Collections Trust Seminar - Manchester, November 2014

Collections Trust Seminar

Manchester, November 2014

Welcome & introductions!

Getting started

• Please do:

• Be an active participant• Ask questions• Respect information shared in confidence• Take the opportunity to network!

Resources

• In your delegate pack, you have:

• Copies of these slides• Information sheets about today’s resources• Information about further Collections Trust events• A Feedback & Evaluation Form

• Today’s slides can be downloaded from www.slideshare.net/collectionstrust

• All other resources available from www.collectionstrust.org.uk

http://www.slideshare.net/collectionstrust

http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/

I’m Nick Poole

CEO of the Collections Trust since 2004, involved in the development of national

standards & funding programmes for museums.

The Collections Trust is...

...the professional association for people who work in

Collections Management

Collections Management is...

...the strategies, policies, processes and procedures relating to a collection’s

development, information, access and care

Established 1977

• To promote the education of the public by the development of museums and similar organisations by all appropriate methods;

• To develop, promote, maintain and improve standards of collections and information management in museums, art galleries, heritage organisations and other collections institutions;

• To provide services and resources which improve the standards and

methods of collections management and use.

Not-for-profit

Our work

• 5 main activities, funded by the Arts Council England:

• Standards• Professional development• Digital support• Outreach• Data

Our programmes

• Supporting UK museums through standards, professional development, networking and best practice:

• Documentation• Digital development• Systems development (DAMS, CMS, Web, Mobile)• Governance• Security• Insurance• Pest Management• Copyright & IPR• Cultural property • Participation & engagement

Objectives for today

• Our objectives are to:

• Introduce you to the work of the Collections Trust• Explore how collections management supports the needs of audiences• Introduce the Excellence in Collections Management model• Highlight our tools, resources and services to support your work

• Please write down 2-3 things that you want to get out of today (we’ll refer back to these at the end of the day)

SESSION ONE

The changing needs and expectations of museum

audiences

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMF6a9mvhZ0

Discussion

• What are the key challenges which your museum is facing when developing services for contemporary audiences?

• What are the key opportunities?

• How does your museum currently profile/gather information about onsite and online audiences and their needs?

A ‘responsive’ museum...

...is designed around the needs, expectations,

behaviours and abilities of the audience

The ‘traditional’ museum...

Most cultural organisations operate in ‘vertical’ silos

Education Management Collections Retail IT

The ‘responsive’ museum...

It’s about finding the fastest, simplest way of giving people meaningful, emotional experiences

Not about partitioning peoples lives, but about letting them express the kind of connection they want to make (including being left alone & not having to connect to anything!)

‘Create Once, Publish Everywhere’

• If collections and collections-based information are to play their part in enhancing and extending the visitor experience, they need to be discoverable and usable outside the museum and its website

• ‘COPE’ is the Collections Trust’s strategy for developing collections information and collections-related content that supports:

• Collections care• Collections discovery & re-use• Learning and intepretation• Visitor engagement

COPE in practice, from this...

COLLECTIONSDOCUMENTATION

COLLECTIONSDOCUMENTATION

DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENTDIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

INFORMATION / RECORDS

INFORMATION / RECORDS

SYSTEMS OF RECORD

SYSTEMS OF ENGAGEMENT

USER CHANNELS & PLATFORMSBYOD

Museum website

Gallery interactives

Social media

Aggregators

To this...

Discussion

• Does your museum already think about engaging audiences in this way?

• What could collections do to help drive this kind of engagement?

• How does audience information feed into your collections management?

SESSION TWO

Introducing the Excellence in Collections Management

model & resources

Key questions

• What does ‘excellence’ look like in managing and using a collection?

• How does this framework correspond to the minimum requirement of Accreditation?

• What are SPECTRUM and BSI PAS 197 and how can they support excellence?

MUSEUM

PROFESSIONAL

LEGAL

Museum development

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Detailed Model


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Key questions

• How does your museum review and improve its work?

• How could ‘plan’, ‘do’, ‘review’ be applied in your work?

• Do you already measure ‘performance’ – if so, how?

SESSION THREE

Mission, Brand and Metrics

Mission

• Mission matters more than people think!

• Two commons types of museum Mission Statement

– “We are going to change the world,” or

– “We will collect and preserve the history and heritage of [insert name of town] and interpret it for the benefit of the public to support education”

• It doesn’t really matter what the words are. It matters whether you believe them, whether they inspire you and whether you are proud to say it out loud

Brand

• Your museum’s ‘brand’ is the expression of who you are, what you care about, how your museum feels about itself and the relationship you want to have with your audience

• The brand of your museum is what people identify with, volunteer to be part of, have in their mind when planning a visit

• Every member of staff should be a champion for the brand – if its controlled through the marketing team, you’ll never achieve reach and scale

• What is your museum’s brand proposition?

Culture

• Your museum’s working culture will get you through times of no strategy (or money) better than a strategy will get you through times of no culture

• How well does the way your museum looks to the outside world reflect your culture?

• Different types of museum culture:

– Evangelist– Protectionist– Progressive– Bruised– Feudal– Collegiate

Culture change

• Unfreeze/disrupt the existing culture

• Introduce new ideas about how things ought to be done

• Systematically apply the new paradigm/way of working

• Re-freeze the new organisational culture*

* Repeat as required every 5-10 years...

Culture change

Metrics

• How do you measure the value and impact of what you do?

• What kind of ‘value culture’ do you have?

– None– Count what we can count– Visitor numbers– Measure visitor impact– Measure performance– Numbers for advocacy– Planning with data

• Do you use your numbers for internal (planning) use or external advocacy?

SESSION FOUR

Understanding the ‘user journey’ and collections

The ‘user journey’...

...describes how people discover your museum, what they do while they’re there and how you maintain the

connection after they leave.

The key challenge for collections is to find ways of enhancing and extending the user journey so that people are:

•More likely to discover the museum

•More likely to engage with the museum

•More likely to develop a lasting relationship with the museum

Key questions

• Does your museum have profiles or personas for your key audience segments?

• How can collections support, enhance and extend the user journey?

• Is there more collections and audience development people could be doing to share insight?

SESSION FIVE

Developing a ‘Digital Strategy’

Key questions

• How is your museum using technology to engage audiences?

• Do you have a Digital Strategy?

• How do you plan for the implementation of IT/digital in your museum?

• What is the role of the collection in your strategy?

Digital Design Principles

• Start with needs*• Do less• Design with data• Do the hard work to make it simple• Iterate. Then iterate again• Build for inclusion• Understand context• Build digital services, not websites• Be consistent, not uniform• Make things open – it makes things better

• www.gov.uk/design-principles

(* Other people’s needs, that is...)

Tate Digital Strategy

• Implicitly linked to the Strategic Plan

• ‘Digital as a Dimension of Everything’

• Aligning the development of:

• Content• IT infrastructure• Social media • Publishing & distribution• Retail & income generation

HRP Strategic Planning

• No separate ‘Digital Strategy’

• 4 principles:

• Guardianship• Discovery • Showmanship• Independence

• Digital underpins and supports the achievement of these principles, rather than acting as a standalone priority

HRP Strategic Planning

VISITOR JOURNEY

7 ‘personas’

ANALYTICS & CUSTOMER DATA ASSET MANAGEMENT

IT INFRASTRUCTURE

CHANGE PROGRAMME

Digital Benchmarks

• A simple diagnostic tool

• Mapping progress

• Celebrating success

• Planning development

• An integrated approach

Digital Benchmark “Range Statements”

StrategyLevel Description0 The organisation has no strategic plan or statement of mission or purpose *1 The organisation has a strategic plan or mission which does not reference engagement

through technology2 The organisation has a strategic plan, which includes projects and programmes, some of

which make use of technology. Digital is not fully integrated into the strategy, which is not regularly reviewed.

3 The organisation has a strategic plan, which includes projects and programmes, some of which make use of technology.

Digital is integrated into the strategy, which is regularly reviewed. 4 The organisation has a strategic plan/mission in place which references the use of digital

technologies to support core delivery, or it has a separate (but connected) digital strategy in place.

There is at least one digital champion within the senior management of the organisation. The strategic plan is regularly reviewed and updated.

5 The organisation has a strategic plan/mission in place which integrates the use of digital technologies to support core delivery.

The digital elements of the plan are owned and championed at a senior (Board & management) level and supported by appropriate budgets.

Digital technologies are embedded across all teams/departments of the organisation. Digital delivery and engagement through technology are embedded within the

organisation’s performance framework. The strategic plan is regularly reviewed and updated.

Mid-sized regional museum

Smaller museum

Showing progress

Content-based marketing

• From ‘sales’ to ‘add value’

• People are drawn to platforms and content which add value for them in their daily lives

• 3 connected strategies:

– ‘Snackable’ content– Content-as-a-service (to support visits, education & engagement)– ‘Vertical’ or niche content

Collections online

• Having things online does not automatically lead to access

• It is a significant investment of time and effort

• The 90/8/2 rule:

– 90% of your content acts as marketing for the museum– 8% might make money if you invested heavily in it– 2% of most collections will be a solid, bankable revenue stream

What people want from online collections…

CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

FUN


CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

FUN

RESEARCH


CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

FUN

RESEARCH

LEARNINGOUTREACH


76

CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

FUN

RESEARCH

LEARNING

DATA MININGCOLLECTIONS

MANAGEMENT

AGGREGATION

OUTREACH


77

CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

FUN

RESEARCH

LEARNING


MANAGEMENT

AGGREGATION

OUTREACH

Digitize relatively few things & spend your money on quality and context


CONTENT

METADATA

A BIT A LOT

FUN

RESEARCH

LEARNING


MANAGEMENT

AGGREGATION

OUTREACH

Digitize relatively few things & spend your money on quality and context

Digitize lots of things, use standards and don’t worry too much about promotion


Additional resources

• Collections Trust Digital Benchmarks Tool http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/digital/digital-benchmarks-for-the-culture-sector

• Going Digital resources, toolkits, simple guides and glossary: http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/going-digital

• Guidance on developing digital stragies http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/digital-strategy

• Free Simple Guide to Digitisation http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/digitisation

SESSION SIX

Collections Standards Toolkit

Key topics

• The role of professional standards• The Collections Trust Collections Standards Toolkit• Collections Link standards resources• Collections Management Competencies• Structure & role of SPECTRUM

MUSEUM

PROFESSIONAL

LEGAL

Legal frameworks

• Museums & Libraries Act

• Equalities Act

• Charities Act

• Cultural Property Law

• Copyright Law

• Civil rights & protections

Codes of Ethics

• MA Code of Ethics for Museums

• ICOM Code of Ethics

• Ethical principles associated with Charitable Status

Professional Standards

• Museums Accreditation Scheme

• SPECTRUM Standard

• BSI Publicly Available Specification 197 Code of Practice for Collections Management

• BSI Publicly Available Specification 198 Environmental Management

• GIS Guidelines

Standards Toolkit

• Produced by Collections Trust with support from Arts Council England

• http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/standards-toolkit/introduction

• Structured around four sections:

– Collections Development standards– Collections Information standards– Collections Access standards– Collections Care & Conservation standards

Introducing SPECTRUM!

International industry standard for Collections

Management

SPECTRUM Facts & Figures

• 23,000 licensed users

• 40 countries

• 8 languages

• 17 SPECTRUM Partner systems

• Adoption as a national quality standard in 4 countries

• Interest from 5 new territories

STANDARD

WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY (25,000)

COMPLIANCE(17)

GUIDANCEPDF/XML/PRINT+ SCHEMA

NEW IDEAS

http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum

Uses of SPECTRUM

• Not a mandatory standard

• A ‘recipe book’ for developing or reviewing practices in your museum

• Useful for the development of your Procedural Manual

• Promotes accountability & good practice

• Primary procedures are a requirement of Accreditation

Collections Management Competency Framework

Defining the skills and competencies of the

professional & volunteer collections management

workforce

Competency Framework

Why a Competency Framework?

• Informing the teaching and training of core collections management skills and competencies

• Promoting investment in CPD

• Raising awareness of the value and impact of CM skills on the wider delivery of museum services

• Advocating for investment in CM competencies

• Providing a structure to engage with other industry partners eg. CC Skills, MA, CILIP

Professional development

• Ensuring that museums have access to the Collections Management skills & competencies they need:

– Teaching on University Museum Studies courses

– Providing a Competency Framework for employers

– Delivering a Collections Management Traineeships programme

– Promoting practical apprenticeships

– Free Collections Trust Seminars across England

Traineeships programme

• Runs between October 2014 & September 2015

• Cohort of 20 trainees

• Combination of practical workplace-based training, CPD, mentoring and peer support

• Aimed at enabling new entrants to the profession to build their collections management skills and confidence

• www.collectionstrust.org.uk/traineeships

DISCUSSION

SESSION SEVEN

Collections Management and Museum Accreditation

Guiding principle

Collections are central to the function of a museum.

The management of the collections within an Accredited museum is consistent with the statement of purpose, policies and strategic vision for the organisation.

To do this effectively, and to allow for regular review and improvement, a coherent set of policy statements, plans and procedures should be put in place – a collections management framework.

This will address collections development, information, access, care and conservation.

Accreditation Requirements

• 2.1 Satisfactory arrangements for ownership of collections

• 2.2 Collections Development

• 2.3 Documentation policy

• 2.4 Care & conservation policy

• 2.5 Documentation plan

• 2.6 Care & conservation plan

• 2.7 Documentation procedures

• 2.7 Expert assessment of security arrangements

‘Primary’ procedures

Requirement 2.7: “The primary SPECTRUM procedures must be in place in the form of a documentation procedural manual that is available for inspection on request.”

•Object entry•Acquisition•Location and movement control•Marking and/or labelling•Cataloguing•Object exit•Loans in•Loans out

Accreditation support

We can

• Publish standards and guidelines• Share case studies • Work with partner museums in the regions• Share questions & answers with our networks• Provide statements of support

We can’t

• Answer questions directly over the phone or by email

SESSION EIGHT

Developing effective collections management

systems

Key topics

• What is a ‘Collections Management System’?

• How to develop effective systems for Collections & Digital Asset Management

• Integration with other systems

‘Choose a CMS’ database

http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/choose-a-cms

Digital Asset Management

• Launched SPECTRUM DAM in 2013

• Providing guidance on how to manage photographs, scans and recordings alongside the collection

• Launched SPECTRUM DAM Partners Scheme in 2014, validating software providers who can demonstrate they work with collections systems

• Free guide ‘How to Buy a Digital Asset Management System for your Museum’

• http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum/spectrum-digital-asset-management

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

FOCUS SESSION

Practical Guides

• Simple practical guides to key areas of Collections Management:

• Titles:

– Collections Management: A Practical Guide– Documentation: A Practical Guide– Copyright: A Practical Guide– Governance & Collections: A Practical Guide– Integrated Pest Management: A Practical Guide

• Available from www.collectionstrust.org.uk/shop

(RRP £24.99 & ebook £20.00)

Special programmes

• We have developed resources, guidelines, factsheets and interactives around a series of special programmes focussed on different aspects of Collections Management:

– Security (www.collectionstrust.org.uk/security)

– Energy efficiency (www.collectionstrust.org.uk/energy-efficiency)

– Pests! (http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/pest-management)

– Insurance (http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/insurance)

– Participation (http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/participation)

Going Digital

• New 3 year ‘back to basics’ programme on IT in museums

• Kicks off with a launch event at Tyne & Wear Museums in November

• Covering:

– Basic IT audit and planning– Photography and scanning– Buying equipment– Copyright– Collections Management Systems– Digital Asset Management Systems– Sharing collections online

Going Digital

• Free tools & resources including:

– IT Audit toolkit

– Digital Strategy interactive

– Beginners Guide to Digitisation

– How-to copyright factsheets

• http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/going-digital

Keep in touch

• We offer a variety of ways of keeping in touch with our work

– Collections Management LinkedIn community (7,900 members)

– Fortnightly email newsletter

– www.twitter.com/collectiontrust

– www.facebook.com/collectionstrust

– www.slideshare.net/collectionstrust

Government & Nonprofit

Collections Trust Seminar - Manchester, November 2014