Collections Care
and Management
The main thing that brought me from History into the museum world was my love for objects and the amazing stories they can tell. It is no wonder one of my main areas of interest during my graduate program has been in Collections. During classwork, my internship, and other opportunities I've been given in this program, I have had the opportunity to learn and fine tune my skills as a collections professional.
Integrated Pest Management
At the Ziibiwing Center in Michigan and through my Preventive Conservation course, I have gained valuable experience in integrated pest management. IPM is an integral part of collections care and management in order to best protect objects. Pests can cause devastating damage to a variety of objects. Above I am checking a pelt for signs of insect infestation at the Ziibiwing Center. Thankfully none was found, but vigilant observation is vital to the mitigation of pest damage.
Object Handling
One of the first skills you learn in collections care is the proper way to handle different types of objects. Objects of different shape, size, and material often need different methods of handling. In the photo above, I am handling a piece of Presidential china the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. I forwent gloves in favor of bare, washed hands to prevent slipping. I am also using both hands to have maximum grip to prevent dropping. This is just one example of proper object handling I have learned in this program.
Accessioning/Object Care
Accessioning objects into a museums collection is one of the most important parts of collections care and management. During my Master's program, I have had quite a bit of experience with all parts of accessioning such as cleaning, condition reporting, measuring, labeling, and entering the object into a collections management system such as PastPerfect.
Preventive Conservation
Preventive Conservation is a vital part of collections care. In order to keep objects in good condition, measures must be taken to prevent damage to objects or repair/stabilize any current damage. In the photo above, the IUI Preventive Conservation class visited the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center (Indianapolis, IN) to clean and maintain their specimen collection. Here, I am using a soft bristle brush to clean an owl specimen of any dust or debris while a classmate holds up a HEPA vacuum to catch the debris and prevent it from contaminating other objects or the air.