April 26, 2001, noon to 3 p.m., broadcast to seven sites simultaneously
Instructors: Chris Schuelke, Leanne Brown, Maureen Galvin

The first session will cover broad collection issues in a museum, introduce students to the responsibilities of collecting and discuss how organizational structure affects collection management capabilities. Curators and directors from county historical societies will discuss museum governance; finances and mission statements; use of staff, facility, security, programming and financial resources; and basic components of a collection management policy. Students will bring mission statements and collection policies, if they exist. The session will cover the difference between a donation, purchase and bequest; and legal obligations for ownerless collections, restricted gifts and lengthy loans.

12:00 Introductions
12:15 Governance, Finances, Mission Statement
1:00 Resources: Staff, Facilities, Security, Public Programs and Support
1:30 10 Minute Break
1:40 What is in a Collections Management Policy? Ethics and Legal considerations
2:00 Scope of Collections
2:45 Questions and Wrap-Up
3:00 Network shut off

Registrations are still being accepted, send in your registration form today!

Manual Chapter

• A. About MALHM
• B. Why do we need this manual?
  1. Increase professionalism
  2. Improve conditions in records & collections
  3. Standardization for Minnesota museums
• C. How to use and amend this manual
• D. Acknowledgements : sources of information, funding
• E. Table of Contents

• A. Institutional mission statement
  1. Why have one
  2. How to write one
  3. Examples
• B. Governance
  1. Statement of board and staff responsibility
  2. Sample position descriptions (AAM)
  3. Finances and budgets
  4. Security vs. Public Access
  5. Public Support and Perception
• C. Ethics: Standards of conduct and performance
  1. Personal collecting policy
  2. Curatorial ethics
• D. Accreditation: How-to and checklist
• E. Collecting with a purpose
  1. Why to collect
  2. What to collect
  3. Collection Scope
  4. Examples of Collection Scope statements
  5. Gracefully declining an offer
• F. Collections Policies
  1. Why have one
  2. How to write one
  3. Examples
• G. Institutional History
• Importance