Victoria and Albert Museum Publication Scheme

VICTORIA AND ALBERTMUSEUM PUBLICATION SCHEME, November 2007

Class of Information / Description of Class / How available / When available / Free or fee payable? i
1 General
1.1‘About the V&A’ / Information about people and departments at the V&A. / Website:
/ Now / Free
1.2Press releases / Official announcements made by the V&Aand circulated to the press. / Website:

Paper copy on request from Press Assistant, Public Affairs Division. / As soon as released. Currently, from October 2001 onwards. / Free
1.3Biographies / Details of previous experience of V&A Trustees, Director and Deputy Director. / Trustees – website:

Others – website:

Paper copy on request from Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Reference copy in the National Art Library. / Now / Free
1.4Departmental information / List of departments with descriptions of their work. / Website:

Reference copy in the National Art Library. / Now / Free
2 Accountability/Relationship to government
2.1 Annual reports and accounts / Statement to government of the work of the V&Aand an account of expenditure for the previous year. / Current report – website:

Paper copy on request from Finance Division.
Earlier reports are published by The Stationery Office:

Reference copy in the National Art Library. / In July when each year’s report and accounts are laid before Parliament. They are later published by The Stationery Office together with the auditor’s report.
Reports are available from 1991/92 onwards. / Fee payable. Price varies. See The Stationery Office website for details.
2.2 Trustees’ Triennial and Annual Reports / Reports produced by the Trustees surveying work of the V&Aduring the previous three financial years (or year). Produced for the general public and stakeholders such as donors and volunteers, also submitted to government / Current report on request from Public Affairs Division.
Reference copies in the National Art Library. / Sequence of Triennial reports covers 1983 to 2001. Annual reports start in 2002. / Free
2.3Funding Agreement between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Victoria and AlbertMuseum / The Funding Agreement sets out the government’s core strategic objectives and shows how the V&A’sown objectives will contribute to their achievement; identifies any further key objectives to which the V&Amay be working; and lays out the targets against which the achievement of the objectives is to be measured. / Website:

Paper copy on request from Finance Division.
Current, and earlier versions available for reference in the National Art Library. / Now / Free
2.4 Report against the targets in the Funding Agreement / Produced by the V&A to illustrate progress towards meeting objectives in the Funding Agreement. Submitted to government. / Website:

Paper copy on request from Finance Division. Current and earlier reports, for reference in the National Art Library. / Current version, now.
Future reports, usually by September. / Free
2.5Access to the Victoria and AlbertMuseum, Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, National Audit Office / Report of the National Audit Office detailing how the V&A spends public money. Published in February 2001, based on research undertaken in 1999-2000. / Website:
From The Stationery Office:
The Publications Centre, PO Box 29, NorwichNR3 1GN / Now / Free from the website.
Fee payable to The Stationery Office.
2.6 Access to the Victoria and AlbertMuseum, minutes of evidence to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, Monday 19 March 2001 / Minutes of the Public Accounts Committee hearing that analysed the manner in which the V&Aspends public money. / Website:

From The Stationery Office:
The Publications Centre, PO Box 29, NorwichNR3 1GN / Now / Fee payable.
2.7 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, Access to the Victoria and AlbertMuseum. Sixteenth Report of the Session 2001-02 / Report produced as a result of the Public Accounts Committee hearing held on 19 March 2001. / Website:

From The Stationery Office:
The Publications Centre, PO Box 29, NorwichNR3 1GN / Now / Free from the website.
Fee payable to The Stationery Office.
3 Plans and Strategy
3.1V&A Plan / Business plan demonstrating how the V&Awill meet its objectives for the coming year. / Website:

V&A Strategic Plan 2005-2010
Current paper copy on request from Finance Division.
Earlier copies, for reference in the National Art Library. / On publication each year. / Free
3.2 Creative Networks: Knowledge and Inspiration, the Victoria and AlbertMuseum’s Strategy for Learning / Strategy for increasing the provision of learning activities and facilities for visitors to the V&A at South Kensington. / Website:

Paper copy on request from PA to Director of Learning &Visitor Services Division.
Reference copy in the National Art Library. / Now / Free
3.3 Evaluation & Visitor Research Strategy / Strategy concerning research into visitor responses to the V&A collections and learning programmes. It also encompasses the internal evaluation of public projects. / Website:

Paper copy on request from Head of Evaluation and Visitor Research, Learning & Visitor Services Division.
Reference copy available in the Resource Centre, Learning & Visitor Services Division. / End 2002 / Free
3.4Learning & Visitor Services Division Annual Reports / Reports in detail the activities of the department during the previous year. / Website:

