Collections for People:making stores work harder

1 – About collections

www.ucl.ac.uk/storedcollections/www.suzannekeene.info

Pilgrim Trust

Those difficult questionsI

suppose you use

the objects

to change

the things in

the exhibitio

ns?Hmm, exhibitions don’t work quite like

that

I suppose people

come and work on

the objects for research?

Please don’t ask how

many people ...

Why do you have

collections when you

can’t display them?

Ah, they’re the heart

of the museum, you see

But can you afford the

storage cost if they are only useful for a few

researchers?

But they’re for the future!

Urban development - archaeology

Cataloguing the natural world

Disappearing worlds - ethnography

How did we get here?

Mass production and consumerism

Admit it, we just love to collect

Collections - 1001 kinds

Art / aesthetic

Functional objects

Archives for research

Places & people collections

Why should people want museums to have collections?

Economists and the cultural value debate …

Kinds of cultural value

• Authenticity value

• Symbolic value

• Historical value

• Spiritual value

• Aesthetic value

Authenticity value – researcheg, authenticating Vermeer: depends on 100’s of humbler objects

Symbolic value – identity

Canada

Europe (Vienna)

Australia

UK

Historical value – learning

Spiritual value - creativity

These massless bodies have

been made visible through the

effective exploitation of their

inherent flatness.

The thin, pentagonal shapes

are ... composed with both

harmony and sobriety ... ‘

Byrne & Smith, sound installation, The sculpture of the Grant Museum

Brittle stars are found in …

Spiritual values - history, memory, discovery

Aesthetic value – enjoyment of beauty

Values >> Uses

• Authenticity value >> Research

• Symbolic value>> Memory, identity

• Historical value >> Learning

• Spiritual value >> Creativity

• Aesthetic value >> Enjoyment of beauty

Use values and even “Non-use” values

Existence value

Option value

Bequest value

Prestige value

Future museums?

Future museums?

My hero! Mark Dion,

installation artist

Next, some evidence

www.ucl.ac.uk/storedcollections/www.suzannekeene.info

2 - Some evidence

Pilgrim Trust

How many people use / access collections?

80% - fewer than 400 users a year(10 a week)

20% - 400 or more users a year

So, what

made a

difference??

?

Kind or size of museum? The top 20% - 400+ users

7 Small local museums 7 Large local museums 6 University museums 6 Highly specialised collections 5 Large object collections3 English Heritage archaeology

regional stores2 Large national museums “It’s the old story. Small museums

are far behind the bigger ones.”

Difference: Why more users?1: Promote access

1999 - 98% of respondents offered access to stored material, less than 22% promoted it in museum literature

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

'More users' museums 'Fewer users' museums

Per

ce

nt o

f m

useu

ms

(N =

146

) StronglyWeakly or not

Difference: How promote access?

Six of the 36 ‘more users’ museums used the press to promote access: Only two of the 135 with ‘fewer users’

The website was the most common medium

Many museums used talks, society newsletters and outreach activities as well

Difference: Why more users?2: Provide access

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Tim

ed o

pen s

tore

Visib

le d

ispla

y st

ore

Adverti

sed s

tore

vis

its

User w

orksp

ace

Perm

anen

t open

sto

re

Visits

at g

roup re

quest

By ap

ptmt,

work

in s

tore

By ap

ptmt,

object

brt

to u

ser

Oth

er m

eans

Per

cen

t. o

f m

use

um

s (N

= 1

76)

'More users' museums'Fewer users' museums

‘Open storage’Often (not always) for large/industrial objects

Access usually by tours/open days

May be permanently open

Often includes access to observe or talk to staff

May be attached to the museum or a separate location

May combine more than one museum’s collection

What about the numbers?

Visited by many

The general public: visits to the collections

in general, e.g. store tours, open stores

Inspiration to some

Special interests: programmes, events,

special days, societies

to a significant

few

Pivotal exper-ience

One-to-one engagement:

researchers, artists, for social benefits,

volunteers

What about the numbers?

Visited by many

Inspiration to some

to a significant

few

Pivotal exper-ience

Thanks to the National Trust, Tyntesfield, who developed this concept

Visited by manyAccess days to sections of store once a month

Usually 4 advertised store tours per year

Strong links with schools, local colleges/uni’s, community groups, other museums and Archive Service users … we preserve working

practices… People come to see this …… nothing in the reserve is of

consequence. EVERYTHING worthwhile is on display.

Several enthusiast groups who are well acquainted with the collectionMainly local and

specialist groups …

Visited by many-open days

Visited by many – stores tours

Inspiration to someRugby enthusiasts, family history, sports historians

Musical instrument makers & designersDissertation students, volunteers,

Cold War researchers, archaeological researchers/academics People interested in

pierhead painters …Gypsy Travellers to see our Gypsy Wagons and Gypsy Floral Tribute

A level textile students City & Guilds patchwork & quilting students

Women with a specialist interest in our collections

Visiting professors from Russia

Inspiration to some - research

Inspiration to some … artists

Dario Lanzardo, ‘Arca Naturae’Collections of the Turin Museumduring a move

Mrs Janet Knell, drawingGrant Museum, UCL

Collections as medium

What do users say?We contacted -Research usersSome users who came to workshopsMystery Shoppers

Research users said …Sometimes I’ve had great success and fun, other times it’s been like pulling teeth

Only positive is staff – consistently helpful and positive

The readiness to allow the viewing and photographing of collections, made my task remarkably easy.

