This publication focuses on the role of university museums, their organisation, management, governance and finance. Most university museum collections have been assembled for the purposes of teaching and research rather than for public display ...

Managing previously unmanaged collections can be challenging. The process of securing the collection and making it accessible needs the mindset of a collections manager as well as the one of a project manager. The target audience are museum professionals with a basic training in collections care that are confronted with collections that are either large in numbers (1000+ artifacts) or stored confusingly, or both. The book is a step-by-step guide how to approach this situation, assuming that there's nothing to start with but a collection that has to be accessioned and the person who is assigned to do it. It is about how to bring order into the chaos, to define what is needed in terms of time, money, staff and material, to spot facility issues and potential dangers, and to use the power of networking to solve an otherwise unsolvable task. Many chapters conclude with “logical exits,” the points at which the collection in a condition that allows you to leave it for the next curator to take over. A common issue is that time frames are often so tight that the target of having the collection in good shape at the end of a contract or at a fixed date can’t be met. Another common scenario may be that other projects become more important and you have to stop working on the collection, which might sound familiar to many directors of small museums. “Logical exits” are the points you can do this without risking that everything you’ve done so far or since the last “logical exit” was a waste of time. For contractors those “logical exits” might serve as orientation points when negotiating the work that has to be done on the collection.

This landmark publication is the first to draw together all aspects of museum collections management in one handbook. It is designed for anyone with responsibility for a cultural collection and covers everything a collections manager needs to know. It describes professional practice in managing cultural objects and works of art, whatever the size and nature of the collection. The book includes essential information on: Legal aspects of collections Ethical issues such as due diligence and immunity from seizure Up to date concerns such as sustainability, crossing borders and financial constraints Loans, acquisitions, inventory and movement. The book describes all collections management procedures in a simple step-by-step process and is clear and easy to use with all procedures based on international museum practice. Examples of real forms, policies and documents drawn from major museums are included throughout the text and act as guides for any transaction. Readership: Packed full of practical information, advice and good practice, this will be essential reading for all museum professionals, curators of private collections and museum studies students.

This book centers on museum management with particular focus on risk management. It sees the museum as a modern institution that, in addition to its classical heritage function (collections management), also provides an educational function and implements this education through experience (the experiential function of the museum). It represents a combination of academic excellence and experience from real managers from museums and other public institutions. Additional topics such as strategic and operational museum management and museum research management are discussed and case studies from daily management practice are included.

In Managing People and Projects in Museums, readers will discover a practical guide to managing projects and important lessons about the critical role of individuals in the museum workplace. The chapters are illustrated with the experiences and observations of the author and other museum professionals as well as literature from the field. Specifically, the book covers organizational behavior theory, strategic planning, and staffing and human resource development, contemporary leadership challenges, and ethical decision-making. The book provides details on selecting projects, and creating policies that support sound decision systems. Additional topics covered include: the steps in planning a project including chartering, establishing timelines and assigning roles, and developing budgets. Several management issues that are common pitfalls in museum projects are highlighted, including means of resolving conflict. The text examines the formation of high performing teams with an emphasis on understanding individual differences and communications, and the important role of the project manager. The final chapters of the book include tips on evaluation of project success and a set of nine actual case studies from a variety of types and sizes of museums. The Appendix includes helpful project decision templates, charters, and other management tools used by museums today, along with hypothetical exercises.