What do I do with this?! Conundrums in the Collection— Taking the cue from the book and popular AAM session, "Collections Conundrums," collections managers and registrars will present case studies on conundrums they have faced and field questions from the audience on issues from their institutions.

1. Collections Conundrums or
WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS?!
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis– RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

2. TELL THE TRUTH!*
*We encourage open & honest communication, and this will be a confidential
exchange. You don’t have to name your institution. You don’t even need to tell us your
real name. Maybe you have a “friend” who has experienced a similar situation. Really,
it’s cool. But rest assured, your secrets are safe with us.
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

3. INFORMAL POLL:
1. Who works exclusively with collections?
2. Are you paid staff? A volunteer?
3. Who has collections training from a source
outside your institution? I.E. BACC, certificate
programs, collections seminars, classes?
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

4. WHAT ARE COLLECTIONS
CONUNDRUMS?
They come by many names including: Restricted
gift, Permanent Loan, Old Loans Unclaimed
Property, Doorstep donations, Unsigned Deed of
Gift, Promised Gift, Partial Gift, Undocumented
objects, etc.
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

5. WHAT CAN HELP TO PREVENT
COLLECTIONS CONUNDRUMS?
1. A Collections Management Policy (CMP)
2. Checks and balances
3. Remembering the collection is held in the
public trust
4. You don’t have to say yes to everything &
learn how to say no. Nicely.
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

6. Collections Management Policy
Sample Outline
Introduction
Mission Statement
Statement of Authority
Collections
Definition of Collections
Scope of Collection or Collecting Plan
Ethics
Accession
Criteria
Methods
Deaccession
Criteria
Disposition
Loans

7. Collections Management Policy
Sample Outline
Introduction
Mission Statement
Statement of Authority
Collections
Definition of Collections
Scope of Collection or Collecting Plan
Ethics
Accession
Criteria
Methods
Deaccession
Criteria
Disposition
Loans
Incoming
Outgoing
Courier Policy

8. Objects in Custody
Found in Collection
Old Loans/Unclaimed Loans
Disposition
Collections Care
Documentation
Assessment, Conservation, and Maintenance
Environment
Storage
Inventory
Risk Management
Insurance
Pest Management
Disaster Planning
Security
Policy Revision
Term Definitions

9. Collections Management Policy
vs.
Collections Plan
Collections Plan: A plan that guides the content of the
collections and leads staff in a coordinated and uniform
direction over time to refine and expand the value of the
collections in a predetermined way. Plans are time-limited
and identify specific goals to be achieved. They also
provide a rationale for those choices, and specify how
they will be achieved, who will implement the plan, when
it will happen, and what it will cost.

10. Found-in-Collection
Undocumented Objects:
those objects similar to collections and found in
collections areas with no numbers, no information in their
housing, nor any characteristics that might connect them
to documentation.
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

11. Found-in-Collection
Found-in-Collection:
undocumented objects that remain without status after all
attempts to reconcile them to existing records of
permanent collection and loan objects are completed.
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

12. Found-in-Collection
Undocumented Objects vs. Found-in-Collection:
The differecne between the two is research and the
museum's ability to assume ownership of the object.
Tracking undocumented objects from the moment they
are found is of utmost importance. Once a complete
inventory and reconciliation are complete, the remaining
objects are and may be considered museum property. ,
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

13. HYPOTHETICALS
During a recent inventory, you found nearly one
hundred objects whose cards have been marked
"deaccessioned, " but the objects are clearly still
present in the museum. There are no records of
deaccession in the ojbect files, and you have no idea
when the deaccessioning might have been done.
How do you proceed?
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

14. CASE STUDY: ABANDONED
PROPERTY
Case Study
Know your state abandoned property laws:
Oregon § 358.415 to 358.440
http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/358.415
“Loans to Museums”
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

15. RESOURCES
• RC-AAM listserve: Great resource for advice and answers from
peers. Registrars Committee - http://www.rcaam.org
• ALI-ABA - http://www.ali-aba.org (American Law Institute-American Bar
Assoc) Legal Issues in Museum Administration cd's which can be checked
out from the RC-WR if you are a member.
• RC-WR Registrar's Committee-Western Region.
• Museum Registration Methods, 5th edition (MRM 5).
• A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections by Marie Malaro
*For a complete list, please provide us with your email address and we will send
them to you, along with the presentation.
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

16. RESOURCES
Heather Bouchey-Portland Art Museum
heather.bouchey@pam.org
503-276-4366
Danielle Davis -Regional Art and Culture Council
ddavis@racc.org
Noelle McClure-Portland Art Museum
noelle.mcclure@pam.org
Nicole Nathan-Claret Associates & ONE
nicole@claretassociates.net
503-490-8971
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment

17. CONUNDRUMS!!!
Q&A
Oregon Museum Association | Fall 2011 meeting
Heather Bouchey – PAM, Danielle Davis – RACC, Noelle McClure – PAM,
Nicole Nathan – Claret Associates and Oregon Nikkei Endowment