Museum Basics The International Handbook

This fourth edition of Museum Basics has been produced for use in the many museums worldwide that operate with few professional staff and limited resources. The fourth edition has been fully updated to reflect the many changes that have taken place in museums around the world over the last six years. Drawing from a wide range of practical experience, the authors provide a basic guide to all aspects of museum work, from audience development and learning, through collections management and conservation, to museum management and forward planning. Museum Basics is organised on a modular basis, with over 100 units in eight sections. It can be used both as a reference work to assist day-to-day museum management, and as the key textbook for pre-service and in-service museum training programmes, where it can be supplemented by case studies, project work and group discussion. This edition includes over 100 diagrams to support the text, as well as a glossary, sources of information and support and a select bibliography. Museum Basics is also supported by its own companion website, which provides a wide range of additional resources for readers. Museum Basics aims to help the museum practitioner keep up to date with new thinking about the function of museums and their relationships with the communities they serve. The training materials provided within the book are also suitable for pre-service and in-service students who wish to gain a full understanding of work in a museum.

CONTENTS List of figures List of boxes Acknowledgements Foreword SECTION 1 INTRODUCTORY UNIT 1 ABOUT THIS BOOK UNIT 2 ABOUT MUSEUMS UNIT 3 TYPES OF MUSEUMS UNIT 4 THE CASE FOR MUSEUMS UNIT 5 MUSEUMS AND SUSTAINABILITY UNIT 6 MUSEUMS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY UNIT 7 MUSEUMS AND THEORY UNIT 8 MUSEUMS AND ETHICS SECTION 2 THE MUSEUM AND ITS USERS UNIT 9 MUSEUMS AND THEIR LOCATION UNIT 10 MUSEUMS ARE FOR PEOPLE UNIT 11 ACCESS AND ACCESSIBILITY UNIT 12 UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET UNIT 13 MARKETING YOUR MUSEUM UNIT 14 DEVELOPING NEW AUDIENCES UNIT 15 SPECIAL AUDIENCES:MUSEUMS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES UNIT 16 THE MUSEUM VISIT UNIT 17 LEARNING IN MUSEUMS UNIT 18 LEARNING: INSIDE THE MUSEUM UNIT 19 LEARNING: BEYOND THE MUSEUM UNIT 20 EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES: CREATING PROGRAMMES UNIT 21 FACILITIES FOR VISITORS UNIT 22 PROVIDING SERVICES: SHOPS AND SALES POINTS UNIT 23 PROVIDING SERVICES: FOOD AND DRINK UNIT 24 PROVIDING FACILITIES FOR HIRE UNIT 25 INFORMATION SERVICES UNIT 26 PUBLICATIONS UNIT 27 MUSEUM WEBSITES UNIT 28 SOCIAL MEDIA AND MUSEUMS UNIT 29 PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE MEDIA UNIT 30 WORKING WITH FRIENDS’ AND VOLUNTEER GROUPS UNIT 31 RESEARCHERS AS USERS SECTION 3 PRESENTING AND INTERPRETING COLLECTIONS UNIT 32 INTRODUCING INTERPRETATION UNIT 33 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: GRAPHICS UNIT 34 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: THREE-DIMENSIONAL UNIT 35 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: AUDIO-VISUAL UNIT 36 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: INTERACTIVES UNIT 37 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: USING PEOPLE UNIT 38 MUSEUM LIGHTING UNIT 39 MUSEUM SHOWCASES UNIT 40 PLANNING NEW DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITIONS UNIT 41 RESEARCH FOR DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITIONS UNIT 42 WRITING TEXT UNIT 43 BRIEFING A DESIGNER UNIT 44 DISPLAY AND EXHIBITION DESIGN AND PRODUCTION UNIT 45 NEW MEDIA UNIT 46 EVALUATING DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITIONS SECTION 4 COLLECTING AND COLLECTIONS UNIT 47 TYPES OF COLLECTIONS UNIT 48 POLICIES FOR COLLECTING UNIT 49 POLICIES FOR DISPOSAL UNIT 50 DONATIONS, PURCHASES AND LOANS UNIT 51 COLLECTING AND FIELD DOCUMENTATION UNIT 52 OBJECT RESEARCH UNIT 53 FIELDWORK AND RECORD CENTRES UNIT 