reCollections

Damage and Decay

Light and Ultraviolet Radiation

Understand the adverse effects that visible light and ultraviolet—UV—radiation can have on museum objects.

Biological Pests

Know and understand how to set up an integrated pest management system to protect valuable items in your care.

Dust And Pollutants

Understand how to minimise pollution in your collection’s environment.

Common Deterioration Processes

Learn a basic understanding of some deterioration processes and some of the problems you may encounter in your collection.

Humidity and Temperature

Learn some of the adverse effects that extremes and fluctuations in relative humidity and temperature have on objects.

Handling, Transportation, Storage & Display

Handling

Learn of how vulnerable objects are when they are being handled.

Transportation

Understand the need to protect objects from fluctuations in environmental conditions when moving them from one climatic zone to another.

Storage and Display

Know the ideal conditions for storing and displaying mixed collections of objects.

Cultural Material

Paper

Understand the main factors that contribute to the deterioration of paper.

Books

Practical knowledge about how to store and display books so that damage is minimised.

Photographs

Learn about appropriate storage and display techniques to ensure the preservation of photographic collections.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Material

The most common types of damage encountered in collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage items and practical steps to reduce future damage to items in your care.

Leather

Understand the storage and display conditions which are required to minimise the deterioration of leather objects.

Metals

Know and understand how to set up an integrated pest management system to protect valuable items in your care.

Outdoor Collections

Know the basics of caring for and maintaining outdoor cultural materials.

Wood

The main problems affecting the condition and longevity of objects made wholly or partially from wood.

Textiles

Display historic textiles in such a way as to ensure their preservation.

Paintings

Understand possible sources of damage for paintings.

Electronic Information Media

Preserving audio and video recordings on tape.

Managing Collections

Management Practices

Understand how best practice and benchmarking can help museums, galleries and libraries.

Purposes and Policies

Learn to write a mission statement and collections policy for your museum, gallery or library.

Planning And Budgeting

Budgetary process in terms of planning, controlling and reviewing income and expenditure, and the achievement of objectives.

Acquisition and Significance

How knowing the significance of an object can help institutions set priorities for work programs and the allocation of resources.

Collection Surveys And Condition Reporting

Understand the value of examining and recording the condition of your collection and individual items in the collection.

Counter Disaster Planning

Understand the need to assess the extent of a disaster, and quickly assemble the resources you need to deal with it.

Managing People

Assessing Skills And Training Needs

Understand how the skills of the people who work with your collections can best be used to help the organisation meet its objectives.

Networking

Kinds of networks that exist and how particular networks can help you.

Managing Volunteers

Explore common goals for both paid staff and volunteers and the potential advantages of having volunteers in your organisation.

Health And Safety

Chemicals and Solvents.

Access To Collections

Be familiar with a variety of display techniques which can help minimise the risks caused by public access.