Collections Management
Dept. of History
HIS-570-040
Spring 2010
Ferguson 474
W 6:00-8:30
Dr. P. Beisel
Office: Dugas L.A. 305
Office Hours: MW 10-12, 1-3
Friday 10-12 (and by appointment)
Phone: 468-2093 / Email: pbeisel@sfasu.edu
Course Description
Introduction to the broad fields of museum and archival work from the history of both area to
issues of theory and practice, to the development, care and use of collections. Staffing and
management concerns, educational and educational development, and the social, economic and
political trends that shape collections. Resources in the archival collections in the Steen Library
and Stone Fort Museum on campus.
Course Objectives
This course will introduce students to the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required to
successfully conduct the management of archival or museum collections. Students will read
short essays, extended monographs, and technical briefs as they become familiar with the
processes, critical issues, and standard terminology and practices of collections management.
The assignments will include individual and group projects, written summaries and reports, and
in-class presentations. The “hands-on” emphasis of this course will provide “real world”
experiences to complement the traditional reading and lecture phases of a graduate-level course.
Program Learning Outcomes
The SFA History Department has identified the following Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
for all SFA students earning an M.A. degree in History:
1. The student will be able to explain the key issues and developments in at least two
historical periods (one per course).
2. The student will be able to identify the main historical works and interpretive debates
associated with an event or period.
3. The student will be able to locate, identify, and critically analyze primary sources.
4. The student will be able to research and analyze effectively an issue or topic in writing.
5. The student will be able to present written work in an appropriate academic style,
including the proper citation of sources using Chicago Manual of Style (15th or most
recent edition).
This section of this course will focus on PLOs 3, 4, and 5.
Student Learning Outcomes
The student will demonstrate in writing an understanding of the three phases of
collections management – acquisition, holding, and utilization.
The student will demonstrate an ability to complete specific individual collections
management projects on time and evaluate the experience within the theoretical context.
Functioning as a member of a team, the student will produce a collections management
that meets professional standards and is tailored to the partner site.
The student will verbally and visually present content information to the class.
Required Books
Dearstyne, Bruce W. Managing Historical Records Programs: A Guide for Historical
Agencies. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2000.
Simmons, John. Things Great and Small: Collections Management Policies. Washington:
American Association of Museums, 2006.
Reibel, Daniel B. Registration Methods for the Small Museum. 4th edition. Walnut Creek, CA:
AltaMira Press, 2008.
Recommended Books
American Association of Museums. Caring for Collections. Washington, DC: American
Association of Museums, 1984.
Bourcier, Paul, Ruby Rogers, and The Nomenclature Committee. Nomenclature 3.0 for Museum
Cataloging: Third Edition of Robert G. Chenhall’s System for Classifying Man-Made
Objects. 3rd edition. American Association for State and Local History Series. Walnut
Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2009.
Buck, Rebecca A. and Jean Allman Gilmore, eds. The New Museum Registration Methods.
Washington, DC: American Association of Museums, 1998.
Carmicheal, David W. Organizing Archival Records: A Practical Method of Arrangement and
Description for Small Archives. 2nd ed. American Association for State and Local
History Series. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2004.
Gardner, James B. & Elizabeth E. Merritt. The AAM Guide to Collections Planning.
Washington, DC: American Association of Museums, 2004.
Gardner, James B. & Peter S. LaPaglia, eds. Public History: Essays from the Field. Rev. ed.
Public History Series. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company, 2004.
Malaro, Marie C. A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections. 2nd ed. Washington, DC:
Smithsonian, 1998.
Roe, Kathleen D. Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts. Archival Fundamental
Series II. Chicago, IL: Society of American Archivists, 2005.
Grading Scale
Assignment (due date)
Points Weight
In-class participation
Three-page summary (1/27)
Three -page summary (2/3)
Three -page summary (2/24)
Three -page summary (3/10) [lowest of four will be dropped]
Individual Conservation Presentation (2/10 & 2/17)
Individual Archival Project (2/24 or 3/31)
Individual Museum Project (2/24 or 3/31)
Group Project (4/28)
Seven-page Selected Issue Essay (5/12)
Total
15
10
10
10
10
30
30
30
35
30
200
7.5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
15%
15%
15%
17.5%
15%
100%
The final grade in the course is determined by the total number of points earned on participation,
summaries, presentations, and projects weighted according to the percentages listed above.
Students are responsible for reading all instructions, study guides, and relevant information
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posted on WebCT. Successful participation includes advance reading, timely submission of
assignments, and meaningful contributions to class discussions.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend all classes.
Three-page summaries
Write a three-page, double-spaced, 1” margin, left-aligned, 12 point font review of three
of the selected sets of readings. If you write the fourth review, the lowest grade will be dropped.
Your report should have your name and date on the first page (only) and page numbers (only) on
each subsequent page. The bibliographic information, in proper Chicago Manual of Style
format, should be listed on the first page of the review following your name and date. Your
name, the date, and citation information should be single-spaced. If you have any questions
about the format please reference the reviews published in scholarly journals such as the East
Texas Historical Journal, The Public Historian, the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, or the
American Historical Review. The summary should not only include an overview of the thesis
and supporting evidence for each selection, but also a consideration of its intended audience and
potential future use. Your summary should be a cohesive essay with evidence from all readings
rather than a conglomeration of multiple reviews. You may use either properly formatted
footnote or parenthetical references (no endnotes). The due dates are noted on the class
schedule. Each assignment is due in hardcopy at the beginning of the class session and is worth
a total of ten points.
Individual Conservation Presentation
Each student will prepare and present an in-class report (10 minutes, strictly enforced) on a
particular individual conservation problem and its preventative measures and solutions. Your
presentation must be presented to the class using PowerPoint (a minimum of four slides, a
maximum of seven slides). It should be saved as a PowerPoint Show for access in the
classroom. Each student will provide a hardcopy one-page outline of key points/terms to the full
class (be sure to include your name, the date, and topic). The assignment is worth a total of
thirty points.
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Pests/Insects – Natalie
Dust/Dirt – Antwain
Light –
Water/Humidity –
Temperature – Pamela
Paper (de-acidifying, repair, flattening, cleaning) – Lisa
Leather and Stuffed Specimens – Meredith
Fabric (cotton, wool, silk) – Mary Alice
Precious metals – Laura
Industrial metals – Meg
Wooden artifacts and Furniture – Jason
Maps/drawings – Samantha
Mold/Fungus – Josh
Weapons/Hazardous Materials – Matt
Storage Materials (folders, boxes, envelopes) – Kaitlin
Transportation (inside & outside of institution) – Greg
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A suggested list of places to start individual topic research….
Dearstyne, Managing Historical Records Programs: Chapter 8 and Appendix 11
Simmons, Things Great and Small: Chapters 12-14
NPS, Conserve-O-Grams,
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/conserv.html
NPS, Museum Handbook, part 1,
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/mushbkI.html
NPS, Curatorial Safety Messages, http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/safety/index.htm
CCI, Technical Bulletins, http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/ (interlibrary loan individual titles)
CCI, Notes, http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/publications/ccinotes/index_e.aspx (interlibrary loan
individual titles)
AASLH, Technical Leaflets, https://www.aaslhnet.org/leaflets.htm AASLH, Special Reports,
https://www.aaslhnet.org/reports.htm
NEDCC Preservation Leaflets, http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php
Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies, http://www.jcms.ucl.ac.uk/
NARA, http://www.archives.gov/preservation/family- archives/index.html (family papers) and
http://www.archives.gov/preservation/index.html (professionals)
Individual Archival Project
Each student will work a minimum of twenty hours (watch out, you might get hooked!) in the
East Texas Research Center (ETRC), Steen Library. The ETRC’s hours are 8:00-5:00 M-F.
Director Linda Reynolds will assign you to a specific collection. The activities may include
rehousing documents and photographs, creating or expanding finding aids, cleaning and
repairing, and digitizing materials. Each student will conduct an insect survey and record
temperature and humidity levels each day at the ETRC. Half of the class will work in the ETRC
between 1/20 and 2/24. The second half will work in the ETRC between 2/24 and 3/31. You
will need to keep track of your hours on the form below. Linda Reynolds, Jennifer Brancato, or
Angie Hermenitt may sign off on hours. Each student will submit three items (1) his or her
tracking form, (2) a copy of any materials produced or a summary list of work accomplished, and
(3) a three-page, double-spaced, 1” margin, left-aligned, 12 point font comparison of your
activities and theoretical collections management. Your report should have your name and date
on the first page (only) and page numbers (only) on each subsequent page. Any necessary
bibliographic information, in proper Chicago Manual of Style format, should be listed on the first
page of the essay following your name and date. Your name, the date, and citation information
should be single-spaced. You may use either properly formatted footnote or parenthetical
references (no endnotes). The due dates are noted on the class schedule. Each assignment is due
in hardcopy at the beginning of the class session and is worth a total of thirty points.
Selected Reference Bibliography
Dearstyne, Managing Historical Records Programs
NPS, Conserve-O-Gram, sections 13, 14, and 19 (online)
NPS, Museum Handbook, part 1 and part 2 – Appendix D (online)
Kansas City Area Archivists, Keeping Your Past: A Basic Guide to the Care & Preservation of
Personal Papers (in ETRC)
Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn. Archives & Manuscripts: Conservation (in ETRC)
National Archives and Records Administration http://www.archives.gov/
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Name:
Date
Time
In
Time
Out
Archival Project #1
Meg
Meredith
Kaitlin
Lisa
Mary Alice
Matt
Pamela
Bug
Count Temp. Humidity
Museum Project #1
Samantha
Jason
Greg
Laura
Natalie
Antwain
Josh
Activity
Archival Project #2
Samantha
Jason
Greg
Laura
Natalie
Antwain
Josh
Signed
Off
Museum Project #2
Meg
Meredith
Kaitlin
Lisa
Mary Alice
Matt
Pamela
Individual Museum Project
Each student will work a minimum of twenty hours (watch out, you might get hooked!) in the
Stone Fort Museum (SFM). The Stone Fort’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Director Carolyn Spears will provide detailed instructions for your
project. Please email her (cspears@sfasu.edu) at the start of your session so she can arrange one
or two large orientation & training sessions rather than several time consuming individual ones.
ƒ Mark items without an accession number
ƒ Remove old accession number and remark with new accession number
ƒ Conduct provenance research at the item level
ƒ Transfer data from TIDES into PastPerfect and ensure that each field has the appropriate
content (of great concern are the descriptions which often go beyond description a.k.a.
what you see is what you get)
ƒ Data entry into PastPerfect
Each student will conduct an insect survey and record temperature and humidity levels each day
at the SFM. Half of the class will work in the SFM between 1/20 and 2/24. The second half will
work in the SFM between 2/24 and 3/31. You will need to keep track of your hours on the
tracking form. Carolyn Spears or her designee may sign off on hours. Each student will submit
three items (1) his or her tracking form, (2) a copy of any materials produced or a summary list
of work accomplished, and (3) a three-page, double-spaced, 1” margin, left-aligned, 12 point font
comparison of your activities and theoretical collections management. Your report should have
your name and date on the first page (only) and page numbers (only) on each subsequent page.
Any necessary bibliographic information, in proper Chicago Manual of Style format, should be
listed on the first page of the essay following your name and date. Your name, the date, and
citation information should be single-spaced. You may use either properly formatted footnote or
parenthetical references (no endnotes). The due dates are noted on the class schedule. Each
assignment is due in hardcopy at the beginning of the class session and is worth a total of thirty
points.
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There is a possibility that Millard’s Crossing Historic Village, Inc. will be the recipient of a
Texas Historical Commission History Museum Grant. If so, at least four students in the second
session will help fulfill the museum’s goals per the grant request. This project has three goals.
The first goal is to establish a computerized system of collections management utilizing
PastPerfect software. The second goal is to accession the documentary (approximately two
hundred items) and photographic materials (seven albums totaling approximately eight hundred
items) and ensure their long-term conservation through rehousing and proper storage. Many of
these documents are letters written by founders of the Republic of Texas, local leaders,
businessmen, and farmers. Other sources pertain to the settlement of East Texas and the
development of a regional identity. The photographs document the site's historic structures, the
city of Nacogdoches, and prominent individuals in East Texas. Half of the documentary items
have already been digitized and are available to the public on TIDES, a digital resource of Steen
Library, Stephen F. Austin State University. As the historic documents are processed, originals
still on display will be duplicated so that they are no longer exposed to dust and sunlight. The
project director will select about a quarter of the photographs to be digitized and placed on
TIDES. The museum has received a substantial donation of legal-sized archival file boxes for
the documents, but it is requesting funds for archival quality photographic sleeves, photographic
albums, and acidity testing pens. The third goal is develop a projected plan for accessioning the
museum's other materials based on the experience gained with the documents and photographs.
If students work on this project their expected materials will be the same as those specified for
the Stone Fort Museum.
Group Project
Each team of three or four students will work together to complete a disaster management plan
for one site. Our partner institutions are the ETRC, SFM, Millard’s Crossing Historic Village,
Inc., the Heritage Center of Cherokee County, and the Newton County Historical Commission
History Center Museum & Genealogy Library. Each team will write a plan tailored to its site
using the dPlan online system. Each team will complete the dPlan Lite form available at
http://www.dplan.org. The team will submit one printed copy of the report on the due date. The
team’s report should include the dPlan login and password created by the team. The due date is
noted on the class schedule. The assignment worth a total of thirty-five points. Thirty points
will be based on the dPlan Lite report and five points on teamwork. Individually each team
member will submit a one-page reflective essay summarizing the group experience and
comparing your activities and theoretical collections management.
Seven-page Selected Issue Essay
Write a seven-page, double-spaced, 1” margin, left-aligned, 12 point font essay about any issue
pertaining to collections management. This can be a “state-of-the-field” critique, an overview of
a common issue or concern, a consideration of archives or museums’ role in society, in general,
any subject related to the acquisition, holding, and utilization of collections. Your report should
have your name and date on the first page (only) and page numbers (only) on each subsequent
page. Your name, the date, and citation information should be single-spaced. The bibliographic
information, in proper Chicago Manual of Style format, should be at the end of the report and
does not count towards page length. The essay should demonstrate your research and analyze
effectively an issue or topic in writing as a historian. You must use properly formatted footnote
references (no parenthetical references or endnotes). The due date is noted on the class schedule.
The assignment is due in hardcopy at the beginning of the class session and is worth a total of
thirty points.
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Notifications
Non-discrimination
Each student will be free of discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, race, color,
religion, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, or
physical appearance.
Students with Disabilities
To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students
with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building,
and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified,
ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be
provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For
additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/.
Academic Integrity (A-9.1)
Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members
promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of
academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and
plagiarism.
Definition of Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited
to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a
component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on
an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or
plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your
own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work
when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been
purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating
the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit.
Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/academic_integrity.asp
Withheld Grades (Semester Grades Policy, A-54)
Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic
chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course
work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one
calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade
automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will
automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of
computing the grade point average.
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Collections Management – Spring 2010 preliminary
(not all readings are listed)
Date
1/20
1/27
2/3
2/10
2/13
2/17
ACTIVITIES, READINGS, AND ASSIGNMENTS (& OUTSIDE EVENTS)
Introduction to Course & Partner Sites
Issues, Ethics, Theory, Personnel, Duties, and Role of Archives in Society
Three-page summary of readings due
Dearstyne, Managing Historical Records Programs: Introduction, Chapters 1-4, 9, Appendix 1 & 4
Shulman & Nelson, “Public Documents and Public History,” in The Public Historian 25 (no. 1): 29-50
Jimerson, “Ethical Concerns for Archivists” in The Public Historian 28 (no. 1): 87-92
Smith & Stern, “A Historical Review of Access to Records in Presidential Libraries,” in The Public Historian 28 (no. 3): 79116
Issues, Ethics, Theory, Personnel, Duties, and Role of Museums in Society
Three-page summary of readings due
Simmons, Things Great and Small: Chapter 17 & Appendix B
Gardner & LaPaglia, Public History, rev. ed.: Woodhouse (187-202)
Case, “What Registrars Do All Day,” in Registrars on Record: Essays on Museum Collections Management, 13-33
“Code of Ethics for Registrars,” in Registrars on Record, 229-238
Langford, “The Politics of Prehistory” in Defining Memory, 147-160
Embry and Nelson, “Such is Our Heritage,” in Defining Memory, 161-176
Rhode and Connor, “A Repository for Bottled Monsters and Medical Curiosities,” Defining Memory, 177-196
Ten in-class reports (10 min) on individual conservation problem, preventative measures, and solutions; present to class
utilizing technology and provide copy of report. Order to be drawn: Kaitlin, Meredith, Jason, Pamela, Laura, Natalie, Lisa,
Meg, Samantha, and Greg.
Optional Day Trip to New London & Kilgore
Four in-class reports (10 min) on individual conservation problem, preventative measures, and solutions; present to
class utilizing technology and provide copy of report. Order to be drawn: Mary Alice, Matt, Antwain, and Josh.
***
AASLH Workshop: “Exhibit Makeovers*** February 18-19, 2010 hosted by the Institute for Texan Cultures and the Texas Historical
Commission; $250/members, $315/nonmembers; www.aaslh.org/workshop.htm or 615-320-3203 hawkins@aaslh.org
2/24
Processing Collections – Archives
Three-page summary of readings due
Individual project #1 report due
Individual Project Evaluation & Roundtable; Group Project Assignments
3/3
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3/10
Processing Collections – Museums pt. 1
Three-page summary of readings due
***
3/16-3/19 Texas Association of Museums Annual Meeting, Bryan-College Station, TX, Early Bird Student-member conference only
registration is $80; http://www.io.com/~tam/ContEd/annualmeeting.html (most evening sessions appear to be worth the cost)
3/17
3/24
3/31
Spring Break – No Class
4/7
4/14
4/17
4/21
4/28
5/5
5/12
Processing Collections – Museums pt. 2
Digitization of Collections in Archives & Museums
Individual project #2 report due
Individual Project Evaluation & Roundtable; Group Project Assignments Updates; Selected Issue Essay Updates
Interpretation in Archives & Museums
Optional Day Trip to Lufkin & Diboll
Education in Archives & Museums
Exhibition (Physical & Virtual) in Archives & Museums
Group Project Due
Landscapes, Structures, and Traditional Cultural Places as Collections
Final Exams Week – Seven-page selected issue essay due
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