Best Practices for Managing Federal Museum Collections

Section B. - Provide Good Customer Service

B-5 Know the condition of your Federal museum collections

Federal museum collections are heritage assets intended for preservation in perpetuity to maintain their heritage values - aesthetic, historic, or scientific information that is often unique and irreplaceable.

While stable storage supplies and spaces support preventive conservation, monitoring is required to identify problems and the potential need for interventive treatments.

These links provide resources to help keep your collections in good condition.

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
General Conservation Topics
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/
"Caring For Your Treasures"
http://aic.stanford.edu/library/online/brochures/index.html

Conservation and Art Material Encyclopedia Online
http://www.mfa.org/_cameo/frontend/home.asp

Federal Material Management
http://knownet.hhs.gov/log/matmanDR/LAI/Module3/Phase1/reqcomp.htm

National Institute of Conservation
Heritage Preservation
http://www.heritagepreservation.org/index.html

National Handbook of Conservation Practices
http://www.bse.vt.edu/swcs/nhcp_2.html

National Park Service (NPS)
Museum Collections Environment
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/CHAPTER4.pdf

United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Resources, Inventories, and Agency Guidance
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/procurement/fair-index.html

Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections.
General Website
http://www.spnhc.org/
Guidelines
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/spnhc/spnhc1.html

Fire Protection and Security (Department of the Interior)
http://www.doi.gov/museum/policy/pdf/mphi-11.pdf

Fire Protection and Security (National Park Service)
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/Chapter%209.pdf

National Fire Protection Association Code for the Protection of Cultural Resources Properties - Museums, Libraries, and Places of Worship
http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=909

National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code
http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=101