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Why Documentation Matters
This document was written, and licensed for publication by the Collections Trust.
Good documentation is essential for any organisation which holds a collection. The following are just a few of the key arguments for investing time and effort in managing your information.
Documentation is good for...
Your users
- Enabling you to create inspiring and engaging services for users
- Helping you find objects in your collections quickly when they are needed
- Helping you answer queries from other curators, researchers, schoolchildren and the general public
- Allowing you to respect the rights of others (eg. Data Protection)
- Helping you to reveal the hidden histories of diverse and minority ethnic cultures
- Supporting the creation of learning and educational materials
Your collections
- Enabling the monitoring of sensitive or at-risk items in your collection
- Assisting you in proving legal ownership in the event of a dispute about your collections. (See the Cultural Property Advice website for more infomation)
- Maximising your chances of tracing lost or stolen items
- Helping you describe lost or stolen items to insurers or the police
Your organisation
- Supporting your staff in identifying potential subjects for exhibitions, locating suitable exhibits and preparing exhibition catalogues
- Simplifying the creation of marketing material
- Increasing your profile and credibility with governing bodies, funders, potential donors and the general public
- Allowing you to protect your rights (eg. Copyright)
- Fostering collaboration with other organisations through shared expertise and databases
- Ensuring that knowledge about the collection stays with your organisation even when staff move on
- Meeting the requirements of the Museum Accreditation Scheme
Version 1.1 - Last updated July 2008
