Dear Joanna,

 

Your request for information about standards coincides with the work being taken forward by the BSI as PAS 197, which aims to provide a collections management and development framework across libraries, museums and archives. The document was championed by the Collections Trust (formerly the Museums Documentation Association) and has had input from MLA. It aims to set out a framework on how items are processed in all our domains and includes helpful bibliographies on aspects such as access, acquisition, processing and principles of collection care.

 

A copy of the draft PAS 197 was sent to our Library and Museum for comment and as a result I found myself on the committee driving this document forward, having persuaded other archivists of its relevance and importance not just to those who work in a cross-domain environment but also for all professionals.

 

Despite attempts by the BSI team to include libraries and contacting CILIP, no-one from the library sector has become involved. This is paramount, as much of the document is based upon principles established within the museum community and is only just, as a result of input from the archive sector, ensuring that the document reflects cross-domain working practice and terminology. We are working on a diagram to show how similar terminology may be used by the three domains across very different contexts. Unless the use of such terminology is mapped across the three domains, then funders and the MLA may interpret incorrectly what different sectors regard as ‘accessioning’ for example.

 

Although several meetings of the committee looking at the document have already taken place (at least 4 meetings before archival contributions), it is vital that a librarian with good bibliographic skills, with a good knowledge of library standards and rare book collections joins us. Unless this involvement is forthcoming, the risk is that the document will become a standard document, perhaps used by MLA in the future to shape accreditation, without any library input. Although the document will purport to speak for all three domains, it will not in fact have had input from the library sector. Although the archivists involved have approached library colleagues, lack of awareness about the possible outcomes of the document and the short notice available to find champions has not so far achieved any success.

 

The next meetings will take place at the BSI in Gunnersbury in September - archivist colleagues and I would be able to bring librarians interested in joining this committee quickly up to speed. Involvement would mean significant initial input, but for only a relatively short time period. If you are interested in helping to shape cross-domain standards for collection care and ensuring that this document goes ahead with library input, then please contact either myself or Teresa Doherty above for an informal discussion.  

 

Also colleagues interested in records management in museums might be interested in looked at the e-learning guidance issued by MLA recently, available at  http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/RM-Tool/ and for disposals, the Museum Associations toolkit available at:  http://www.museumsassociation.org/asset_arena/text/it/disposal_toolkit.pdf for background as these LMLAG policies evolve.

 

Hope this helps,

Susan

 

 

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