanying questions sheet.

7 / Feb. 15, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Completed question sheet on the Museum’s recent loan.
  • Two more polished catalogue forms for peer review.
Agenda:
  • Lecture: Loans: Law and Processes.
  • Discussion of the Museum’s recent loan.
Assignments:
  • [Pertinent readings on insurance and valuating objects.]
/ Feb. 17,370 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
Agenda:
  • Pop Assignment (five minutes): Have students exchange summaries of readings and copy-edit them.
  • Process Lab:
Go over Peer-reviewed cataloguing forms and correct.
Finish accessioning and cataloguing your objects, consulting with collections manager and peers.
Assignment:
  • Catch up.

8 / Feb. 22, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Accessioning and Cataloguing Project for Pre-Grade.
Agenda:
  • Lecture: Valuations and Authentications, Processes and Related Law.
Assignment:
  • Study handout with examples of object valuations and the suggested process for valuating your objects.
/ Feb. 24, 370 ALLN
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Correct your Accessioning and Cataloguing Project to specifications indicated by Pre-Grade.
Start valuating your five objects using valuation prompt sheet, model valuation, Sotheby’s catalogues, and other resources provided.
Assignment:
  • Finish at least two object valuations for peer review.

9 / March 1, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Corrected Accessioning and Cataloguing Project for Final Grade.
  • Two object valuations for peer review.
Agenda:
  • Peer review two object valuations.
  • Lecture: Stewardship, Law, and Ethics.
Assignment:
  • [Readingson collections problems.]
  • You will be assigned to read one of the Museum’s policies and suggest revisions that might help prevent problems. Suggested revisions due March 10.
/ March 3, 370 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of Readings.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab: Go over peer-reviewed object valuations and finish remaining valuations for pre-grade.
Assignment:
  • Prepare your valuations to submit to Risk Management; include cover letter recommending insurance.

10 / March 8, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Valuations and Risk Management Memos due for Pre-Grade.
Agenda:
  • CheckPointCharlie.
  • Lecture: Collections Problems: Unclaimed loans, Objects found in the Collections, etc.
Assignment:
  • [Readingson packing museum objects for transport.]
/ March 10, 370 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
  • Suggestions for policy revisions.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Micro-Environments and Soft-Packing Workshop by Collections Manager.
Pack your objects to convey to storage in the Museum’s annex.
Correct pre-graded valuations and Risk Management memos.
Assignment:
  • Take-home exam on Loans, Valuations, Insurance, and Collections Problems.

11 / March 15, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Completed take-home exams on Loans, Valuations, Insurance, and Collections Problems.
Agenda:
  • Exams back.
  • Lecture:Conservation Environment.
Assignment:
  • [Readings onconservation environments,object care, and preventive conservation.]
  • Two-week environment monitoring assignment (status report due in one week; final written report due April 5). If needed, make an appointment with instructor to talk about your exams.
/ March 17, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings
Agenda:
  • Pop Assignment (first five minutes): Have students pool summaries of readings and select the one that best sums up the readings.
  • Free Lab: Free timeto catch up. Must be spent in the Museum on museum projects (attendance is expected and will be taken).
Assignment:
  • Collections Manager will provide assignment to prep for the lab of her choice next week.

12 / March 22, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Oral report on status of monitoring assignment.
Agenda:
  • Lecture: Object Care and Preventive Conservation.
Assignment:
  • Rewrite your resume to reflect the experience you have gained in this class (due in one week).
  • Read NAGPRA and 36 CFR, Part 79.
/ March 24, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings from Collections Manager.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab: Collections Manager’s Choice (perhaps photographing collections or intro to Copyright law).
Assignment:
  • Catch up on assignments.

13 / March 29, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Oral Status Report on Inventory.
  • Drafts of resumes.
Agenda:
  • Lecture: Introduction to NAGPRA and 36 CFR, Part 79.
Assignment:
  • [Readingson integrated pest management and collections storage.]
  • Start writing report on environment monitoring assignment.
Written assignment, due one week from today:
  • Write an essay on your career goals and expected contribution of this class toward goal achievement. Include a one-year plan, a three-year plan, and a five-year plan (3–5 pp, double-spaced).
/ March 31, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Summaries of readings.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab:
Workshop on Making Special Storage Housing.
Decide as a class what you want your April 7 lab to be on.
Assignment:
  • Make special housing for the object assigned to you by the Collections Manager.

14 / April 5, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Career Goal Essays.
  • Report on environment monitoring assignments.
Agenda:
  • CheckPointCharlie.
  • Lecture: Catch opportunity.
Assignment:
  • Readings from Collections Manager to prep you for the Students’ Choice Lab.
/ April 7, 109 ALLN
Due today:
  • Report on Inventory Project.
  • Summaries of readings for Students’ Choice Lab.
Agenda:
  • Process Lab: Students’ Choice (perhaps a workshop on a special considerations for care of one or two selected mediums, such as textiles and ethnographic materials).
Assignment:
  • Finish your special housing project.

15 / April 12, MOA
Due today:
  • Monitoring Project.
  • Special Housing Project.
Agenda:
  • Lecture: Disaster Preparedness.
Assignment:
  • Take-Home Exam Test on Care, Conservation Environments, Preventive Conservation, IPM, Museum Policies(due April 19).
/ April 14
Reading Day
16 / April 19
Exam DayDue: Take-Home Exam. / April 21
Commencement