Online course on collection management policy

MS209: Collections Management Policies
Instructor: William (Bill) Tompkins
September 3 through 28, 2007
Price: $425
Location:  <URL:http://www.museumclasses.org>

Description: The Northern States Conservation Center
<URL:http://www.collectioncare.org> is pleased to add Collections
Management Policies for Museums and Related Institutions to our
online collection management curriculum. This popular Smithsonian
workshop is now available online at
<URL:http://www.museumclasses.org>

Acquiring and holding collections impose specific legal, ethical and
professional obligations. Museums must ensure proper management,
preservation and use of their collections. A well-crafted
collections management policy is key to collections stewardship.
Collections Management Policies for Museums and Related Institutions
helps participants develop policies that meet professional and legal
standards for collections management.

Collections Management Policies for Museums and Related Institutions
teaches the practical skills and knowledge needed to write and
implement such a policy. The course covers the essential components
and issues a policy should address. It also highlights the role of
the policy in carrying out a museum's mission and guiding
stewardship decisions. Participants are expected to draft
collections management policies.

Course Textbook: John E. Simmons, Things Great and Small:
Collections Management Policies, American Association of Museums,
2006, $40 non-member, $30 member, 208 pages, ISBN: 1-933253-03-7,
available from the AAM bookstore

Course Outline:

    The Principles of Collections Management
    Collections Stewardship: The Role of a Collections Management
    Policy

    Policy Versus Procedure
    Issues to Consider When Developing a Collections Management
    Policy
    Essential Components of a Collections Management Policy

        *  Statement of Purpose
        *  Statement of Authority
        *  Definition and Scope of Collections
        *  Acquisition and Accessioning
        *  Deaccessioning and Disposal
        *  Preservation
        *  Collections Information
        *  Inventory
        *  Risk Management and Security
        *  Access
        *  Loans
        *  Intellectual Property Rights Management
        *  Staff Responsibility / Ethics

    Monitoring and Revision
    Potential Problems
    Emerging Issues
    Drafting a Collections Management Policy

Logistics: Participants in Collections Management Policies work
through sections at their own pace. Instructor Bill Tompkins is
available for scheduled email support. Materials and resources
include online literature, textbook readings, slide lectures and
dialog between students and online chats led by the instructor. The
course is limited to 20 participants. Collections Policies runs for
four weeks. Please sign up at <URL:http://www.museumclasses.org> and
pay at <URL:http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html> If you have
trouble with either, please contact Helen Alten at
helen [at] collectioncare__org

The Instructor: William G. (Bill) Tompkins is the national
collections coordinator for the Smithsonian Institution. Bill serves
as a principal advisor to senior Smithsonian management and staff on
collections-management policies, procedures and standards. He
develops, implements and interprets Smithsonian collections
management standards. This includes reviewing and approving the
policies of the Smithsonian's individual museums to make sure
collections are maintained according to policy, professional
standards and legal obligations. Previously, Bill was assistant
director of the Smithsonian's Office of the Registrar. He is also a
former collections manager at the National Museum of American
History. With nearly thirty years experience in the museum
profession, Bill regularly speaks at professional meetings,
workshops and university programs.


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:21
                Distributed: Tuesday, September 4, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-21-21-017
                                  ***