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Location and movement control

This document was written, and licensed for publication by the Collections Trust.

Location and movement control is a Primary Procedure. This means that in order to meet the documentation requirements for the Museum Accreditation Scheme an organisation must reach the SPECTRUM Minimum Standard for this procedure.

The procedure ensures that every object in the organisation's care can be found at any time when required and that an accurate list (complete and up-to-date) is available for any location to facilitate audit. Every object should have its location recorded at all times for the duration that it is in the care of the organisation. This procedure should be used each time an object is moved, for whatever reason.

SPECTRUM defines Location and movement control as:

The documentation and management of information concerning the current and past locations of all objects or groups of objects in the organisation's care to ensure the organisation can locate any object at any time. A location is a specific place where an object or group of objects is stored, displayed, etc.

The organisation must have a policy covering the location control of objects.

The procedure for managing and documenting location and movement control must:

  • Provide a record of the location where an object is normally displayed or stored;
  • Provide a record of the location of an object when it is not at its normal location;
  • Enable access to location information by, at the very least, object number and by location name;
  • Provide an up-to-date record of the relocation of an object within the physical or administrative boundaries of the organisation;
  • Provide an up-to-date record of any movement of an object across the physical or administrative boundaries of the organisation;
  • Provide a record of the person responsible for moving an object;
  • Provide a record or a statement of the persons responsible for authorising object movement;
  • Provide a history of an object's previous locations, while in the organisation's care.

Getting Started

The best place to start is with the Collections Trust's publication Documentation: a practical guide (see ' Shop' for further information).

Guidelines and Factsheets

SPECTRUM Standard Procedure

For the full procedure on Location and movement control, download SPECTRUM from: www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum