Collections Stewardship

Crack Warp Shrink Flake: A New Look At Conservation Standards

By Pamela Hatchfield

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2011 edition of Museum magazine. In the high humidity of summer, bronzes erupt with powdery green corrosion and paper becomes speckled with mold. Droplets of liquid form on glass or …
Mining MyCulture: serving the community of creative consumers

By Elizabeth Merritt

The CFM report Museums & Society 2034 explored a trend we dubbed “MyCulture”—a rising generation demonstrating an extraordinarily high level of creative output and creative consumption. This week’s guest blogger, Allison Thurman, …
20 Years and Counting: James Pepper Henry’s Multifaceted View of NAGPRA

By American Alliance of Museums

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2010 edition of Museum magazine. TWENTY YEARS AGO the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was passed by Congress, and with a single piece of federal legislation, …
The Backstory on Blobby

By Elizabeth Merritt

CFM’s recent post on natural history specimens as social media was wildly popular, attracting over 1,300 hits within one week. Given the evident fan base for Blobby (and Sue) it seems worth delving deeper into the story behind these …
Natural History Specimens as Social Media Celebrities

By Elizabeth Merritt

The rise of social media is transforming the landscape of communication for all organizations, including museums. There are myriad new ways to connect directly with the public, and new spokespeople have stepped forth to fill these niches. …
What’s the Deal on Dealing?

By Elizabeth Merritt

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2010 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. Q: My museum is hiring a director who owns a large collection of historic artifacts. He’s an attorney but for many years has …
Beyond the Four-Legged Chicken

By Rebecca A. Buck

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2010 edition of Museum magazine. A History of Museum Registration In 1881, an important moment occurred in the history of registration. The new U.S. National Museum building (now the Arts …
The Whole World a Museum?

By Elizabeth Merritt

Take a look at “Tales of Things,” an interesting website that launched this month. It’s part of the TOTeM project—“exploring social memory in the emerging Internet of Things.” This UK-based project …
Law and Ethics: An Ounce of Prevention

By Elizabeth Merritt

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2009 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. Q: I am the director of an art museum in a small liberal arts college. The college is having financial problems and the new …
Suggested Practices for Museum Security

By American Alliance of Museums

Physical protection is fundamental for safeguarding museum collections. The processes outlined in the Suggested Practices for Museum Security aim to guide how museums safeguard objects or items from physical threats such as theft, damage, …