4th Edition

Museum Basics The International Handbook

By Timothy Ambrose, Crispin Paine Copyright 2018
    532 Pages
    by Routledge

    532 Pages
    by Routledge

    This fourth edition of Museum Basics has been produced for use in the many museums worldwide that operate with few professional staff and limited resources. The fourth edition has been fully updated to reflect the many changes that have taken place in museums around the world over the last six years.

    Drawing from a wide range of practical experience, the authors provide a basic guide to all aspects of museum work, from audience development and learning, through collections management and conservation, to museum management and forward planning. Museum Basics is organised on a modular basis, with over 100 units in eight sections. It can be used both as a reference work to assist day-to-day museum management, and as the key textbook for pre-service and in-service museum training programmes, where it can be supplemented by case studies, project work and group discussion. This edition includes over 100 diagrams to support the text, as well as a glossary, sources of information and support and a select bibliography. Museum Basics is also supported by its own companion website, which provides a wide range of additional resources for readers.

    Museum Basics aims to help the museum practitioner keep up to date with new thinking about the function of museums and their relationships with the communities they serve. The training materials provided within the book are also suitable for pre-service and in-service students who wish to gain a full understanding of work in a museum.

    CONTENTS

    List of figures

    List of boxes

    Acknowledgements

    Foreword

    SECTION 1 INTRODUCTORY

    UNIT 1 ABOUT THIS BOOK

    UNIT 2 ABOUT MUSEUMS

    UNIT 3 TYPES OF MUSEUMS

    UNIT 4 THE CASE FOR MUSEUMS

    UNIT 5 MUSEUMS AND SUSTAINABILITY

    UNIT 6 MUSEUMS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

    UNIT 7 MUSEUMS AND THEORY

    UNIT 8 MUSEUMS AND ETHICS

    SECTION 2 THE MUSEUM AND ITS USERS

    UNIT 9 MUSEUMS AND THEIR LOCATION

    UNIT 10 MUSEUMS ARE FOR PEOPLE

    UNIT 11 ACCESS AND ACCESSIBILITY

    UNIT 12 UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET

    UNIT 13 MARKETING YOUR MUSEUM

    UNIT 14 DEVELOPING NEW AUDIENCES

    UNIT 15 SPECIAL AUDIENCES:
    MUSEUMS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

    UNIT 16 THE MUSEUM VISIT

    UNIT 17 LEARNING IN MUSEUMS

    UNIT 18 LEARNING: INSIDE THE MUSEUM

    UNIT 19 LEARNING: BEYOND THE MUSEUM

    UNIT 20 EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES: CREATING PROGRAMMES

    UNIT 21 FACILITIES FOR VISITORS

    UNIT 22 PROVIDING SERVICES: SHOPS AND SALES POINTS

    UNIT 23 PROVIDING SERVICES: FOOD AND DRINK

    UNIT 24 PROVIDING FACILITIES FOR HIRE

    UNIT 25 INFORMATION SERVICES

    UNIT 26 PUBLICATIONS

    UNIT 27 MUSEUM WEBSITES

    UNIT 28 SOCIAL MEDIA AND MUSEUMS

    UNIT 29 PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE MEDIA

    UNIT 30 WORKING WITH FRIENDS’ AND VOLUNTEER GROUPS

    UNIT 31 RESEARCHERS AS USERS

    SECTION 3 PRESENTING AND INTERPRETING COLLECTIONS

    UNIT 32 INTRODUCING INTERPRETATION

    UNIT 33 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: GRAPHICS

    UNIT 34 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: THREE-DIMENSIONAL

    UNIT 35 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: AUDIO-VISUAL

    UNIT 36 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: INTERACTIVES

    UNIT 37 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES: USING PEOPLE

    UNIT 38 MUSEUM LIGHTING

    UNIT 39 MUSEUM SHOWCASES

    UNIT 40 PLANNING NEW DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITIONS

    UNIT 41 RESEARCH FOR DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITIONS

    UNIT 42 WRITING TEXT

    UNIT 43 BRIEFING A DESIGNER

    UNIT 44 DISPLAY AND EXHIBITION DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

    UNIT 45 NEW MEDIA

    UNIT 46 EVALUATING DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITIONS

    SECTION 4 COLLECTING AND COLLECTIONS

    UNIT 47 TYPES OF COLLECTIONS

    UNIT 48 POLICIES FOR COLLECTING

    UNIT 49 POLICIES FOR DISPOSAL

    UNIT 50 DONATIONS, PURCHASES AND LOANS

    UNIT 51 COLLECTING AND FIELD DOCUMENTATION

    UNIT 52 OBJECT RESEARCH

    UNIT 53 FIELDWORK AND RECORD CENTRES

    UNIT 54 PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM AND VIDEO

    UNIT 55 AUDIO-RECORDING AND ORAL HISTORY

    UNIT 56 THE ROLE OF COLLECTIONS IN RESEARCH

    UNIT 57 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND REPATRIATION

    UNIT 58 MUSEUM ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM HISTORY

    SECTION 5 MANAGING AND CARING FOR COLLECTIONS

    UNIT 59 COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT PLANS

    UNIT 60 COLLECTIONS AUDITS

    UNIT 61 DOCUMENTATION SYSTEMS

    UNIT 62 WORKING WITH CONSERVATORS

    UNIT 63 PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION: PRINCIPLES

    UNIT 64 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND CONTROL: LIGHT

    UNIT 65 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND CONTROL:
    HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE

