Archived decisions
Contact: Caroline Dudley 01962 826704, email: [email protected]
1. Summary
1.1 Central to the Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) Accreditation process, which the Museums Service successfully completed in 2006, is the regular updating and five yearly revision of its Acquisition and Disposal Policy.
1.2 This policy sets out to explain why we collect, what we collect, how we want to acquire new material and how we can best make collections available to the community of Hampshire.
1.3 It is also central to ensuring that the museums collections remain `fit for purpose' and match up with departmental and corporate objectives relating to stewardship and access to the County's heritage.
1.4 The new policy is available on-line at:
2. Recommendation
2.1 That Hampshire County Council adopts the Acquisition and Disposal Policy 2007-2012 for the Museums Service, in line with the required MLA Accreditation standard.
3. The Policy
3.1 This revised policy is designed to reflect Hampshire's collecting priorities for the period 2007-2012, and replaces all previous documents.
3.2 It is broadly very similar in size and scope to the 2002-2007 policy, and follows the MLA template / standard wording in Parts One, Two and Three.
3.3 The new policy contains for the first time specific guidance for museum staff on the development of local community collections, contemporary collecting and making best use of collections for community outreach and educational programmes.
3.4 In order to comply with the Accreditation standard the new policy has to be formally adopted by the Museums Service governing body, in Hampshire's case its Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage.
4. Procedure for Disposal
4.1 The process for the formal disposal of material from within the core collections is set out in parts one and two of the new policy, and is based on the MLA Accreditation Standard for Care of Collections.
4.2 It involves the implementation of a series of carefully defined stages, designed to identify the most appropriate re-use of catalogued and accessioned material.
4.3 Museum staff are currently engaged in a process of grading collections for use and access, with the overall aim of releasing more material for display, handling and outreach programmes and initiatives.
4.4 This process is identifying a not insignificant amount of mainly social history material which has no Hampshire associations and has no other conceivable use. Only then will the option to dispose of be considered.
4.5 The types of material which fall into this last category include the following:
_ `Rescue' material acquired through emergency/last minute factory, workshop and house clearances, where there is little or no time to formerly assess material in situ. Under such circumstances, it is only through a post-acquisition rationalisation programme, that informed decisions can be made about what should and should not be retained.
_ Material acquired specifically for use as spare parts in working exhibits and vehicles.
_ Material which is incomplete, badly damaged, duplicated with better examples, and in poor condition.
4.6 Permission is sought for museum staff to have delegated powers in the disposal of material set out in section vi. (page 17) of the Policy document. For all other categories of material, formal permission will be sought via the museum's governing body when disposal is being considered.
5. Legal Implications
None.
6. Impact Assessment
6.1 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the preparation of the Policy. No adverse impact has been identified.
LINK TO CORPORATE STRATEGY
Yes No
Hampshire safer and more secure for all
Maximising well-being
Enhancing our quality of place _
Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents
The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.
NB the list excludes:
Published works
Documents, which disclose exempt or confidential information as, defined in the Act.
Title Location
Acquisitions & Disposal Policy 2007-2012 Museums HQ,
Chilcomb
Winchester