COLLECTIONS CARE: #2 Collection auditing and legacy issues

Tue 20 Jun, 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

This is the second seminar in the Collections Care Seminar Series, which will discuss auditing and legacy issues. