Collections Development & Management Policies
This self-paced program should be used for collecting organizations to develop their own institution-wide collections policies. It is specifically designed for museums, archives, libraries, historic sites, or organizations with living collections. Use these guidelines to create new collectios policies or revise your institution’s collections policies. The program has been divided into modules which can either be completed in order, or as needed. Modules cover the following topics:
- Guiding Documents: Policies vs. Plans
- Scope of Collections/Categories of Collections
- Acquisitions & Accessions / Deaccessions & Disposals
- Loans
- Documentation
- Inventory & Audits
- Access and Use
- Collections Care and Maintenance
- Educating Elected Officials
- Intellectual Property
- Putting Your Document Together
- Training and Practical Applications
- Risk Management and Insurance
- Digitization
Module Sections
Each module has been broken into four separate sections to give your institution the most information when revising or creating your emergency plan. The sections include:
Webinar
Each webinar was recorded as part of Florida Connecting to Collections 2013 or 2016: Developing Collections Policies programs. Webinars are approximately 15 to 35 minutes long. The webinars will provide you with the core methodology needed for your institution’s collections policies. Professionals from around the state donated their time and expertise to present the major themes and subjects involved in developing policies.
Activities
These activities assume participants have watched the webinar. We highly recommend you watch as a group, and immediately follow with the proposed discussion or exercise.
Two different types of activities were created to help your institution develop collections policies. The purpose of these activities is to help you engage colleagues within your institution (or within your work group) to identify and develop elements of the plan according to the particular circumstances of your organization.
- Discussion Questions will help you think about and address components of your policies and potential issues. These questions can also be shared with staff who are assisting you with your institution’s policies.
- Practical Exercises are included in some of the modules via downloadable worksheets that will help you develop a section of your policies. The practical exercises can also be distributed to staff for their input.
Samples
Participants in the Florida Connecting to Collections Developing Collections Policies program have provided samples of plans they developed for their institutions. These sample plans were created using the same methodology and sources now available for self-paced participants.
Online Resources
Online resources from the Internet have been gathered to assist you as you develop an emergency plan for your institution. Some resources are sample plans from various organizations around the world. Others are resource documents that you can use when revising only portions of your plan.
Click here for information on the previous Florida Connecting to Collections 2013: Collections Management/Development Policies program.
