Procedure: Collections

Purpose

To set out the procedures for the recognition and management of collections of the University as defined in the Collections Policy.

Procedure

Recognition of collections

1. The Collections Advisory Group is responsible for reviewing each proposed collection’s statement of significance, and considering whether to recommend the collection for recognition.
2. The granting or removal of recognition of a collection will be decided by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), acting with advice from the Collections Advisory Group.

Collections Advisory Group

3. A Collections Advisory Group chaired by a staff member appointed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) will be established as per the Group’s terms of reference.
4. The Collections Advisory Group will provide advice to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and facilitate the:

• implementation and review of this policy;
• establishment of new collections;
• recognition of significant collections;
• development and review of collection management guidelines;
• management of shared services for collection managers; and
• maintenance of a publicly accessible register of the recognised collections and their statements of significance.

Ownership and responsibility

5. Each College is responsible for the management and funding of their respective collections, consistent with their strategic plans.
6. Each Service Division is responsible for the management and funding of their respective collections.
7. If a College or Service Division finds that it cannot meet its responsibilities for a collection, the matter should be referred to the Collections Advisory Group for consideration of options, taking into account the collection’s guidelines for deaccession and disposal.
8. An annual report on the status of recognised collections will be presented to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

Essential requirements for the management of collections

9. Each recognised collection is required to have a Collection Management Plan (see the Guideline Developing a Collection Management Plan for more information). At minimum it must include:

• at least one relevant Code of Ethics that guides personnel working with the collection;
• an identified Collection Manager, appointed by the relevant College or Service Division. The Collection Manager is responsible for: the management of the collection and its conservation; the facilitation of collection development and projects; and ensuring collection documentation is accurate and current. This role may be in addition to other duties, and must be documented appropriately in the Collection Manager’s Position Description, or through a Performance and Development Review process;
• a statement of significance, summarising how and why the collection is important;
• an acquisition strategy, outlining the process for acquiring new collection material, with the aim of developing and maintaining a coherent and meaningful collection;
• a deaccession and disposal strategy, outlining the process for removing objects from a collection;
• a risk management and conservation plan, identifying the potential risks to the conservation of the collection and the actions to be taken to minimise these risks.

Potential requirements for the management of collections

10. On the advice of the Collections Advisory Group, or at the direction of the relevant College Dean, Research School Director or Service Division Director, a Collection Manager may be required to develop one or more of the following documents, which may form part of the Collection Management Plan:

• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander material management strategy, outlining the protocols and ethical considerations for managing collection material, including the requirement for consultation with appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons;
• a cataloguing strategy, outlining a plan to document the contents of the collection and record collection metadata into a functional database;
• a collection access strategy, outlining a plan to increase the collection’s research and engagement potential through greater accessibility to ANU researchers and the wider community, whilst respecting copyright legislation and moral rights;
• a communications strategy, outlining the procedure for publishing information about, and drawn from, the collection;
• a conservation strategy, outlining a plan to conserve or restore collection material to an acceptable condition, in line with a best practice approach to conservation;
• a digitisation strategy, outlining a plan to digitise physical collection material to assist in preservation and/or facilitate increased access;
• a fundraising strategy, outlining a plan to increase resources for the collection;
• a human biological material management strategy, outlining the protocols and ethical considerations directing the management of collections that include human biological material;
• an interpretation strategy, identifying opportunities to engage ANU and the broader community with selected collection items, through exhibitions, tours, websites, etc.
• a loans strategy, outlining the process for facilitating inward and outward loans and defining the required standards and documentation; and
• a repatriation strategy, outlining the protocols for returning ancestral remains and cultural material to Indigenous communities both in Australia and overseas.