Module Identifier MG20410  
Module Title COLLECTION MANAGEMENT  
Academic Year 2007/2008  
Co-ordinator Mr Robert K Meyrick  
Semester Intended for use in future years  
Next year offered 2007  
Next semester offered 2  
Other staff Mr Robert K Meyrick  
Pre-Requisite MG10120  
Course delivery Lecture   x 9  
  Seminars / Tutorials   x 6  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment Essay of 2500 words  60%
Semester Assessment Documentation Test  40%
Supplementary Assessment Essay of 2500 words and Documentation Test  100%

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. articulate in a range of museum related issues
2. proficient in the documentation and recording of museum artefacts
3. photograph works of art, sculpture, paintings, small objects, glass etc.
4. to appreciate the importance of an Acquisitions Policy to help control and structure accessions and accepting gifts

Relation to Assessment
Essay (1,2,4), Documentation Test (2,3)
The essay provides the opportunity for the student to discuss and demonstrate their comprehension of the methods and importance of effective collection management in a museum. The Documentation Test provides a the opportunity to identify and demonstrate the standards of Collection Management required in museum work through a practical application of the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the module.

Brief description

Good documentation enables the proper management (care, control, usage), understanding, and interpretation of museum collections. This module examines ways in which museums document and looks after their collections, and covers all kinds of recorded information a museum has about the things it collects. It will examine the purpose of museum documentation systems by considering an object'r journey through a museum collection from accession to display. The module will consider various processes of gathering, recording, storing, manipulating and retrieving information about collections, cultural and environmental heritage

Aims

1. introduce the care and control of collections, aiding the use of the collections, aiding the preservation of information
2. introduce various documentation systems and provide practical instruction in database software
3. appreciate the importance of recording information of objects through related archives, photographs, film and audio material
4. explain the necessity for Acquisitions and Disposals Policies and joint collecting strategies amongst neighbouring institutions
5. define Disaster Planning and consider Management Strategies

Content

Transferable skills

1 Independent project work

2 IT and information handling

3 Use and analysis of numerical information

4 Writing in an academic context

5 Oral discussion and presentation

6 Careers need awareness

7 Self-management

8 Group activity

Reading Lists

Books
A Fahy (ed) (1994) Collections Management Routledge London
D A Roberts (1985) Planning the Documentation of Museum Collections MDA
D L A Williams A Guide to Museum Computing
Gaynor Kavanagh (ed.) (1994) Museum Provision and Professionalism Routledge, London
Museum Documentation Association (2000) Standards in Action:Spectrum IT Guide Book 2 The MDA, London
Museums Association (1992) Manual of Curatorship Butterworths, London
Museums Association Museum Practice `Storage', Issue 1, Vol. 1, March 1996, `Display', Issue 2, Vol. 1, July 1996, `Outreach'Issue 3, Vol. 1, [December] 1996, `Environment', Issue 4, Vol. 2, No.1, 1997Issue 3, Vol. 1, [December] 1996, `Environment', Issue 4, Vol. 2, No.1, 1997
Security, Issue 8, Vol. 3, No.2, 1998, `AV & Multimedia?, Issue 9, Vol. 3, No.3, 1998

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5