Resource Kit

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TECHNOLOGY FOR REMOTE COURIER PRACTICE (opens in a new window): February 22, 2025; The Courier Sub-Committee assembled this resource of platforms and equipment that are available to aid in the process of remote courier practice. Products listed are examples that have been used with success by ARCS members but other similar items ma…
Focus Issue: Promoting Exhibit Access and Safety (opens in a new window): February 22, 2025; In collaboration with Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, the Promoting Exhibit Access and Safety (PEAS) working group published articles discussing multidisciplinary approaches to exhibit access and safety in a special focu…
Guidelines for Collaboration (opens in a new window): November 12, 2024; The following Guidelines were developed over a three-year period of collaboration between Native and non-Native museum professionals, cultural leaders, and artists. The Guidelines are intended as a resource for museums and communities planning and ca…
Indigenous Collections Care Guide (opens in a new window): November 12, 2024; The ICC Working Group is creating a Guide, which will provide a framework to respect and recenter collections stewardship practices around the needs and knowledge of Native American and Indigenous community members.
Preservation Self-Assessment Program (opens in a new window): June 27, 2024; The Preservation Self-Assessment Program (PSAP) is a free online tool that helps collection managers prioritize efforts to improve conditions of collections. Through guided evaluation of materials, storage/exhibit environments, and institutional poli…
National NAGPRA Program Home What We Do News - National Park Service (opens in a new window): June 25, 2024; The National NAGPRA Program will host a series of 10 webinars on the new regulations on the third Friday of every month from 1pm to 2:30pm Eastern time. Registration is required, but the meeting information is always the same. Register once and atten…
No Love for White Gloves, or: the Cotton Menace (opens in a new window): June 1, 2024; There is a unique joy in watching a video or reading a news story with images of a librarian handling a rare book. Rare books, unlike many museum objects, are still used today in the same way that they would have been when they were new centuries ago…
Managing Previously Unmanaged Collections: A Practical Guide for Museums (opens in a new window): June 1, 2024; Managing previously unmanaged collections can be challenging. The process of securing the collection and making it accessible needs the mindset of a collections manager as well as the one of a project manager. The book is a step-by-step guide how to …
NAGPRA Update 2024 (opens in a new window): January 12, 2024; Updates to the NPS website about NAGPRA, including new templates and guidance, published on Friday, January 12, 2024. Join Melanie O'Brien for a tour of the changes and new documents. *Session was re-recorded on January 18, 2024, due to technical iss…
Managing Previously Unmanaged Collections: A Practical Guide for Museums (opens in a new window): January 2, 2024; Managing previously unmanaged collections can be challenging. The process of securing the collection and making it accessible needs the mindset of a collections manager as well as the one of a project manager. The target audience are museum professio…

This strange “paint disease” is putting Georgia O’Keeffe paintings at risk (opens in a new window): January 2, 2024; some 70 percent of all oil paintings have deterioration associated with metal carboxylate soaps to varying degrees
ARCS Courier Decision Tool (opens in a new window): January 2, 2024; ARCS has developed a Courier Decision Tool that promotes a series of guidelines for decision making when considering how to use a courier for the safe travel of objects during the time of COVID-19 and beyond. The Courier Decision Tool is a means to s…
Artists' Signatures Database (opens in a new window): December 20, 2023; Using Artists’ Signatures, you can browse or search artist names, monograms and signature examples to verify, authenticate and discover how the artist signs his/her work of art. Every artist profile contains reference information cited from a referen…
Conservation & Art Materials Encyclopedia Online (opens in a new window): December 20, 2023; he Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online (CAMEO) is a database that compiles, defines, and disseminates technical information on the distinct collection of terms, materials, and techniques used in the fields of art conservation and histo…
Light Damage Calculator (opens in a new window): December 20, 2023; The light damage calculator provides an estimate of the fading of colours exposed to light, based on the best available data.
Connecting to Collections Care YouTube Channel (opens in a new window): December 11, 2023; The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) is the leading membership association for current and aspiring conservators and allied professionals who preserve cultural heritage
Connecting to Collections Care YouTube Channel (opens in a new window): December 11, 2023; The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) is the leading membership association for current and aspiring conservators and allied professionals who preserve cultural heritage
ARCS - Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists YouTube Channel (opens in a new window): January 7, 2022; YouTube channel includes recordings of webinars, podcast episodes, speakers, and more created by ARCS
U.S. Fish and Wildlife - Introduction to the Ivory Identification Guide (opens in a new window): September 30, 2021; Web version of the Identification Guide for Ivory and Ivory Substitutes by Edgard O. Espinoza and Mary-Jacque Mann, published in cooperation with the CITES Secretariat, and was developed to give information about a nondestructive and visual means of …
Diversity Apprenticeship Program for Art Handlers (Broad Museum) (opens in a new window): July 17, 2021; Broad Museum's Diversity Apprenticeship Program for Art Handlers. The Diversity Apprenticeship Program (DAP) is a new and unprecedented initiative providing job-training opportunities in the often-overlooked area of art handling and preparations to p…
Things Great and Small Collections Management Policies, Second Edition by John E. Simmons (opens in a new window): June 29, 2021; This revised edition of Things Great and Small is a comprehensive resource for preparing and implementing collections management policies. Drawing on his extensive experience as a collections manager, educator, consultant, and surveyor for the AAM’s …
Collections Management Policy (American Alliance of Museums) (opens in a new window): June 29, 2021; Resource from the American Alliance of Museums regarding Collection Management Policies
Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plan (opens in a new window): June 29, 2021; Resource from the American Alliance of Museums regarding Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plans
Vtape - the source for video & new media (opens in a new window): May 17, 2021; Distributor of video art. Includes a detailed best practices guide for caring for video art.
Immunity from Judicial Seizure Statute (opens in a new window): May 17, 2021; Explanation and guidance on immunity from judicial seizure legislation
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (opens in a new window): May 17, 2021; Official source for all information and latest updates from this Government Agency.
Repatriation: Building Bridges between Nations (opens in a new window): May 17, 2021; Discussion on different types of repatriations and their importance for building cultural bridges.
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging (opens in a new window): May 17, 2021; Definitive resource for the Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging, a standardized classification and controlled vocabulary for cataloging objects
Howdy Partner! Mapping the Wild West of Exhibition Collaborations (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Discussion on the challenges, shared responsibilities, and lessons learned that arise when two institutions collaborate to organize a seamless traveling exhibition.
Keynote Speaker—Joan Baldwin of Leadership Matters (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Joan Baldwin, Co-Founder of Gender Equity in Museums Movement, presents her keynote address
Off Site Storage: Build or Rent (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Panel discusses the pros and cons of a museum having its own storage facility versus renting storage space from a fine arts warehouse.
The Struggle of Dawning Intelligence: The Removal of San Francisco’s Early Days Monument (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; This panel discusses the community advocacy that resulted in the removal of San Francisco's Early Days Monument and the collections care/planning that took place in successfully removing this statute.
Two Peas in a Crate: Crossover between Museum Registration + Fine Art Shipping (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Discussion on the ever-changing industry and relationships between shippers and registrars, the pros of having experience in both positions, and how this crossover influences exhibition logistics and problem solving.
I'm Gonna Convince You to Tweet #ARCSconf (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Discusses the best way to disseminate the conference experience is by actively tweeting about it. This session will give you the tools, and encouragement, to effectively tweet #ARCSconf as a brazen act of equity.
Installation On Display (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; This session discusses the experience, challenges, benefits, and take-aways of installing art in public view.
Jump-Starting a Move: the Integration of Collections Facilities at Parks Canada (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Discussion on the methods, planning, and coordination of a large scale objects move.
North to the Future: The Power of Reciprocity (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Lecture focusing on the rethinking of the musuem's role within marginalized communities and how to approach accessibility to the museum collection.
Preparedness and Networking for Successful Disaster Response (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; This session discusses how institutions, and especially collections care professionals, can be better prepared by discussing successful and unsuccessful experiences with disasters.
A Tale of Two Museums: Documenting "The Refusal of Time" (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; This discussion describes the process of developing the inter-institutional documentation of a co-owned artwork at the Met and SFMOMA, and the collaborative reality of co-owning, exhibiting, and preserving variable media arts installations.
Indigenize and Digitize: A Case Study in the North American Hall at the Field Museum of Natural History (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Quick study of indigenizing your collections using digitzation and new perspectives to bring collections by minority groups to the forefront and be accessible for the communities they represent.
A Foot in the Door: Transitioning a Job into a Career (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Discussion on the regsitration and collections management career path. The panelists started with education, early interests, and jobs, and then discussed how this led to their careers.
Fine Art Storage – An environmental and economical storage approach (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; Insight into how Hasenkamp has successfully planned for Fine Art Storage with the environment and budget in mind. Learn how to be sustainable and limit your carbon footprint in terms of Fine Art Storage.
