Transcript We are the keepers of their stories

ABCs of Appraisal and Acquisition
Lonna McKinley
Museum Manuscript Curator
April 29, 2011
[email protected]
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
NMUSAF/Research Division
 Historians/Exhibit Curators
• Research & write exhibit text
• Official Histories
• Colors/Marking/Insignia (CMI) packages for aircraft
 Manuscript Curators/Archivists
• Intellectual & Physical Control
– Accessions/Database
– Working with Collection Management Division (3D items)
– Preservation
• Support Historians/Exhibit Curators
• Support Exhibits Division
• Support Restoration Division
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Collection Policy Purpose
Establishes guidelines
• Acquisitions
– What to keep
– What not to keep
• Appraisal
– Not monetary value
– Value to your institution
 Research value
 Exhibit potential
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Collections Policy
Components
 Mission Statement of Organization
 Scope of Collections
 Acquisitions Criteria
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Mission Statement
The NMUSAF Research Division maintains collections of twodimensional media as part of a research facility. While primarily
expected to provide curatorial and historical research and writing
in support of the Museum’s exhibits and aircraft restoration
programs, the Research Division provides limited research
assistance to many external organizations and private individuals
seeking information about Air Force aircraft, operations, and
personnel. The Division also serves as the Museum’s corporate
memory by maintaining the Museum’s historical files and writing
its annual history.
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Scope of Collections
The Research Division accepts donations of two-dimensional
media germane to Air Force history from the US Air Force, other
DoD sources, and private donors that support the Museum’s
exhibit, education, restoration, and research programs. Materials
will be accepted either into the permanent archival collection or
the educational resource collection. The permanent archival
collection consists of primary materials of historical value. The
educational resource collection consists of reference materials,
periodicals, and other items that are useful to the Research
Division because of their content but are not irreplaceable.
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions Criteria
1.
The materials must be relevant to and consistent with
the mission of the NMUSAF.
2.
The materials must have historical or educational
value.
3.
Materials must be documented, if possible, as to
provenance.
4.
All moral, legal, and ethical implications of the
acquisitions must be considered.
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions Criteria (cont.)
5.
The Research Division must consider the resources
necessary to provide for the storage, protection, and
preservation of the materials in keeping with
professionally accepted standards.
6.
All donations must be outright and unconditional.
7.
Materials will have permanency in the collections as long
as they retain their physical integrity, their identity, and
their authenticity and/or as long as they remain useful for
the purpose of the Research Division.
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Other Items established in
Collections Policy
1.
Accessioning
2.
Deaccessioning
3.
Processing
4.
Access
5.
Exhibition
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Procedures Manual
 Authority established by the Collections Policy
 Purpose
• Gets functions organized
• Training aid
• Ensures functions will continue without you
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Procedures Manual
Components
 Acquisitions
 Accessioning
 Processing
 Deaccessioning
 Preservation
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions - Donor Contact
 Primarily they contact the Museum & Division
• Email & website button
• Phone & regular mail
• Unsolicited walk-ins
 Solicitation
• Cold Calls - hear about someone we think may have
something we want
• Semi-Cold Calls - friend of potential donor says you
should call this person
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions - The Details
 Get more info
• Lists
• Photos/Images
 Determine if they really want to donate not sell or
just get info
 Check against current holdings
 Establish Provenance & Ownership
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions - Dual Issues
 Necessary to avoid donor confusion
 Explain artifact vs. archival
 Check with Collection Management Division to see if
they need the materials or refer the donor to the
registrar
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions - Collection
Committee Review
 Consists of several Divisions in Museum - mainly for
large or controversial acquisitions
 Subset of Collection Committee within Research
Division
 Buys time to consider offer
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions - Negotiations
 Not always necessary
 Explain unconditional donation
 Discuss copyright issue if necessary
• May not be an issue
• Have agreed to restrictions in the past
– Till donor death
– Specific time period
– Use only for educational/research purposes
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions - Paperwork
Proffer of Gift Agreement
 Donor sending by mail
• Regular mail - print out completed or blank
• Email - convert to PDF
 Donor bringing to Museum
• Send Proffer prior to visit
• Have them fill out Proffer at Info Desk
• Leave item(s) at Info Desk if unable to meet them
 We pick up
• Not common
• Few examples
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Acquisitions - Paperwork
Keep folder on each potential donor & save
correspondence
 Hard copies - records kept over time for anyone in division to
reference if needed, include phone conversation notes, keep
near phone because very helpful when they call and expect
your to remember everything about them and their materials
 Electronic copies - so that any of our manuscript curators
and historians can instantly access from their desks
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Accessioning - Collection
 Determine which collection
• “AR” - materials accepted into the permanent archival
records collection
• “ER” - materials accepted into the educational
resource collection
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Accessioning - Registration
Log book - permanent hard copy
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Accessioning - Database
 Enter all pertinent
information in your
database
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Processing is the next step
 Outlined in our Procedures Manual
 Basically gaining Physical and Intellectual Control of
the materials selected to be kept
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Conclusion
 Do not be afraid to say no to unneeded and/or
unwanted collections
 It helps to say no if you have policies in place –
takes the “personal” aspect out of the ”rejection”
 Paperwork, Paperwork, paperwork – keep track of
everything!
We are the keepers of their stories TM
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil