Collection Policy. Steven Fox, General Manager Collections. Signed: Date: 05/06/2015. Authorised by: Michael Frawley, Chief Executive/Museum Director

Transcription

1 Collection Policy Prepared by: Steven Fox, General Manager Collections Signed: Date: 05/06/2015 Authorised by: Michael Frawley, Chief Executive/Museum Director Signed: Date: 05/06/2015

2 Contents 1.0 Policy Scope & Strategy Collection Objectives & Responsibilities Acquisitions Deaccesions & Disposals Collection Care Conservation, Treatment & Restoration Operations Loans Privacy, Rights & Reproductions... 6 Appendix A: References... 8 Appendix B: Definition of Terms... 9 Collections Policy ( ) 1

3 1.0 Policy Scope & Strategy 1.1 To align MOTAT s collection, its management and activities with the values, vision and strategy of MOTAT and the MOTAT Act To align the collection policy with external standards of professional practice including Museums Aotearoa Code of Ethics for Professional Conduct 2013 and ICOM Code of Ethics. 1.3 Provide a robust framework to guide collection development, standards of management and care, and participation in the exhibitions and activities of the Museum. 1.4 Provide a high standard of stewardship that ensures the collection is passed onto future generations. 2.0 Collection Objectives & Responsibilities 2.1 The core objective of the collection is to support and enable MOTAT to achieve its vision to be a must experience venue that uses New Zealand s heritage, Kiwi ingenuity, transport, technology and the associated stories in a creative and interactive way to educate and inspire the innovators of tomorrow. 2.2 MOTAT s Collection hub will align its collection holdings, growth and activities with the vision of the Museum and participate in relevant exhibitions, education and outreach activities that directly contribute to the visitor experience. 2.3 MOTAT will make its holdings accessible to New Zealand and international audiences through display, education, outreach, research, loan and digital media. 2.4 MOTAT will uphold and sustain professional standards of practice as set by the Museums Aotearoa Code of Ethics for Professional Practice, ICOM Code of Ethics and all other relevant protocols and conventions of professional practice as listed in Appendix A. 2.5 MOTAT will uphold the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and approach all relevant iwi on matters arising to the acquisition, care and management of taonga and will incorporate an awareness of tikanga māori in its collection operations. 2.6 MOTAT will conduct regular valuations of its collection holdings for accounting, management and insurance purposes as recommended by the NZ FRS-3 Accounting for Property, Plant and Equipment. 2.7 MOTAT will preserve and maintain in a safe, secure and accessible condition all appropriate records relating to collection management, acquisitions, deaccession and disposal, provenance, loans, valuations, incidents, damage and loss, treatments, restoration, movements, operation and use. 3.0 Acquisitions 3.1 Proposed acquisitions (donations, exchanges, bequests or purchases) will be evaluated according to the extent that they satisfy the vision of the Museum (i.e. to use New Zealand s heritage, Kiwi ingenuity, transport, technology and the associated stories in a creative and interactive way). 3.2 Proposed acquisitions must provide appropriate supporting provenance to demonstrate technological, social, cultural, spiritual or historical significance (or a combination thereof) in context with satisfying the vision of the Museum. 3.3 Proposed bequests must include a copy of the Will clearly showing the bequest to MOTAT. Collections Policy ( ) 2

4 3.4 Proposed acquisitions will be rejected if: a. Clear legal ownership cannot be demonstrated. b. The acquisition violates local or international laws or any ethical standards of professional practice. c. The acquisition comes with conditional arrangements or agreements. d. The acquisitions comes with unreasonable conditions such as display requisites. e. The acquisition is in poor condition, or requires special storage conditions or a level of care and treatment that is beyond the reasonable resources of MOTAT to provide. f. Poses a serious health and safety risk to the Museum, its personnel and visitors. 3.5 Proposals for smaller sized acquisitions or those that are valued at less than $2000 or are not of high significance will be reviewed by the collection management team according to the criteria in Section 3 of this Collection Policy and approved by the General Manager of Collections. 3.6 Proposals for larger sized acquisitions (e.g. vehicles) and/or those that are valued between $2,000 $100,000 or are of high significance or politically sensitive will be reviewed by the Acquisitions and Disposal Committee (the Committee ) which includes the GM of Collections, Museum Experience Manager, Exhibitions Manager and Registrar. The Committee will present their recommendations on any proposed acquisition to the CEO/Director for final approval. 3.7 Proposals for any acquisitions valued over $ are to be reviewed and approved by the MOTAT Board. 3.8 The CEO/Director reserves the right to present any proposed acquisition valued over $2,000 or any potentially sensitive or controversial acquisition to the MOTAT Board. 3.9 New acquisitions are valued for accounting, management and insurance purposes when they enter the collection as accessioned items Receipts or evidence of sale showing the purchase price for a purchased acquisition must be retained and filed in the permanent record of the collection item. 4.0 Deaccesions & Disposals 4.1 Deaccessioning collection material is a necessary step to aligning MOTAT s collection and its resources with the vision of the Museum. MOTAT s deaccessioning procedures are guided by section 2.3(d) of the Museums Aotearoa Code of Ethics. 4.2 Collection items may only be deaccessioned if they satisfy one or several of the following criteria: a. The item is no longer relevant to, or cannot fulfil, the vision of the Museum. b. The object was collected in an unethical or illegal manner, or it is established that MOTAT does not have legal title c. The physical condition of an object (and not its operation) is so deteriorated that it cannot be suitably employed in any of MOTAT s exhibitions, events and activities. d. The physical condition of an object (and not its operation) is so deteriorated that its conservation or restoration is beyond the reasonable cost and resources for MOTAT to provide. e. The storage or preservation requirements of the object are beyond the reasonable capacity of MOTAT to provide. Collections Policy ( ) 3

5 f. The item poses a significant health and safety risk to the Museum, its personnel and/or visitors. 4.3 Accessioned collection items are to be disposed of according to section 2.3(d) of the Museums Aotearoa Code of Ethics (2013). 4.4 Non-accessioned collection items which were donated to the Museum should be disposed of according to section 2.3(d) of the Museums Aotearoa Code of Ethics (2013). 4.5 Non-accessioned collection items with no documented or identified donor (after exhaustive effort) are considered abandoned property and should be offered to another department within MOTAT before being offered to another public institution, offered for sale at public auction, used for spare parts (if appropriate) or disposed. 4.6 Items that are deaccessioned and exchanged for a new acquisition must be suitably matched in significance or value with that new acquisition. 4.7 To maintain the integrity of the deaccessioning process, collection items cannot be sold, exchanged or transferred to any MOTAT Team member, Board member or MOTAT Society member except when MOTAT is fulfilling its obligation to maintaining the standards set by the Museum Aotearoa Code of Ethics and Professional Practice to offer any deaccessioned collection item to the recognised donor of that collection item. 4.8 Monies raised from any deaccessioned item sold at public auction or private sale must be directed towards collection care and cannot be used to purchase new collection items or to raise funds for capital improvements, new construction or any collection restoration project. 4.9 Collection items proposed for deaccession and disposal are reviewed by the Committee Collection items proposed for deaccession and disposal which are valued below $2000 can be approved by the General Manager of Collections Collection items proposed for deaccession and disposal which are valued between $ must be approved by the CEO/Director High value collection items (i.e. more than $ or those of high significance, sensitivity or controversy) are to be approved for deaccessioning by the MOTAT Board. 5.0 Collection Care 5.1 MOTAT is committed to providing responsible stewardship over its collections and to equip the MOTAT Team with the appropriate training, licensing and resources to maintain a high standard of collections care. 5.2 Procedures and recommendations for the storage, conservation, restoration, operation and use of collection items are risk managed decisions which balance significance, physical or interpretative use (in accordance with section 2.1 of this collection policy) and long term preservation, and are consistent with the health and safety requirements of the Museum and external regulatory bodies. These procedures and recommendations are subject to review if the condition, significance, physical or interpretative use of a collection item substantially changes over time. 5.3 MOTAT follows industry standards in preparing and maintaining a disaster management plan, environmental monitoring program and integrated pest management. These plans and policies are reviewed annually by the collection team and are consistent with the health and safety and compliance requirements of the Museum and with external regulatory bodies. Collections Policy ( ) 4