Make the first statement: “We want to make our stored collections more accessible … Please come in”Employ a collections

interpreter who can assist people

Do it! The collections are a brilliant resource for secondary schools

I have had a positive experience in accessing museum archives because the majority of museum staff have been keen to help and have taken an interest in my research.

Some museums found thorns among the roses …

We have suffered at the hands of unscrupulous researchers who systematically ‘nick’ documents and images

… would only consider even giving me the number to call to arrange a visit … once I had produced my Student ID to prove I was a post-graduate student.

Phone calls never returned, no specific email given, general email elicited no response.

We caught one visitor with a specialist group stuffing objects into his pockets - very embarassing

A pivotal experience

Pivotal experience“Volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds and organisations including local mental health charities and disability organisations”

Volunteer … long periods out of work due to depression … regularly since 2004 … important collections management with archaeology …

Placement via … Association for the Blind … now full time employment in admin., having developed new skills …

Pivotal experienceCollections work: a safe, secure, calm well

ordered placeMuseums should be humble …Offer collections work (conservation and

collections care?) as a service to other organisations

Tick many objectives on local authority agenda

Why not more?

“We’d love to, but …”

Not enough staff Not enough spaceStore too far away

The storage loft is accessible by loft ladder …

Main store is 2 miles away and difficult for public to access. It is not staffed.

Current fashion … to promote “use it or lose it” without supplying the means and support

… conservation attitudes based on deep packaging and reducing exposure and handling.

What, no space?

Museums have -Housed their archival collection in the local Record

Office, available to researchers on specific days

Equipped the Registrar’s office for researchers - she can continue with her own work while they study objects

Replaced four separate rooms for different collections with a single study room staffed by curators on a published rota

Used collections study rooms for curators to do collections work alongside researchers and users

What, no staff?

Museums have - Equipped a wider range of staffMuseum interpreter team members sent on a course

in Roman history, can now conduct public tours

Collections management staff provide many kinds of collections access in an off-site collections centre

A collections access officer makes the practical arrangements and develops relationships with outside bodies

Paid Guide Enablers – they train themselves to conduct tours

Specific collections access staff (not specialist curators)

What, no staff?

Museums have - Used external resourcesA budget to pay external tutors to deliver

courses, sessions, etc., using the collections

Partnerships with sectors outside museums who would largely supply the resources

A visible store that will be staffed and managed by library staff

Store too far away?There’s always the car! Restricted target

market segment not necessarily bad.

How to have popular collections?

All in the mind(set)?

“People if they express an interest are warmly invited to see the reserve collection”

“… as long as they have academic approval”

“Aimless visitors are directed to the exhibition except for occasional special public tours”

“There isn't much interest in the stored collections”

“Only person who researches is me”

How to have popular collections!

Advertise collections - press, local radio, leaflets

Open the stores for groups, days, special events

Tell users what’s in the collections - online catalogues, website collections descriptions

Think inreach

Use more of the staff

Offer a service – work with collections - to local and specialist organisations and individuals - let them drive

The last word – from a museum

“… break down the market for use into a

series of niche markets, understanding the

needs of each, without abandoning the

core market use by researchers in favour of

new potential users.”

www.ucl.ac.uk/storedcollections/

And thank you to …

Collections for PeopleSuzanne Keene, Alice Stevenson, Francesca Monti

Pilgrim Trust

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Open stores, open days

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+Visited by many-offsite open days

Birmingham Museums & Galleries

Oxfordshire Museums ServiceScience Museum large objects

London Transport Museum

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Birmingham Museums & GalleriesLots and lots of inspirational ideas & events, e.g.:

opening at 4am in the morning for a special photography event as part of Birmingham's City of Culture bid last year)

a Halloween evening on the last Friday in Octoberwhich was attended by 547 people in 2 hours!

two big free open days every year. These are normally attended by c. 1000 people each

Collection visitor figures

2005-06 5002006-07 21002007-08 34002008-09 40002009-10 45002010-11 4000

to date

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Oxfordshire Museum Services –Offsite store Open Days

Two open weekends a year. Staff and volunteer guides attend, have days off in lieu, so no extra staff cost.

Store tours and a room with tables where staff demonstrate processes, eg conservation, documentation

Most common visitor comment: Interesting … Very interesting …

+Science Museum Wroughton –Events for collectors or enthusiasts

BBC Wiltshire:“The Science Museum Wroughton is opening up one of its vast aircraft hangers to the public, this weekend, for an exhibition following the history and uses of wood and paper... “

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London Transport MuseumThe Depot – offsite store

Open Weekends

Open stores a weekend every month

“To avoid the queues, tickets can be booked in advance …”

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Not just transport anoraks …

Websites+movie\Creative Review - Down the Depot.html