Use of CCTV in Museums, Archives and Libraries

CCTV is now very much part of modern life and is common in places of public resort including supermarkets, airport terminals, railway stations and town centres where it has been successful in reducing crime. This success can give support to the notion that it is some form of panacea, which is not the case. However, if its application is carefully thought through it can be a powerful means in combination with other devices of combating the threat of crime. Indeed, in the event of a serious incident it will be difficult to justify the absence of a proven means of combating crime.

In the museum, archive or library situation the main benefits that accrue from CCTV are that:

  • it acts as a deterrent;
  • it can enable invigilators to be deployed more effectively;
  • recordings can assist in post-incident investigation;
  • it can be used to assist with entry control arrangements to non-public areas;
  • it can provide more general information to assist in the management of the premises;
  • where the premises are guarded out of hours it is a valuable aid for site monitoring.

1. Deterrence

This is its greatest benefit although there are suggestions in some quarters that criminal elements are beginning to adapt their methods to take account of the presence of cameras. To achieve the maximum deterrent effect the system has to be overt and well planned.

2. Aid to Invigilation

It is often suggested that CCTV can be used to replace staff or its very presence will eliminate the threat of crime at a stroke. Neither of these bald statements is true, but if the application of this medium is carefully considered and planned then staff can be deployed more effectively (which might lead to savings) and it can improve the quality of invigilation considerably.

Monitoring

The attention span for solely watching CCTV monitors is very limited but once this is accepted the development or planning of a system can proceed in a methodical fashion to achieve the maximum benefit.

The two most common positions selected for monitoring in museums, archives and libraries are (a) the reception area and (b) in a central control room. These can be the best positions, dictated by availability of resources, but they are not necessarily the only options available.

Very often for the small museum with few staff available, having the monitor in the reception area can seem to be the only option. Seen by the visitors it has a deterrent value, but the receptionist is often the one who also takes any admission fee and runs the shop. In this situation it can be worth considering the provision of another monitor elsewhere; with the curator or other responsible person or in the staff restroom. Viewing of this second monitor might be fairly casual but its very existence increases the chances of criminal behaviour being detected.

In the larger museum it might seem right for the monitors to be located solely in the control room which is seen as the command and control centre with ready access to all means of communication, but bearing in mind what has been said about attention span it does have its limitations.

Sometimes secondary or even primary monitors can be used as a direct aid for the invigilator on the ground. Rarely does the invigilator have a total unimpeded view of the area for which he is responsible but monitor(s) can give him the means to view these areas and track visitors' movements as they enter and leave his own field of vision. He is able to make choices about where to position himself according to activity in the gallery and relevant risks of the material he is protecting. Given a good communications system he can bring others to his assistance and "pass" the visitors on to other invigilated areas. If the invigilator is given the means his performance can be raised and in turn management are entitled to expect higher standards.

Another way of supporting the staff is to monitor them when they are dealing with difficult people, especially during the "sweep out" of visitors at the end of the day.

Position of Cameras

The best use of cameras can be achieved through positioning them:

  • in blind or remote areas;
  • in those areas where particularly valuable or vulnerable artefacts are displayed;
  • in those places that have been fitted with alarms;
  • at emergency exits and
  • in retailing areas.

3. Recording for Post-Incident Investigation

To have a CCTV system without a means of recording is to deny the opportunity of a major benefit. This is the benefit that police officers have uppermost in their minds when advising that there should be CCTV; although when it comes to using recordings for this purpose the results can be disappointing. So very often the quality of the picture is such that it does not aid in the identification of the criminal and even if it can be enhanced through the use of sophisticated technology police resources for this purpose are very limited. It is therefore absolutely essential that in planning the system and maintaining it thereafter, everything possible is done to provide the best pictures. This benefit will be limited unless all cameras are recorded on a multiplex system which will record all the selected cameras and not only the one that happens to be displayed on the monitor.

Positioning

It is unlikely that as well as capturing pictures of a criminal at work cameras will also get a sufficiently good facial image for identification. But there is often a good strategic position with adequate light where a camera can be positioned solely or mostly for this purpose. This might be in the reception area or at some other point through which visitors must pass.

Video Tapes

The best available tapes should be used. It is often the case that previous suspicious behaviour needs to be viewed in addition to that at the time of the incident. The following is an extract from the Home Office guide Looking Out For You:

"Recordings must be kept under lock and key in an appropriate cabinet. A clear record of the location of each tape must be maintained.

Not only will explicit arrangements for the secure storage of recorded tapes be necessary but so too will be those for "cleaning" the tapes prior to repeated use. Simply recording over old material is not satisfactory, not least because this will compromise a tape's acceptability for evidential purposes.

Video tapes do not have an indefinite shelf life. Arrangements should be put in place to monitor how many times each has been used and a maximum number of recordings should be specified. It may be unwise to set this figure at above 12. All recordings should have the date and time superimposed on the image. Tapes should normally be recycled every 31 days.

Periodic spot checks of tapes to ensure that the CCTV system is being actively used for its intended purpose are essential. These need to be linked to clear disciplinary procedures in case of breaches.

Playback should be possible without closing down any part of the system."

Maintenance

Regular maintenance of the system is essential with particular attention to recording heads and picture quality. Budgets will need to take into account not only maintenance costs but also replacement of the cameras over the years.

4. Entry Control

This is a good use of CCTV to aid those responsible for permitting access in non-public areas, e.g. staff entrances and loading bays. It is particularly useful where a door release is being operated remotely from the point of access.

5. Aid to Management

Earlier in this paper it is suggested that secondary monitors can be positioned in management's accommodation. Such provision enables the manager not only to play a part in preventing a crime taking place but it can also give him valuable information to assist with the management of his museum, archive or library.

6. Site Monitoring Out of Hours

Many of the points made above on the limitations and advantages of CCTV are relevant in this situation but this is where it is best used in a control room as part of a multiple monitoring situation. It gives the security officer the means to investigate visually from a secure control room information received from alarm activations, information from colleagues, noises, unusual lights, historical events and intelligence.

7. General

This paper does not aim to embrace all aspects of CCTV. It seeks to advise the museum, archive or library manager on the benefits of CCTV and how it might be used but in closing there are just two more points to be made. If colour can be afforded then it is the best option and finally before awarding a contract it is advisable to require the likely successful company to carry out demonstrations on site to ensure that the system will meet the requirement. Site trials should feature different positions, equipment and lenses.

Further advice can be obtained from the Collections Link service on 0845 838 4000

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