6 5.4 Incident response and damage reporting procedures follow recognised industry standards and are consistent with the health and safety compliance requirements of the Museum and with external regulatory bodies. 5.5 All MOTAT Team members and external contractors are held accountable for any damage to collection items resulting from poor storage, handling, supervision or operation. 6.0 Conservation, Treatment & Restoration 6.1 Conservation treatments, repairs or restorations performed on collection items are done under the authority, direction and supervision of a conservator or the Collection Projects Manager. Overall responsibility and approval for restoration and conservation projects rests with the General Manager, Collections. 6.2 Any treatments or repairs to the Pump House and Engineer s Cottage must consult with Heritage New Zealand and obtain any necessary approvals from Heritage New Zealand before work commences. 6.3 Any construction or major work within the vicinity of the Pump House and Engineer s Cottage must consult with Heritage New Zealand and obtain any necessary approvals from Heritage New Zealand before work commences. 6.4 Conservation treatments and repairs are performed according to an approved Conservation Assessment Plan (consistent with section 5.2 of this policy) established prior to the treatment or repair taking place and subject to the approval of the GM of Collections, Collection Projects Manager and a Conservator. 6.5 Restorations performed on any collection item are performed according to a Restoration Plan (consistent with section 5.2 of this policy) in association with a Conservation Assessment Plan, both established prior to the restoration taking place and subject to the approval by the GM of Collections, Collection Projects Manager and a Conservator. 6.6 The Restoration Plan is a comprehensive document which details all the work to be done to a collection item to preserve the significance, authenticity, physical construction or operation (if appropriate) of that item in accordance with achieving the vision of the Museum (as listed in section 2.1 of this policy) but without compromising the physical or interpretative use and long term preservation of the collection item as stated in section 5.2 of this policy. The Restoration Plan also details all other aspects of the restoration including health and safety, compliance, budget, key project milestones, timeline, accountability, final report, staff and resources. 6.7 The Conservator or Collection Projects Manager (or nominated representative) will follow industry standards to photograph and document all stages of a conservation treatment, repair or restoration and to prepare a final report. The photographs, documentation and final report of any treatment, repair and restoration remain the property of MOTAT and cannot be reproduced without the written permission from the GM of Collections. 6.8 MOTAT is committed to treating, repairing or restoring collection items according to an approved budget and timeline. Treatments and repairs which exceed the projected budget require the approval of the GM of Collection before work is to proceed. 7.0 Operations 7.1 MOTAT is committed to operating historic objects where appropriate, recognising that the high levels of interest and educational and interpretive value in working objects make a meaningful connection between the Museum s visitors and the collections. Collections Policy ( ) 5

7 7.2 Operation will require careful conservation decisions, as meeting the standards required for safely operating objects may entail the replacement or modification of original artefacts and components. 7.3 MOTAT s processes, as stated in section 5.2 of this policy, will ensure that working objects are used in a safe, secure and sustainable way, according to prescribed industry standards like the UK Standards in the Museum Care of Larger and Working Objects 1994, now and for the future, letting the importance and condition of the object and the quality of the evidence for its significance guide decisions. 8.0 Loans 8.1 All outgoing and incoming loan requests are subject to the approval of the Registrar and GM of Collections, and where appropriate the CEO/Director. 8.2 To maintain good stewardship and clarity over MOTAT s collection holdings, the duration of any long term loan (either incoming or outgoing) is restricted to six years with the possibility of renewal thereafter. Permanent incoming or outgoing loans will not be approved. 8.3 Incoming loans are for the explicit purpose of supporting the exhibition, events, education and research activities of MOTAT in context with achieving the vision of the Museum as stated in section 2.1 of this policy. 8.4 Incoming loans of other collection material not aligned with the vision of the Museum are subject to approval by the GM of Collections. 8.5 Outgoing loan requests must state the context, purpose and duration of the loan and provide a facility report with evidence of insurance, internal climate conditions, pest management, lighting levels and security maintained by the loaning institution. 8.6 The terms and conditions of all outgoing loans are clearly stated in the MOTAT Loan Agreement. The Registrar and the loaning party must complete and sign the Loan Agreement prior to any collection items being shipped to/or received by the loaning party. 8.7 Any special conditions attached to the Loan Agreement must be approved in advance by the Registrar and GM of Collections. 8.8 Outgoing loans are issued to organisations and not to individuals unless approved in advance by the CEO/Director and clearly stated in the Loan Agreement. 8.9 All costs incurred for the packing, shipping, transportation and insurance of outgoing loans are the responsibility of the loaning party. Requests for insurance coverage by MOTAT for collection items on outgoing loan must be approved in advance by the Manager Finance & ICT and be clearly stated in the Loan Agreement MOTAT reserves the right to recall a loan if the loaning party violates any condition of the outgoing loan agreement. 9.0 Privacy, Rights & Reproductions 9.1 MOTAT is committed to following industry standards such as those prescribed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in obtaining and maintaining any record of intellectual property associated with collection items. Collections Policy ( ) 6

