Through 2023-24 we are partnering with the Collections Trust to deliver a series of 6 ‘Back to Basics’ collections management training sessions, designed to give you a solid grounding in the Spectrum standard and the 9 primary procedures at the heart of good collections management practice.

We will kick off the ‘Back to Basics’ training with a thorough introduction to the Spectrum standard, before diving into object entry, acquisitions and accessioning, followed by location and movement control and inventory and documentation planning. We will conclude the series with a session on cataloguing followed by loans and object exit.

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Who will be delivering the training?

All of the training sessions will be delivered by the Outreach team at Collections Trust, sector specialists in collections management and Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) funded by Arts Council England.

The sessions will also be supported by Officers from South East Museum Development and Share Museums East.

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Who are the training sessions aimed at?

The training sessions are aimed at museum workers, both paid and voluntary, who are responsible for collections.

Being the decision maker with regards to collections management policies and plans would be advantageous, so that it is easier to implement change as a result of the training.

Museum workers from Accredited and museums formally working towards Accreditation from the south east or eastern museum development regions are welcome to join us.

If places are available we will be offering out of region museums places a few days before the training date, just book your place via our booking link below and we will automatically put you on the reserve place list.

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Session Outline

This session will offer an introduction to the Spectrum standard, and will put into context the Spectrum procedures covered in the other workshops in the programme. We will discuss the Spectrum guidance and how it might be used by an organisation.

The session will give an overview of the Spectrum 5.1 primary procedures and update attendees about the recent general changes to Spectrum, including changes to language.

We will also focus on policy development, and the difference and relationship between plans, policies and procedures.

There will be opportunities to ask questions during the session, as well as share ideas with other attendees.

By the end of the session, delegates will:

• Understand what the Spectrum standard is, and how it might be applied within their museum.
• Understand the role of the Spectrum standard in relation to museum Accreditation.
• Understand recent changes to Spectrum.
• Understand the role of policy and where to find information to develop policies.
• Know where to find more information and guidance.

Before the session:

• Read the introduction to Spectrum – https://collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum/spectrum-5/
• Think about how you do things in your museum, referring to your in-house procedural manual if you have access to it. You might also find it useful to have it with you to refer to during the session.

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Booking Information

There are 10 spaces available on the session for museums in the south east.

Please follow the link below to book your free space on this training session.

Book your place here

By booking a place on to a South East Museum Development training event, you are agreeing to the following :

• To ensure fair distribution, only one representative from each museum can book a place on this training course. Additional bookings from the same museum will go on to a reserve list. Places on this training course will be confirmed by email.
• That you are either a paid staff, a volunteer or a trustee who works within or with a South East museum or heritage organisation which is in Arts Council England’s Accreditation Scheme (either fully accredited or working towards accreditation). Where this is not applicable (i.e. you are a non-accredited museum), you acknowledge that in the event that training is oversubscribed, priority will be given to museums or heritage organisations in the Arts Council England Accreditation Scheme.
• It is a condition of receiving the training provided without charge that the evaluation form is completed by the specified deadline in the email notification. We appreciate you sharing your views with us to inform our programming.
• That we can share your contact details with our training partners for the purpose of booking administration (Collections Trust and Share Museums East).

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Session delivery and access

Using a virtual platform (Zoom), the facilitators will use a combination of PowerPoint slides, polls and attendee participation with an opportunity for questions and group work in breakout rooms. Auto-transcription will be enabled as standard.

Please make us aware of any access requirements you may have as early as possible to enable us the maximum time to make arrangements and book professional services, if applicable.

Examples of possible requests include, but are not limited to; audio description, advance copy of presentations or resources, resources in specific accessible formats, e.g., Large Print, specific colour contrast.

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Contact

If you would like more information on the training please contact our Lead Liaison via the details below.

Juliet Thomas

Assistant Manager/Museum Development Officer

[email protected]

07483 165685

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Recommended for you

The main Accreditation guidance can be found on the Arts Council website and on the Collections Trust website.

The Collections Trust website hosts a wide range of resources on the Spectrum primary procedures:

https://collectionstrust.org.uk/resources-start/

MDUK have created 4 video resources on the Accreditation Scheme which you can view on their website, including Managing Collections.

• Accreditation Webinar: Getting Started
• Accreditation Webinar: Organisational Health
• Accreditation Webinar: Managing Collections
• Accreditation Webinar: Users and their Experiences