Location and movement control – Collections Trust

The procedural manual is a widely recognised device for expressing and communicating a museum’s policy and practice. It should include reference to the standards the museum uses for collecting information about museum objects. The resource describes how to develop and maintain a procedural manual, and what it might contain.

Part of: Acquisition and accessioning, Cataloguing, Documentation planning, Inventory, Loans in (borrowing objects), Loans out (lending objects), Location and movement control, Object entry, Object exit

Documentation planning pack

Resource

The aim of the Collections Trust Documentation planning pack is to assist museums to produce their own documentation plans. The guidelines contained in the pack can be used for all types of documentation planning; they are not intended as the only way to produce a documentation plan and are specifically to help the documentation planning process as required by UK Museum Accreditation Scheme.

Documentation procedural manual from the British Schools Museum

Resource

The British Schools Museum have created a documentation procedural manual, which sets a useful example for appropriate contents and structure when creating your own procedural manual for Accreditation.

Part of: #BanishThatBacklog, Acquisition and accessioning, Cataloguing, Documentation planning, Inventory, Loans in (borrowing objects), Loans out (lending objects), Location and movement control, Object entry, Object exit

Heavy object handling - British Museum collections skills film

Resource

As part of the British Museum’s collections skills training, this film takes you through the techniques used for heavy object handling and demonstrates how it is done by staff at the British Museum.

Part of: Location and movement control

Guidelines for the care of larger and working historic objects

Resource

The Association of British Transport and Engineering Museums (ABTEM) have updated the ‘Guidelines for the Care of Larger and Working Historic Objects’ for 2018. The guidelines have been produced to provide practical conservation advice to those owning and operating industrial and transport collections.

Part of: Collections care and conservation, Location and movement control

Object movement tickets

Resource

Collections Trust supplies pre-printed, triplicate tickets that support the Spectrum Location and movement control procedure (a Spectrum Primary Procedure) and will help you to record and manage the movement of objects within the museum.

Part of: Location and movement control

Firearms and the law

Resource

This resource is a simple, useful guide for museums who have firearms in their collections, prepared for the Collections Trust by staff at the Imperial War Museum. The guidance covers firearms as a whole, shotguns (which have a different legal status) and prohibited weapons and outlines advice on the transportation of firearms.

Part of: Location and movement control

Preservation of records: Guidance for public consultation of Public Record Office of Northern Ireland records

Resource

This leaflet discusses the importance of record preservation and who is responsible for preservation. It offers advice about how users can help the preservation of records by handling collections with care and observing the security regulations in place to protect them.

Part of: Location and movement control

Good handling principles and practice for library and archive materials

Resource

Much of the damage that library and archive collections sustain is caused by poor handling. A culture of good handling will significantly reduce the need for costly conservation work and ensure continued access to collections. This booklet provides guidance on handling books, documents and other library and archive materials.

Part of: Location and movement control

Moving library and archive collections

Resource

This leaflet gives guidance on best practice for conducting the move of a library or archive collection. It describes areas of the move where the collection may be at risk, and suggests how the risks may be minimised by good planning. Outlines for the specification of handling and packing criteria for contractors are provided.

Part of: Location and movement control

Signposts factsheet 3 - Handling and Packing

Resource

Many artefacts appear to be more solid and robust than they are. A great deal of damage can be caused by inappropriate handling and moving. Museum objects can also be damaged by insufficient or inappropriate packing materials. This fact sheet offers guidance on the handling and packing of artefacts.

Part of: Location and movement control

Standards for touring exhibitions

Resource

This publication provides a comprehensive overview and recommended standards for touring exhibitions. The standard covers policies, research, schedules, budgets, care for visitors, educational materials, display cases, publicity, packing and storage and protection of exhibits.

Part of: Loans in (borrowing objects), Loans out (lending objects), Location and movement control, Use of collections

Introducing bar codes for location and movement control at Ashby Museum

Resource

This resource from Museum Development East Midlands provides a summary of a project to introduce bar codes to volunteer run Ashby Museum in order to assist with location and movement control.

Part of: Location and movement control

Packing museum objects

Resource

This guide provides an introduction to the packing of museum objects against accidental damage, pollutants and environment whilst in storage, or perhaps in order to move them within the museum building or for transportation.

Part of: Location and movement control