Building Collections

Building Collections examines how history shapes collections and provides case examples of how museums and libraries can develop new collections strengths. This module asks the following questions: 

  1. How does the history of an institution influence the scope and nature of its collections? 
  2. Why is it important for museums and special collections periodically reassess their collecting strategy and potentially expand into new collecting areas?  

Downloads:

The documents for this module include a powerpoint presentation, accompanying moderator notes, and an optional handout. The moderator notes include a slide-by-slide script, guidelines for facilitating the integrated discussions, ideas for customizing the presentation, and suggested supporting activities. The presentation may be delivered as written, but you are also encouraged to adapt or excerpt it for use in different contexts.

Building Collections (All)

Download Individual Module Items:

Suggested Readings:

Short Reading:
Solly, Meilan. “Survey Finds White Men Dominate Collections of Major Art Museums.” Smithsonian Magazine, March 21, 2019.

  • What did the study described in the article find? What were the limitations of the study? 
  • What historical factors contributed (and continue to contribute) to the collecting practices identified in the study? 
  • What kinds of steps should museums take in response to this study?

 

Academic Article: 
Hughes-Watkins, Lae’l. “Moving Toward a Reparative Archive: A Roadmap for a Holistic Approach to Disrupting Homogenous Histories in Academic Repositories and Creating Inclusive Spaces for Marginalized Voices.” Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies, Volume 5, Article 6, 2018.

  • How have historical collecting practices in archives reinforced traditional power structures?  
  • In this article, Hughes-Watkins is focused on encouraging established institutions to engage in reparative work and actively diversify their collections. Does she believe that these institutions can move beyond their histories? Why is it important for established institutions to engage in this work?  
  • Hughes-Watkins emphasizes that reparative archival practices must include acquisitions, advocacy/promotion, and utilization. Why is each of these critical to the success of this work?  

 

Academic Article: 
McGurk, Caitlin, and Jenny E. Robb. “Comics in Special Collections: Purposeful Collection Development for Promoting Inclusive History.” Comics and Critical Librarianship Reframing the Narrative in Academic Libraries, edited by Olivia Piepmeier and Stephanie Grimm, Library Juice Press, 2019, pp. 159–81.

  • McGurk and Robb note that “Too often in special collections, we decide what to acquire based on opportunities that are brought to us, whether by donors who seek us out or by what is available for purchase through dealers or auction houses.” (p. 164). Why is this problematic and what do they suggest as an alternative?

  • What is “collective collecting”? What are the advantages of institutions working in collaboration rather than competition when acquiring collections? 

 

Professional Resource:
ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, International Council of Museums, 2017.

  • Why do museums need to follow an ethical code in regards to their acquisitions? 
  • How do you think museums should address objects in their collections that may not have been ethically acquired?