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Protecting your Records
This document was written, and licensed for publication by the Collections Trust.
The value of collections information
The information your institution holds about your collections is at least as valuable as the collections themselves. In some cases, the information held which describes an object or specimen may be of even more value to a visitor or researcher than the object itself. It makes sense to take precautions against mislaying this information, or its destruction through gradual decay or sudden catastrophe, such as fire or flood.
A Collections Trust Adviser says: 'Our database holds most of our collections information. We use our database so much that we would be stuck if we lost it (and I can't see the council or insurers paying for the re-entry of all those records). It is a very valuable resource.'
Protecting your records
You must ensure that information about the items in your collection has the best possible chance of survival. This is done by using good quality materials and making backup copies of all important records. The copies, or better still the originals, should be stored in a secure place, in a separate building from the rest of the documentation. The most important files should be kept in a fire-proof safe.
The best quality materials should be used for all permanent records. Backup copies should be made as soon as possible after the originals are created. It will generally be easier to copy in batches, so it may be necessary to wait for some time until sufficient records have been accumulated, The frequency of backing up will depend on the method used. Computer files can be easily duplicated and should be copied weekly or daily, as computer data is very vulnerable to loss due to power or equipment failure of operator error. At the other extreme, techniques such as microfilming can only be justified on an occasional basis. Even so, key records should not be left more than a year without making copies.
One member of staff should take the responsibility for ensuring that records are copied regularly.
What records should be copied?
Entry records
(SPECTRUM Procedure: Object entry)
These help to prove that the institution holds the legal title to objects. They also contain all the information known about the object at the time of its arrival, although over time their significance may diminish.
If a 3 part carbonless form is used, the museum should retain the top copy. If any extra copies have been retained, one of these can serve as the backup. However, there is some uncertainty about the life of carbon copies (both the paper and image). Provided the forms are stored away from the light, most should long outlive their usefulness. If you fill in the entry form with a ball-point pen, use one of known archival quality as the inks in ordinary ball-point pens are known to fade.
Accessions registers
(SPECTRUM Procedure: Acquisition)
The most important document of all, the register, acts as a formal list of the institution's collections for which the museum is accountable. It should last as long as possible and be made from the best quality, high rag content, archival paper. If using a manual system, the volume should have sewn pages and a stout binding. The best quality permanent ink should be used when making entries and unnecessary handling avoided.
The Accreditation Standard states that:
'(b) Security Copy of Accession Records: A second, back-up copy of the museum's accession records must be created and maintained. Both registers should be held securely, with one available to authorised staff for reference and the other stored off-site. Where accession information is wholly computerised, it must be supported by a copy of key accession information produced in an alternative medium which meets proven archival standards. Updates must need to be made to the stored copy at regular intervals so that the two copies remain consistent.'
Ideally copies should be made on microfilm or fiche. This is expensive and may involve sending the registers away for copying. Photocopying is an acceptable alternative, particularly if the copies are kept at the museum, rather than the originals and are regularly monitored for signs of deterioration. A good quality (more than 80gsm) high rag content paper should be used and copies should be made using a dry-process photocopier. Registers should not be damaged by forcing them against the copier glass and splitting the spine.
Accession registers generated from computer files
(SPECTRUM Procedure: Acquisition)
If your documentation is computerised, it may be possible to generate back up copies of the accession register from computer files. Register pages can be printed on archival quality paper using a laser printer (or a good quality impact printer using a carbon ribbon). These can then be securely bound and signed on the first and last pages by the person responsible for the collection. Pages should not be left unbound longer than a year.
A Collections Trust Adviser says: 'My biggest worry would be the format a record is stored in. If it is simply a copy of a museum database it could become unreadable if their database provider went bust. A standard format, like text, would be preferable. A low-tech solution is often the best. A CD needs to be re-created at least every 5 years, preferably more often (particularly if you use low-quality CDs!)'
Catalogue records
(SPECTRUM Procedure: Cataloguing)
The museum catalogue is the most complete account of the history of each item. In a manual system catalogue records should be on good quality card or paper. If typed, a carbon ribbon should be used. If hand-written, use a permanent black ink. It may be difficult to make copies of manual catalogue records, particularly as they may be regularly updated. Try to keep a copy of any catalogue information which is not held in entry or accession records, and could not be reconstructed in any other way.
If a catalogue is computerised, then computer backups can be made more easily and frequently. Copy any new additions or changes at the end of the day and re-copy the whole file at the end of the week.
Current exit records
(SPECTRUM Procedure: Object exit)
Details of material currently out on loan are particularly important. Treat exit records in the same way as entry records.
Sources of help and advice
This fact sheet is adapted from:
SPECTRUM: The UK Museum Documentation Standard. Cambridge: MDA, 2005.
Harrison, Margaret & McKenna, Gordon. Documentation: a practical guide. Cambridge: Collections Trust, 2008.
The Collections Trust provides impartial resources for all aspects of collections information management. For more information please contact: Collections Link - 0845 838 4000.
SPECTRUM
SPECTRUM is a standard created by and for the museum profession to promote good practice in museum documentation. It covers all those areas of museum activity that produce information, and is the result of contributions from documentation practitioners in museums throughout the UK. It is available free, for non-commercial use, at: http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum
SPECTRUM defines 21 Procedures, which describe the process of documenting and managing objects in a museum.
Section 4 of the Accreditation Standard uses SPECTRUM as the basis for its documentation requirement. The 'minimum records' referred to can be achieved by following the 8 SPECTRUM Primary Procedures:
- Object entry
- Loans in
- Acquisition
- Location and movement control
- Cataloguing
- Object exit
- Loans out
- Retrospective documentation
Version 1.2 - Last revision July 2008.
