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Managing Previously Unmanaged Collections: A Practical Guide for Museums
Managing previously unmanaged collections can be challenging. The process of securing the collection and making it accessible needs the mindset of a collections manager as well as the one of a project manager. The target audience are museum professionals with a basic training in collections care that are confronted with collections that are either large in numbers (1000+ artifacts) or stored confusingly, or both.
The book is a step-by-step guide how to approach this situation, assuming that there's nothing to start with but a collection that has to be accessioned and the person who is assigned to do it. It is about how to bring order into the chaos, to define what is needed in terms of time, money, staff and material, to spot facility issues and potential dangers, and to use the power of networking to solve an otherwise unsolvable task.
Many chapters conclude with “logical exits,” the points at which the collection in a condition that allows you to leave it for the next curator to take over. A common issue is that time frames are often so tight that the target of having the collection in good shape at the end of a contract or at a fixed date can’t be met. Another common scenario may be that other projects become more important and you have to stop working on the collection, which might sound familiar to many directors of small museums. “Logical exits” are the points you can do this without risking that everything you’ve done so far or since the last “logical exit” was a waste of time. For contractors those “logical exits” might serve as orientation points when negotiating the work that has to be done on the collection.
The book is a step-by-step guide how to approach this situation, assuming that there's nothing to start with but a collection that has to be accessioned and the person who is assigned to do it. It is about how to bring order into the chaos, to define what is needed in terms of time, money, staff and material, to spot facility issues and potential dangers, and to use the power of networking to solve an otherwise unsolvable task.
Many chapters conclude with “logical exits,” the points at which the collection in a condition that allows you to leave it for the next curator to take over. A common issue is that time frames are often so tight that the target of having the collection in good shape at the end of a contract or at a fixed date can’t be met. Another common scenario may be that other projects become more important and you have to stop working on the collection, which might sound familiar to many directors of small museums. “Logical exits” are the points you can do this without risking that everything you’ve done so far or since the last “logical exit” was a waste of time. For contractors those “logical exits” might serve as orientation points when negotiating the work that has to be done on the collection.
- GenresMuseumsNonfiction
202 pages, Hardcover
Published May 19, 2016
11 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 30, 2020
This book was recommended by a client who is working to organize an art/punk gallery. Although this is focused on collection managers at museums, solo archivists (aka lone arrangers) would benefit from this book as well. I truly think it is a godsend of a resource!
"To adjust your mindset to work with an unmanaged collection, there are three principles you have to take to heart:
1. Think of the whole collection, not of single objects.
2. You are a collections manager, now think like a project manager.
3. See the big picture, work in small steps.
Along with these three principles there exist three dangers you should strive to avoid:
1. Don't be spellbound by numbers.
2. You are not the white knight.
3. You are not a collections management machine" (1).
"When you have taken those dos and don't to heart, start off with the mantra for your project: 'This is my collection now and no matter what happens, I will bring it to a better state" (2).
"In almost all procedures in collection management if you skip a step in the beginning, it translates into much more time, effort, and expenses later" (98).
"There's one thing that all good project managers have in common: they stay calm and never react in haste. They allow themselves a few minutes to think about the situation and consider all options before they give any orders" (143).
"In a long and at times stressful process such as managing an unmanaged collection, you should never underestimate the importance of working in some type of distraction from the day-to-day worries. One possibility is to celebrate small successes" (147).
"To adjust your mindset to work with an unmanaged collection, there are three principles you have to take to heart:
1. Think of the whole collection, not of single objects.
2. You are a collections manager, now think like a project manager.
3. See the big picture, work in small steps.
Along with these three principles there exist three dangers you should strive to avoid:
1. Don't be spellbound by numbers.
2. You are not the white knight.
3. You are not a collections management machine" (1).
"When you have taken those dos and don't to heart, start off with the mantra for your project: 'This is my collection now and no matter what happens, I will bring it to a better state" (2).
"In almost all procedures in collection management if you skip a step in the beginning, it translates into much more time, effort, and expenses later" (98).
"There's one thing that all good project managers have in common: they stay calm and never react in haste. They allow themselves a few minutes to think about the situation and consider all options before they give any orders" (143).
"In a long and at times stressful process such as managing an unmanaged collection, you should never underestimate the importance of working in some type of distraction from the day-to-day worries. One possibility is to celebrate small successes" (147).
July 12, 2017
A must-read for every museum professional who deals with collections care!
January 3, 2017
Surely we registrars all have friends that we hate to hear talk about their jobs because they do clearly loathe them - they relentlessly roll their eyes about incompetent staff, the lack of leadership, the passive-aggressive meetings, the bored condescension of higher-ups. Angela Kipp is clearly not one of these people.
