Collections Management Fundamentals and Policies
This course is designed to introduce you to the basics of responsible collections management. Specifically, how it can be done ethically, how it can be done sustainably, and how it supports your future work. Lessons will utilize pre-recorded lectures, assignments, discussion boards, and live sessions for both synchronous and asynchronous learning options. The course will begin with discussion of collections management fundamentals, including ethics, theory, and procedure. We will then examine the components of a good Collections Management Policy (CMP), during which you will have the opportunity to craft or rework the building blocks of your own CMP.
Collections Management Fundamentals and Policies is intended for people who are just starting their collections management policies, who are reviewing pre-existing policies, or for students who want to learn more about the topic using a hypothetical scenario provided by the instructors.
This course addresses Goal #3: Collections Sustainability of the Foundation for the Advancement in Conservation’s (FAIC) Held in Trust Report on Field Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Sector Health.
Course Objectives
You will leave the course with:
- A better understanding of the various components involved in responsible collections management;
- The foundational knowledge to build a strong Collections Management Policy for your organization;
- The understanding that collections management looks different from place to place and must be applied differently from one organization to another;
- Knowledge of ethical collections management as a fundamental obligation and cornerstone of responsible stewardship;
- Well-thought-out policies that support your future collections work.
We are offering tiered pricing based on group, student, and member status. While most course content can be completed at any time, an introductory session on Monday, March 10, as well as open Q and A sessions at the end of each week (March 14, 21, and 27) will take place via Zoom meeting. All times for these sessions will be from 1:00-2:00pm ET, and they will be recorded. Online course content will be available beginning on Monday, March 10 at 9:30am ET and will be available for six weeks following the conclusion of the course.
Please visit our accessibility page for accommodations you may need to access this course.
About our instructors:
Dyani Feige works with libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural organizations to conduct needs and risk assessments, assist in disaster planning, and help develop policy and planning documents for collections. She also develops and presents education programs on preservation and conservation concerns.
Before joining the staff of CCAHA in 2010 as Preservation Specialist, Dyani worked in the Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives. She has also worked in the New York Public Library’s Preservation Division; for the Conference Board; and in the Special Collections & Archives at Kent State University. Dyani received her MS in Library and Information Science with a Certificate in Archives at Pratt Institute and her BM in Music Business from New York University.
Katie Lowe is a public historian with twelve years of experience in museums, community programming, non-profit work, and education. In her position as Preservation Specialist, Katie Lowe conducts onsite preservation needs and risk assessments and assists with preservation and emergency planning at cultural heritage organizations across the country.
She has held positions at The Holocaust Awareness Museum & Education Center, Pennsbury Manor, The Mercer Museum, The Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace, Old Salem Museum & Gardens, and The Mediation Center. She received her B.A. in History and Education from Ursinus College and her M.A. in History and Museum Studies from UNC Greensboro.
Amanda Murray is a Preservation Specialist and Program Manager for Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York, where she oversees all aspects of DHPSNY, including coordinating educational programs, communications, outreach, and planning and assessment programs. Prior to joining DHPSNY in 2020, Amanda worked as the Visual Materials Cataloger for the Department of Rare and Manuscript Collections and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. Amanda received an MA in Photographic Preservation and Collections Management from the University of Rochester and George Eastman Museum, an MLS from the University at Buffalo, and a BA in Art History from SUNY Fredonia.