8 9.2 MOTAT does not share the names and contact details of any donors, former owners, loaning parties or the names of vendors involved in any transaction (financial or otherwise) of a collection item without expressed permission from these individuals or organisations. 9.3 MOTAT does not share any information on the storage location or value of collection items including purchase price, appraisals and insurance values. 9.4 Photography of collection items is permitted for private, non-commercial use and is not permitted with the intent of commercial distribution or reproduction unless approved by the Registrar and the Museum s Marketing & Communications Manager. 9.5 Permission for the commercial reproduction of collection items can only be granted for items that MOTAT holds copyright and is subject to the approval of the Registrar and MOTAT s Marketing & Communications Manager and Commercial Manager. 9.6 Permission for the commercial reproduction of collection items where MOTAT does not hold copyright must be obtained by the requesting party from the donor, previous owner or loaning party and presented to MOTAT before the collection item can be accessed for photography, filming etc. 9.7 Handling procedures and standards for photography, filming, recording or scanning of collection items are established in context with the current condition and preservation requirements of the collection item as noted in section 5.2 of this policy. Collections Policy ( ) 7

9 APPENDIX A: REFERENCES 1. MOTAT Act Museums Aotearoa Code of Ethics & Professional Practice Treaty of Waitangi 4. New Zealand Conservators of Cultural Materials Code of Ethics 2006 (NZCCM) 5. NZ Protected Objects Act NZ Resource Management Act Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act NZ Wildlife Act NZ Copyright Act Health and Safety in Employment Act The Australian Institution for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) Code of Ethics and Code of Practice (2002) 12. Significance 2.0, 2009, Collections Council of Australia (Significance 2.0) 13. Standards in the Museum Care of Larger and Working Objects: Social and Industrial History Collections Museums and Galleries Commission UK 14. International Council of Museum (ICOM) Code of Ethics UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of ownership of Cultural Property 16. UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 18. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Collections Policy ( ) 8

10 APPENDIX B: DEFINITION OF TERMS Accessioning Formal process of registering an item into the collection using a handwritten register and collection database and assigning a number to the item that allows it to be tracked. The accessioning process documents how the item was acquired, its donors or vendors and all associated provenance, measurements, rights and permissions. Collection item An object which was donated, purchased, exchanged or was a bequest to MOTAT and has been formally accessioned into the collection. Conservation All actions taken to recognise, prevent and retard the loss or deterioration of cultural property (NZCCM) Deaccessioning Formal process of permanently removing an accessioned item from the collection. The deaccessioning process documents and justifies the reasons for permanently removing a collection item, and records the date and mode of disposal and is signed by the appropriate authority as outlined in the collection policy. Disposal Pre-approved methods or options to permanently remove a deaccessioned item from the collection. Disposal methods can include transfer within the museum, transfer to another public institution, sale at public auction and destruction. Incoming loan Collection items belonging to an external institution or individual that are temporarily housed and used by MOTAT under the terms and conditions of a signed loan agreement with the external party. Intellectual Property Patents, copyright and related rights, trademarks, service marks industrial designs and trade secrets (WIPORestoration Outgoing loan Collection items belonging to MOTAT that are temporarily housed and used by an external organization or individual under the terms and conditions of a signed MOTAT loan agreement. Restoration Treatment to enhance the interpretation of a collection item. Treatments may involve some degree of modification to the collection item. (AICCM) Preservation Measures taken to minimize the chemical or physical deterioration of collection items. Preservation focuses on controlling the physical environment surrounding an item when in use, storage, transport or display to prolong the life of that collection item. (AICCM) Significance Collections Policy ( ) 9

11 The meaning and values of an item or collection, or what makes it important. Significance is the historic, aesthetic, scientific and social values that an item or collection has for past, present and future generations. (Significance 2.0) Collections Policy ( ) 10