Accountability for collections – guidance from Collections Trust

Collections Trust is hosting a webinar exclusively for AIM members on the documentation standards required for collections care and what the Spectrum guidelines mean for you. 

Being accountable for collections is key to maintaining public trust in museums, but it is also a necessity for managing and using objects effectively. With museums’ stewardship of collections under the spotlight, many trustees and senior managers are now looking to review their own organisation’s policies and procedures to ensure they meet the standard required by Spectrum and Museum Accreditation.

These standards provide the framework, but exactly how each organisation applies them is dependent on their own in-house policies and procedures. If they are not robustly reviewed and implemented, documentation issues can accumulate, affecting the museum’s ability to be accountable for the collections in their care.

The Spectrum standard requires museums to have a written plan to address any documentation improvements, including working towards achieving inventory level information for all objects in their care, and requires governing bodies to consider how they will enable this.

Collections Trust is offering a concise briefing for AIM members, 11am – 12noon on 27 March 2024.

This one-hour online briefing will cover the core principles of three Spectrum procedures – Inventory, Audit and Damage and loss. The session will be led by Collections Trust’s Deputy Director, Sarah Brown. Collections Trust is one of Arts Council England’s Investment Principle Support Organisations, providing collections management advice and training.

Find our more and sign up to the briefing event here – https://collectionstrust.org.uk/events/nationwide-event-listings/accountability-for-collections-briefing-trustees-and-senior-managers-in-collaboration-with-association-of-independent-museums-aim/

In response to recent scrutiny of the sector’s accountability for the collections in its care, Collections Trust has launched a new section on their website, gathering resources to help senior managers and trustees understand relevant requirements and to support the development and review of appropriate policies and procedures. Resources include bitesize videos about Audit and Inventory, guidance to develop an effective procedures manual, and advice about Documentation planning. You can find these resources on the Collections Trust website here – https://collectionstrust.org.uk/accountability/