Paper copy on request from Head of Systems & Administration, Learning & Visitor Services Division. / On publication each year / Free
4 Policies and Procedures
4.1 Collections Management Procedures Manual / Manual of procedures in place to ensure the V&A’s Collections Management Policy is carried out / Paper copy on request from the Records & Collections Services Department. / Now / Free
4.2 National Art Library Policies, Procedures and Guides / The documents which govern the work carried out by staff of the National Art Library: Collections Development Policy; Guide to Cataloguing; Records Management and Archives Policy; Acquisitions Policy; Records Retention Schedules. / Website:

Policies (cataloguing & collections development) are at
Paper copy on request from Public Services Department, National Art Library.
Reference copies in the National Art Library. / Now / Free
4.3 Information relating to loan of objects / Conditions of Loan information for museums wishing to borrow objects from the V&A’s collections. / Paper copy on request from the Registrar’s Section. / Now / Free
5 Minutes of meetings
5.1 Minutes of Trustee Board meetings / Minutes of meetings of the governing body of the V&A. Some of the material in this class may be exempt from access. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. / Website:

Paper copy on request from the Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Reference copies in the National Art Library. / From January 2001. Usually available about 6 weeks after each meeting. Meetings are usually held on the 3rd Thursday in every month, except August and December. / Free
5.2 Minutes of Trustees’ Committees meetings / Minutes of meetings of the sub-committees of the governing body of the V&A. Some of the material in this class may be exempt from access. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. / Paper copy on request from the Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Reference copies in the National Art Library. / The committees meet at various times throughout the year. Minutes are available once they have been approved by the subsequent meeting. / Free
5.3 Minutes of the V&A Management Board / Minutes of meetings of the V&A’ssenior management. Some of the material in this class may be exempt from access. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. / Paper copy on request from V&A Planning Manager.
Reference copies available in the National Art Library. / Meetings are held fortnightly and minutes will usually be available 2 weeks after the date of each meeting, once they have been approved by the subsequent meeting. / Free
6 Visitor information
6.1 Attendance figures for allV&A sites from 1991-92 to the present / Numbers of visitors to all V&A sites compiled on a monthly basis. / Paper copy on request from the Planning Manager, Directorate.
Reference copies in the National Art Library. / 2 to 3 weeks after the end of each month. / Free
6.2 V&A visitor research reports from surveys conducted by MORI / Information about the profile of visitors and their response to their visit. Research conducted for marketing purposes. / Paper copy on request from the PA to Head of Marketing, Public Affairs Department.
Reference copies in the National Art Library.
Reports are available from 1997. / Each report will be available approximately 2 months after the period to which it refers. / Free
6.3Other V&A visitor research reports / Information about visitors’ responses to various exhibitions, displays and programmes. / Reference copies available in Resource Centre, Learning & Visitor Services Division.
Visitor research reports available at:

Copies of Galleries research available on website:
/ Reference copies now, website, end 2002 / Free
7 Donor information
7.1 Donor information / Published leaflets informing potential donors of mechanisms forleaving a legacy and of giving to the V&A / Website:

Paper copies on request from the Development Office. / Now / Free
8 Personnel information
8.1 Staff Policies / Internal policies which collectively establish the procedures that should be followedby,and conduct that is expected of, members of the V&A’s staff in the performance of their duties. / Paper copy on request from Administrative Assistant, Personnel Department.
Reference copies available in the National Art Library. / Now / Free
8.2 Job vacancies / Information relating to job opportunities: job descriptions, information on current vacancies. / Website:
advertised in a range of publications.
Paper copy on request from Administrative Assistant, Personnel Department. / Now / Free
8.3 Sickness absence statistics / Statistics compiled on a monthly basis giving staff sickness absence rates by department. / Paper copy on request from Administrative Assistant, Personnel Department. / Approximately one month after the end of the relevant month / Free
8.4Annual Personnel Report / Provides an annual summary of personnel related statistics including absence, recruitment and staffing (i.e. turnover, ethnic composition) / Paper copy on request from Departmental Secretary or Personnel Systems Manager, Personnel Department. / On publication. / Free
9 V&A/Resource Purchase Grant Fund
9.1 List of grants awarded / List of grants awarded in current and previous years. / Website:

Paper copy on request from the Purchase Grant Fund. / Information available for the current and previous years. / Free
9.2 Statistical information on grants awarded from 1991-92 / Summary information about grants awarded in previous years. / Paper copy on request from the Purchase Grant Fund.
Reference copy available in the National Art Library. / From 1991-92 tothe present, with new information added at the end of the financial year. / Free
9.3 Full list of all grants / List of all the grants made by the Purchase Grant Fund. / Information from the early 1960s onwards was published in the Museums Journal. From 1981, published in the annual reports of the Museums and Galleries Commission, now Resource. / From 1960s. / Free
10 Financial information
10.1Specifications for all current tenders / Statement of requirement for current V&A tenders / Paper copy on request from Contracts and Purchasing Section. / Now / Free
10.2 Terms and conditions for contracts / Terms and conditions which apply to all V&Acontracts / Paper copy on request from Contracts and Purchasing Section. / Now / Free
11Public Services information
11.1Standards of service for visitors / Levels of service the V&A is committed to providing for the visiting public. / Paper copy on request from the Head of Visitor Services, Learning & Visitor Services Division. / Now / Free
11.2Learning information leaflets / Leaflets detailing forthcoming learning events taking place in the V&A. / Paper copy on request from the Bookings Administrator, Learning & Visitor Services Division. / Now / Free
11.3Teachers’ information / Publications informing teachers of the V&A collections and how they can be used in the teaching process. / Paper copy of free publications on request from the Bookings Administrator, Learning & Visitor Services Division, or can be collected from the schools lunchroom receptionist at the V&A on weekdays. Publications for sale are available from the V&A shop, or by mail order. For details of all publications see:
/ Now / Free
12Information about the collections
12.1Books published by the V&A / Catalogue of current publications and backlist. / Website:

Paper copy available on request from Publications Department.
For earlier publications, see National Art Library on-line catalogue:
/ Now / Free
12.2Educational Publications / Publications by the V&A adapted to online resources for Teachers:
South Asia: The Nehru Gallery;
British Galleries;
Constable;
Plant Motifs;
Maths and Islamic Art & Design;
Museum Conservation;
Drawing in Museums;
Using the V&A at Key Stages 1&2;
Accessories, Jewellery and Adornment; Victorian Social Life from Paintings;
Glass;
European Ornament;
Image & Identity;
Buddhism: Art & Design and Religious Education;
Jainism: Art & Design and Religious Education; / Publications for school teachers are listed on the website:

A Range of Resource Boxes listed here:
/ Now / Free
12.3Archives owned by the V&A / Catalogues of archives in Archive of Art & Design, and V&A Archive available in the Archive Reading Room. / Some catalogue information available on-line via National Art Library catalogue:

History and overview of collections at / Now / Free
12.4Exhibitions held at the V&A / Details of exhibitions held at the V&A from 1852 to 1996 in: The Victoria & Albert Museum: a Bibliography and Exhibition Chronology 1852-1996, compiled by Elizabeth James, published by Fitzroy Dearborn in association with the V&A. ISBN 1884964958. / From various web-based retailers, search by ISBN number.Additionally high street bookshops may be able to order copies. / Now. Covers all exhibitions from 1852. / Fee
12.5Bibliographies and Study Guides / Lists compiled by curatorial departments to facilitate research in subject area / Paper copy on request from Departmental secretaries. / Now / Free
12.6Curatorial fact sheets / Leaflets and on-line publications on specific V&A objects, artists/designers; lists of exhibits and label texts from temporary displays; lists of craftspeople/conservators/suppliers of specialist goods and services. / Paper copy on request from relevant curatorial department. / Now / Free
12.7Research Reports / Reports listing all publications by V&A staff from 1991. / Website:

Reference copy in the National Art Library. / From 1991-93 to 1997-99.
Now / Free
12.8 Conservation Journal / Journal published by the V&A Conservation Department every quarter from October 1991 to October 1999 (Issues 1-33), and three times a year from 2000. / Website:

Reference copy in the National Art Library. / Now / Fee payable
12.9Conservation publications list / V&A conservators make regular contributions to academic journals and books. This lists the publications concerned. / Paper copy on request from Conservation Administration. / Now / Free
12.10Conservation conference presentations / Presentations made by V&A conservators to academic conferences. / Paper copy on request from Conservation Administration. / Now / Free
12.11National Art Library Catalogue / Listings of all books and other publications held by the National Art Library. / Most publications are listed in the National Art Library on-line catalogue:

The complete catalogue is available for consultation in the National Art Library. / Now / Free

i Where the scheme indicates that the V&A intends to make a publication available free of charge, the V&A reserves the right to levy a charge for copying or printing as outlined in the introduction. However, reference copies will be available for consultation in the V&A, free of charge.