AGENDA ITEM NO: 9
ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH 2009
REPORT FROM CHIEF LEISURE, LIBRARIES & CULTURE OFFICER
HERITAGE SERVICES ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL POLICIES REVIEW
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
To seek Scrutiny Committee’s views regarding the proposed Acquisition and
Disposal Policies for the authority’s museums, archives and local studies
collections for the period 2009 - 2014.
INFORMATION
1
Strategic Context
1.1
The Council first adopted an Acquisition and Disposal Policy for its
museum collections in 1997 (COLLC/17/97). This policy was
further amended following review in 2003 (COLLC/ 30/03) and again in
2006 (COLLC/15/06) to reflect changes required by the Museum
Accreditation scheme.
1.2
The Museum Accreditation Scheme is the national quality standard for
museum services. It supports museums to achieve a recognised
standard and to identify further areas for work and development that
will support continuous improvement with regard to museum
governance and management, user and visitor services and collections
management. Successful accreditation is a requirement for seeking
grant aid from CyMAL, which administers the scheme in Wales on
behalf of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).
1.3
Adoption of an Acquisition and Disposal Policy by the governing body
is a requirement for all accredited museums. The policy details what a
museum will collect both in terms of the geographical area it will collect
from, and what type or classes of objects it will try to acquire. By the
same token it also indicates what the museum would not seek to
collect e.g. objects or collections without any Wrexham County
Borough relevance or artefacts illegally acquired. Finally it sets out
policies for the potential disposal of objects from the collection. The
format and wording of the Policy is mainly determined by the
requirements of the Accreditation Scheme. It also recognises that
there is a responsibility to ensure adequate care and access
arrangements and, when acquiring collections, to take into account any
limitations imposed by factors such as staffing, storage etc.
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1.4
The National Standard for Record Repositories (The National Archives)
similarly lays down the need for Archives and their governing bodies to
adopt and publish a collecting and disposal policy although the wording
required under the Standards is not as prescriptive as that required for
museum accreditation.
1.5
The proposed Acquisition and Disposal Policies reflect two of the key
recommendations in the Heritage Strategy for the County Borough
2005-2010:
Recommendation 14 Continue to develop and conserve collections that
reflect the cultural heritage of Wrexham County Borough and ensure
that they are maintained in line with national standards.
Recommendation 15 Work in partnership with other local authorities,
national institutions and heritage bodies so that Wrexham related
museum and archive collections currently held outside the County
Borough, can be returned to the County Borough. C
2.
Development of collections since 2003
2.1
A small sum for the purchase of objects / archives is included within the
Leisure, Libraries and Culture Department’s annual revenue budget.
The budget is augmented whenever possible with external funding
support although the number of available grant schemes is limited.
The Friends of Wrexham Museums and the Friends of Clwyd Archives
have also contributed towards purchases and resource materials.
However, in view of the financial constraints, the development of our
museum and archive collections is dependent to a large degree on
public generosity via donated items.
2.2
Since the last policy review, there have been some notable additions to
our museums and archives collections, for example the acquisition of
an important Bronze Age hoard discovered at Rossett, printing
equipment from the former Star Press at Coedpoeth, and an
agreement with the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum Trust to work
towards long-term transfer of their collections to Wrexham.
2.3
Improving public access to our collections has been a key area of
focus, for example the opening of the Collections Centre at the County
Borough Museum (complementary to the Palmer Centre facilities),
development of an on-line catalogue of our museums, archives and
local studies collections, and the provision of identification and
research services in response to public enquiries.
2.4
The Heritage Services also provide professional advice to local
heritage organisations in relation to the management and care of their
collections and organises events to promote specific aspects of
heritage such as the forthcoming Women’s History in Wales
Roadshow
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3
Proposed Acquisition and Disposal Policies 2009-2014
3.1
The proposed policies are attached as Appendices 1 (Museums
collections) and 2 (Archives and Local Studies collections).
3.2
It is intended that the draft policies are subject to public, stakeholder
and professional organisation consultation.
RECOMMENDATION
That Members consider and give their views on the proposed policies
attached in Appendices 1 and 2.
WEB LINKS
N/A
COLLC/10/09 S
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