    UNIT 66 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND CONTROL:
    AIR POLLUTION/PEST AND INSECT ATTACK

    UNIT 67 MATERIALS TESTING

    UNIT 68 STORAGE: PRINCIPLES

    UNIT 69 STORAGE: PRACTICE

    UNIT 70 HANDLING, PACKING AND MOVING COLLECTIONS

    UNIT 71 REMEDIAL CONSERVATION: PRINCIPLES

    UNIT 72 REMEDIAL CONSERVATION: PRACTICE

    UNIT 73 DISASTER PLANNING

    UNIT 74 INSURANCE

    UNIT 75 COLLECTIONS SECURITY: PHYSICAL AND ELECTRONIC

    UNIT 76 COLLECTIONS SECURITY: SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES

    UNIT 77 COPYRIGHT

    SECTION 6 THE MUSEUM AND ITS BUILDINGS

    UNIT 78 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: FORM AND FUNCTION

    UNIT 79 MUSEUMS AND THEIR PHYSICAL SETTING

    UNIT 80 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: PLANNING FOR ACCESS

    UNIT 81 OPTIONS ANALYSIS AND FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT

    UNIT 82 WORKING WITH ARCHITECTS

    UNIT 83 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: PHYSICAL SECURITY

    UNIT 84 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE

    UNIT 85 MUSEUM BUILDINGS: SUSTAINABILITY

    UNIT 86 MOVING THE MUSEUM

    UNIT 87 ORIENTATION AND SIGNAGE

    UNIT 88 ATMOSPHERE, PACE AND FLOW

    SECTION 7 THE MUSEUM AND ITS MANAGEMENT

    UNIT 89 LEGAL STATUS, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
    STRUCTURES

    UNIT 90 PARTNERSHIPS

    UNIT 91 NETWORKING

    UNIT 92 POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLANNING

    UNIT 93 DEVELOPING A FORWARD PLAN

    UNIT 94 MEASURING PERFORMANCE IN MUSEUMS

    UNIT 95 EVALUATING THE MUSEUM’S SUCCESS

    UNIT 96 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

    UNIT 97 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

    UNIT 98 NEW SOURCES OF INCOME

    UNIT 99 FUND-RAISING

    UNIT 100 MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE

    UNIT 101 INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

    UNIT 102 STAFF STRUCTURES

    UNIT 103 VOLUNTEERS IN MUSEUMS

    UNIT 104 RECRUITING MUSEUM STAFF

    UNIT 105 CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

    UNIT 106 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

    UNIT 107 JOB APPRAISAL AND ASSESSING PERFORMANCE

    UNIT 108 STAFF TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    UNIT 109 USING CONSULTANTS AND OUTSOURCING

    UNIT 110 HEALTH AND SAFETY

    UNIT 111 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

    UNIT 112 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE MUSEUM

    SECTION 8 SUPPORTING RESOURCES

    UNIT 113 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND SUPPORT

    UNIT 114 RESOURCES FOR MUSEUMS ON THE INTERNET

    Glossary

    Select bibliography

    Index

    Biography

    Timothy Ambrose is an international consultant working in the field of museums and cultural heritage. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Fellow of the Museums Association, and a Visiting Fellow at the Open University, UK. He has a particular interest in the role of museums in destination development and has published widely on museums and cultural heritage issues.

    Crispin Paine

    is a former curator and museum consultant, now an author and museum volunteer. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a Fellow of the Museums Association. He has particular interests in local community museums and in the material culture of religion.

    'A truly international hands-on guide tailored to museums of different sizes, collection focuses, audience bases, national contexts, and funding and management structures! In its step-by-step account and easy-to-read prose, Museum Basics has made the complex task of running museums in our ever-changing world more manageable for museum professionals.'

    Yunci Cai, University College London, UK

    'Museum Basics is a clearly written and wonderfully practical book for staff at small and medium-sized museums who desire a highly professional approach to the day-to-day issues of museum practice and visitor experience.'

    Ed Gyllenhaal, Gencairn Museum, US

    'An easy to follow primer for operating a museum. Updated sections such as on new technologies or the impact of armed conflict consider important present challenges and the authors remain sensitive to the different conditions of museums across the globe.'

    Jennifer Kingsley, John Hopkins University, US

    'Museum Basics is an important and enduring resource for museum studies students and museum professionals. This fourth edition offers a comprehensive overview and guide to not only museological practice and policies, but also ongoing debates and discussions about what constitutes ethical and considered practices and engagements with the many and varied stakeholders and communities with whom museum professionals must work and engage.'

    Laurajane Smith, The Australian National University, Australia