Flexible Cataloging for Enormous Collections (opens in a new window): April 28, 2021; The Heny Ford musuem acquires a the entire collection of a local museum needing to close. The process consisted of assessing what types of objects were being acquired, physically moving it, reviewing the cataloging process, and how to maintain an ong…
Databases, A Workflow, and A Student Staff : The Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum’s Approach to Digitizing 137 Years of Collections Records (opens in a new window): April 26, 2021; Discussion on The Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum's success with tackling complex, multi-year projects using its student staff with a few simple tools: the museum’s object database, basic customized project databases, and detailed written work fl…
The Deaccession Toolbox – Making the Right Decision for Your Collection (opens in a new window): April 26, 2021; Information, resources, and guide for deaccessioning.
How to Win with Collections Data and Influence your Budget (opens in a new window): April 26, 2021; Discussion on customized categories to cover the unique parameters required for the conservation and maintenance of an art collection containing vastly diverse historic and contemporary materials, site conditions, scale and even micro-climates.
Northeast Document Conservation Center (opens in a new window): April 20, 2021; Conservation laboratory dedicated to preservation of works on paper, digital imaging, and audio preservation services; online resource for preservation training, assessments and consultations, and disaster advice on collections
Library of Congress-Emergency Preparedness: Response & Recovery (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; Guidelines for response and recovery after water exposure in collections
Matters in Media Art: Guidelines for the care of media artworks (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; Resource for collectors, artists, and institutions of all sizes caring for works of art that have moving image, electronic, and digital elements
National Park Service Conserve-O-Gram (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; Short, focused leaflets about caring for museum objects
Collections Stewardship Professional Network - AAM (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; AAM committee focused on the stewardship of collections, archives, and exhibitions, including direct care, handling, documentation, shipping, housing, information management, and all activities related to collections of various types and sizes
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; NAGPRA addresses claims by federally recognized tribes for the return of human remains and cultural objects unlawfully obtained from prehistoric, historic, former, and current Native American homelands.
CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the…
U.S. Fish and Wildlife - Ivory Ban Questions and Answers (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is currently undertaking a series of administrative actions to implement a nearly complete ban on commercial elephant ivory trade. These actions involve different timelines and processes, some of which will…
ARCS Statement: How to Select a Museum Studies Graduate Program: April 19, 2021; Suggestions on how to chose a Museum Studies Program.
Couriering Intensive: Essential Packing, Crating, and Courier Skills (opens in a new window): April 19, 2021; A discussion on couriering artwork. The panel gave a demonstration focusing on materials, what to consider when packing artwork, and things to keep in mind as objects are being prepared to move.
The Getty Research institute Databases (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; The Getty Research institute provides several databases that aid in cataloguing objects
American Alliance of Museums (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to champion museums and nurture excellence in partnership with our members and allies.
Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; The Association of Art Museum Directors advances the profession by cultivating leadership capabilities of directors, advocating for the field, and fostering excellence in art museums. An agile, issues-driven organization, AAMD has three desired outco…
Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; AICCM is the professional organization for conservators in Australia.
Canadian Heritage Information Network (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), a Special Operating Agency within the Department of Canadian Heritage, offers valuable collections management resources to the Canadian museum community and online public access to millions of collect…
Council of State Archivists- Resource Library (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; CoSA facilitates networking, information sharing, and project collaboration among its member organizations to help state and territorial government archives with their responsibilities for protecting the rights and historical documents of the America…
Connecting to Collections Care Online Community (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; Connecting to Collections Care provides resources, professional development opportunities, and support for caring for collections to all types of small to mid-sized cultural institutions.
Graphics Atlas: Chromogenic (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; Object-based approach for the identification and characterization of prints and photographs
American Institute for Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation - Emergencies (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; The American Institute for Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation work together to promote the preservation and protection of cultural heritage.
International Foundation for Art Research (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; IFAR offers impartial and authoritative information on authenticity, ownership, theft, and other artistic, legal, and ethical issues concerning art objects.
International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Work/International Council of Museums- Declaration on Environmental Guidelines (opens in a new window): April 5, 2021; We are an independent international professional institute. We bring together conservation professionals from around the world, educating, enabling and recognizing excellence.
Autism in Museums: A Revolution in the Making (opens in a new window): July 16, 2019; As we work to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility among museum audiences and in the workplace, we need to attend to the needs of neurodiverse visitors and employees. In today’s post, Claire Madge, founder of the UK-based Autism in…
What the Art World Needs to Know About the Ivory Ban and the Proposed Federal Rule (opens in a new window): November 24, 2015; IFAR also released a video from their November 24, 2015 seminar, What the Art World Needs to Know About the Ivory Ban and the Proposed Federal Rule. Join their distinguished specialists as they discuss the poaching crisis; how the existing laws and t…

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