Introducing Benchmarks in Collections Care Trondheim 23 rd

Introducing Benchmarks in Collections Care Trondheim, 23 rd October 2014

Session outline • Why ‘benchmarking’? • Introducing Benchmarks in Collections Care 2. 0 • Benchmarks in depth • Benchmarks in action: • • British Library Vestry House Museum Horniman Museum of London • Q&A discussion

Further reading • These slides are available online at http: //www. slideshare. net/collectionstrust • All of the resources referenced here can be downloaded from: http: //www. collectionstrust. org. uk/benchmarks-in-collections-care • Sign up at http: //www. collectionstrust. org. uk to receive our free fortnightly e -newsletter containing updates about Collections Management • Connect with the international Collections Management community via our Collections Management Linked. In Group (8000+ members!) • Follow me on twitter @Nick. Poole 1!

Practical Guides • Expert guides in different areas of professional practice • • • Collections Management Pest Management Copyright Collections & Governance Documentation • Can be purchased online in hard-copy or e-book • Visit http: //www. collectionstrust. org. uk/shop

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

Excellence in Collections Management

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Why benchmark?

Different types of benchmark • External or comparative benchmarks (eg. industry-wide statistics) • Internal or developmental benchmarks • Benchmarks in Collections Care is a developmental benchmarking tool – it was developed through comparative analysis, but it is not meant to be used to compare different museums with each other • Instead, Benchmarks in Collections Care is used to benchmark the museum’s performance against its own stated goals by carrying out a periodic collections care assessment

Introducing Benchmarks in Collections Care

LAW STATUTE ETHICAL CODES PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS GOVERNANCE CORPORATE CULTURE POLICIES & PROCEDURES DAILY TASKS

LAW LEGAL STATUTE ETHICAL CODES PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS GOVERNANCE MUSEUM CORPORATE CULTURE POLICIES & PROCEDURES DAILY TASKS

Benchmarks in Collections Care • A freely-available checklist that is used to carry out an internal collections care assessment • Available in two formats: • A PDF document to download/print • An interactive Excel spreadsheet • Deliberately low technical barrier, to support the widest range of applications in museums/stores/labs

Benchmarks in Collections Care • Defines 3 levels of collections care: • BASIC - a minimum level of practice which all museums, archives and libraries should be able to achieve • GOOD - a standard that is achievable by the majority of organisations • BEST - the highest standard to which a museum, archive or library can aspire.

Benchmarks in Collections Care • Benchmarks across 10 ‘topics’: • • • Policy Buildings Storage Housekeeping Handling and Use of Collections Environmental Monitoring Environmental Control Conservation Surrogate Copies and New Media Emergency Preparedness

Who is Benchmarks for? • Benchmarks is for any organisation with a long term mission of preservation for collections. It is specifically aimed at museums, libraries and archives - it includes library collections, but is not designed for use by public lending libraries or reference libraries. • Benchmarks can be used with all types of collection. It is applicable to museum, library and archive collections such as: • • • 2 D and 3 D items Digital and physical items Working and handling items Items on display, or in store Items displayed or stored in open sites

Common mistake! • People usually think that the objective is to go for ‘BEST’ in every category. In fact, the objective is to define your development goals according to your organisation’s aims and policies and how your collections are used. • This is one reason why Benchmarks in Collections Care is an internal, developmental tool – although the results can be used to support advocacy, you should avoid the urge to ‘improve’ the results!

Defining your goals • Benchmarking collections care should always be an integrated part of your Collections Management plan and policies, connected to your organisation’s mission statement or purpose • Before you use the tool, you should consider: • How the assessment forms part of your overall approach to collections care • How you propose to use the resulting information to support planning & prioritisation

Benefits of benchmarking • Benchmarks is a management tool which should be used as part of an organisation’s planning cycle - to assess and plan collections care activity and measure progress against those plans. Specifically, Benchmarks can be used to: Highlight the importance of collections care Identify achievement in collection care Indicate where improvements in collections care might be needed Provide a practical framework for measuring progress, and creating forward plans • Provide a framework for managing risk to your collection • •

Carrying out an assessment • There are 3 steps to carrying out a self-assessment of collections care in your museum: • Prepare • Assess • Review and improve

Step 1. Prepare • Consider how the assessment fits into your overall collections care • Decide which part(s) of your collection will be assessed • Decide which format (PDF or Excel) to use • Customise the checklist (for example, removing benchmarks relating to books or archive materials if these don’t form part of your collection) • Decide who will carry out the assessment (they need to understand the wider context of your organisation and mission) • Plan the assessment, considering time, people, resources and access to display and storage areas

Step 2. Assess • Work through each section of the benchmarks, deciding whether you have: • Met the benchmark • Partly met the benchmark (ie. it is in progress) • Not met the benchmark • Use the comments to indicate the wider context (eg. if there is a specific reason why the benchmark is not met, or if there is a project underway to address it • The time varies according to the scale and complexity of the collections, but most museums complete a first assessment in between half a day and two days

Step 3. Review and improve • Review the outcomes of the benchmarking exercise, noting areas in which you meet basic, good or best practice • Identify the benchmarks that are not met • Decide, in the context of your organisation’s policies and the risks posed to your collection by use, which of the 'not met' benchmarks you want to address • Compare the outcome with the priorities identified in the Collections Care & Management Policy and decide whether your policies need to be reviewed and updated • Repeat the process at periodic intervals (1 -2 years)

An in-depth look at Benchmarks in Collections Care

Benchmarks in Collections Care • Benchmarks across 10 ‘topics’: • • • Policy Buildings Storage Housekeeping Handling and Use of Collections Environmental Monitoring Environmental Control Conservation Surrogate Copies and New Media Emergency Preparedness

Policy benchmarks - BASIC • “A Collections Management Policy, written in the context of your organisation’s mission statement, is the first step to informed decisionmaking about the care and conservation of a collection” • • • Does your organisation have a Mission Statement? Is there a Collections Management Policy in place? Is there a plan or written objectives in place? Are you able to direct staff & resources? Is appropriate training and advice available to staff? Is expert advice from a trained conservator available?

Policy benchmarks - GOOD • “A Collections Management Policy, written in the context of your organisation’s mission statement, is the first step to informed decisionmaking about the care and conservation of a collection” • • As for BASIC, plus: Are there people in your organisation responsible for implementation? Is information on collections care provided to all staff? Is there a competent, trained person in place with overall responsibility?

Policy benchmarks - BEST • “A Collections Management Policy, written in the context of your organisation’s mission statement, is the first step to informed decisionmaking about the care and conservation of a collection” • • As for BASIC and GOOD plus: Is collections care represented in the decision-making structure? Is the mission statement regularly reviewed? Are staff responsible for preservation consulted in policy decisions? Are collections-related plans & policies regularly reviewed? Are the wider legal, statutory & ethical considerations reviewed? Is there someone responsible for measuring performance? Are training needs regularly reviewed and addressed?

Overview • All of the Benchmarks are incremental – each level is intended to build on the previous/lower levels • BASIC benchmarks frequently refer to awareness of the key issues • GOOD benchmarks frequently refer to action being taken to address them • BEST benchmarks frequently refer to measurement and incorporation into strategy

Buildings benchmarks • Structured around sub-sections: • The fabric of the building (its material structure), and; • Building access and security • Strong relation to benchmarks relating to housekeeping, environmental monitoring and environmental control • Considering the development of benchmarks relating to energy efficiency

How Benchmarks in Collections Care is used in museums, archives and libraries – some examples

Museum of London • Leading London-based museum • 35 storage locations, based on collections by type • Using Benchmarks in Collections Care since 2007 • Now a key strategic and planning tool for collections care • All storage locations are assessed on a 2 -year rolling cycle • Benchmarks data is used to develop an Action Plan for each location • Action Planning is integrated into the museum’s annual planning cycle

Museum of London

Museum of London • Data is welcomed by the management group • Used to inform decisions about funding and prioritisation • 50 staff are trained in running annual assessments • Assessments take approximately 1 hour • Data is collated and reviewed across the locations • “We are audited by the City of London, and they use our Benchmarks data. It enables us to answer questions like “how do you know how well you are looking after your collection? ”

Horniman Museum • Combined museum, library and aquarium! • 30, 000 books in the library collection • Created a Library Collections Development Policy & Review in 2012 • Carried out an initial Benchmarks assessment to create a Preservation Policy • Enables the connection between collections development & care • “Benchmarks was an important advocacy tool for me. It sets out a framework of good practice, which I can use to inform my discussions about priorities with my senior management. ”

Vestry House Museum • Small but significant museum collection • Storage was under pressure, not well-organised & not accessible • Stored collections were under-used as a result • Carried out a Benchmarks assessment to create an Action Plan • Advocated the Action Plan to senior management & secured support • Repacking resulted in improved access and use • Also created greater confidence among the staff

Vestry House Museum

British Library • Leading UK national library • Wanted to raise awareness of conservation practice among staff • Use Benchmarks as a training tool, providing courses & online support • Opened up voluntary placements with the Preventive Conservation team • Developed best practices for handling, emergency preparedness & pest management • A strong basis for skills development

Q&A Discussion

How could Benchmarks in Collections Care help your museum?

Opportunities • Translate it into Norwegian! • Help extend and develop the Benchmarks • Carry out a collections care assessment • Look at developing shared needs and priorities • Use it to communicate with your Director/Trustees

Further advice • Working with a network of expert partners, the Collections Trust is able to offer consultancy and support in the development and implementation of Benchmarks in Collections Care in your museum, library or archive • Combination of onsite, remote and training support • Talk to me today about how we can work with you! • Find out more nick@collectionstrust. org. uk

Thankyou! www. slideshare. net/collectionstrust www. collectionstrust. org. uk @Nick. Poole 1 @Collection. Trust