54 PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM AND VIDEO UNIT 55 AUDIO-RECORDING AND ORAL HISTORY UNIT 56 THE ROLE OF COLLECTIONS IN RESEARCH UNIT 57 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND REPATRIATION UNIT 58 MUSEUM ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM HISTORY SECTION 5 MANAGING AND CARING FOR COLLECTIONS UNIT 59 COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT PLANS UNIT 60 COLLECTIONS AUDITS UNIT 61 DOCUMENTATION SYSTEMS UNIT 62 WORKING WITH CONSERVATORS UNIT 63 PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION: PRINCIPLES UNIT 64 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND CONTROL: LIGHT UNIT 65 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND CONTROL: HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE UNIT 66 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND CONTROL: AIR POLLUTION/PEST AND INSECT ATTACK UNIT 67 MATERIALS TESTING UNIT 68 STORAGE: PRINCIPLES UNIT 69 STORAGE: PRACTICE UNIT 70 HANDLING, PACKING AND MOVING COLLECTIONS UNIT 71 REMEDIAL CONSERVATION: PRINCIPLES UNIT 72 REMEDIAL CONSERVATION: PRACTICE UNIT 73 DISASTER PLANNING UNIT 74 INSURANCE UNIT 75 COLLECTIONS SECURITY: PHYSICAL AND ELECTRONIC UNIT 76 COLLECTIONS SECURITY: SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES UNIT 77 COPYRIGHT SECTION 6 THE MUSEUM AND ITS BUILDINGS UNIT 78 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: FORM AND FUNCTION UNIT 79 MUSEUMS AND THEIR PHYSICAL SETTING UNIT 80 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: PLANNING FOR ACCESS UNIT 81 OPTIONS ANALYSIS AND FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT UNIT 82 WORKING WITH ARCHITECTS UNIT 83 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: PHYSICAL SECURITY UNIT 84 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE UNIT 85 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: SUSTAINABILITY UNIT 86 MOVING THE MUSEUM UNIT 87 ORIENTATION AND SIGNAGE UNIT 88 ATMOSPHERE, PACE AND FLOW SECTION 7 THE MUSEUM AND ITS MANAGEMENT UNIT 89 LEGAL STATUS, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES UNIT 90 PARTNERSHIPS UNIT 91 NETWORKING UNIT 92 POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLANNING UNIT 93 DEVELOPING A FORWARD PLAN UNIT 94 MEASURING PERFORMANCE IN MUSEUMS UNIT 95 EVALUATING THE MUSEUM’S SUCCESS UNIT 96 PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT 97 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT UNIT 98 NEW SOURCES OF INCOME UNIT 99 FUND-RAISING UNIT 100 MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE UNIT 101 INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS UNIT 102 STAFF STRUCTURES UNIT 103 VOLUNTEERS IN MUSEUMS UNIT 104 RECRUITING MUSEUM STAFF UNIT 105 CONDITIONS OF SERVICE UNIT 106 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL UNIT 107 JOB APPRAISAL AND ASSESSING PERFORMANCE UNIT 108 STAFF TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT 109 USING CONSULTANTS AND OUTSOURCING UNIT 110 HEALTH AND SAFETY UNIT 111 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES UNIT 112 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE MUSEUM SECTION 8 SUPPORTING RESOURCES UNIT 113 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND SUPPORT UNIT 114 RESOURCES FOR MUSEUMS ON THE INTERNET Glossary Select bibliography Index

Timothy Ambrose is an international consultant working in the field of museums and cultural heritage. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Fellow of the Museums Association, and a Visiting Fellow at the Open University, UK. He has a particular interest in the role of museums in destination development and has published widely on museums and cultural heritage issues. Crispin Paine is a former curator and museum consultant, now an author and museum volunteer. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a Fellow of the Museums Association. He has particular interests in local community museums and in the material culture of religion.