She loves the museum registrar profession, no question. Collection managers, registrars, museum studies students, and even prodigious curators will enjoy and benefit from this book. I read this in my off-hours from work as a museum registrar and it never felt like work. Kipp will infect you with her positivity-based wit and that amused resignation that registrars keep in their arsenal for times like when you find an undocumented box of cool retro cameras covered in dust in the corner of storage, or when eager curators accept an un-researched cache of Civil War medals. You find a wise friend in Kipp, who is willing to walk you through the process of organizing/accessionjng step-by-step, all the while keeping your rapt attention by regaling you with stories of collections management gone wrong and collections management gone right (mini-episodes told by other collections professionals).
She loves the museum registrar profession, no question. Collection managers, registrars, museum studies students, and even prodigious curators will enjoy and benefit from this book. I read this in my off-hours from work as a museum registrar and it never felt like work. Kipp will infect you with her positivity-based wit and that amused resignation that registrars keep in their arsenal for times like when you find an undocumented box of cool retro cameras covered in dust in the corner of storage, or when eager curators accept an un-researched cache of Civil War medals. You find a wise friend in Kipp, who is willing to walk you through the process of organizing/accessionjng step-by-step, all the while keeping your rapt attention by regaling you with stories of collections management gone wrong and collections management gone right (mini-episodes told by other collections professionals).
January 21, 2022
Lots of helpful examples and explanations.
November 6, 2016
I may have taken months to read this book, but it is sure to be the first read through of many. My copy has dog eared pages to remind me of sections to refer back to. The next reading will likely result in margin notes or colorful tabs for even better reference. (With a new baby at home, I give myself credit for getting any reading done these days, especially work-related.)
Needless to say, this is my new work bible. It is a much needed handbook that distills down the important points needed for managing museum collections. Fortunately, I have now come to realize that the collection I work with is largely managed. There is still much work to be done though, and now I have better ideas in mind for projects small and large to continue the work at hand.
I also have a couple of work mantras to keep in mind for the more challenging, overwhelming, frustrating days: "Do more good!" And from Milne's The House at Pooh Corner, "We shall get there someday."
Thank you, Angela, for this important contribution to the field. It is wonderful to be reminded that we're not in it alone!
Needless to say, this is my new work bible. It is a much needed handbook that distills down the important points needed for managing museum collections. Fortunately, I have now come to realize that the collection I work with is largely managed. There is still much work to be done though, and now I have better ideas in mind for projects small and large to continue the work at hand.
I also have a couple of work mantras to keep in mind for the more challenging, overwhelming, frustrating days: "Do more good!" And from Milne's The House at Pooh Corner, "We shall get there someday."
Thank you, Angela, for this important contribution to the field. It is wonderful to be reminded that we're not in it alone!
December 19, 2021
What a fantastic book for museums collections professionals and registrars. Kipp gives so much great advice and so many good steps for working with a messy collection, from documenting where everything was when you first saw it; to how to begin organizing the mess; how to organize the room it's going to go into; storage materials; dealing with the board, volunteers, and budgets; and even about making personal, human connections with people who might be able to help you or advocate for you (or just keep you sane). She doesn't talk about nitty-gritty details like how to number a collection or which CMS to use; she leaves those aspects for other books. Instead, she starts waaaaaay back at the very beginning, which few other collections/museums books do.
She also includes "Logical Exits," "points at which you will have the collection in a condition that allows you to leave it for the next lucky person to take over [or to just step away for a while]... the points at which you can stop without risking that everything you've done so far... was a waste of time" (xii-xiii).
She also includes "Logical Exits," "points at which you will have the collection in a condition that allows you to leave it for the next lucky person to take over [or to just step away for a while]... the points at which you can stop without risking that everything you've done so far... was a waste of time" (xii-xiii).
May 14, 2017
Excellent, practical book about dealing with difficult collections. Of course, it's always fun to read about situations even more horrible than your own, but the author lays out a clear, logical blueprint for dealing with such situations, and useful examples. I thought the book could have been edited/proofread a bit more carefully; the author is not a native English-speaker, and there were quite a few grammatical errors that the editor should have caught.
February 2, 2017
I appreciated Kipp's clear and motivating instructions throughout this book. Her reminders of what is practical was very refreshing. I can't wait to share this with my coworkers and to start tackling some of our collections.
March 9, 2020
Excellent practical advice for museum professionals entering the fray of unmanaged collections. Kipp provides real world examples that inspire. And she encourages us to persevere while remembering the impact we are having. 10/10 recommend for any emerging museum professional
March 31, 2020
Read for work - very helpful.
August 21, 2020
Must have book for museum professionals. Practical guide to collections management when trying to clean up a mess.
January 2, 2023
What would museums do without this book
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews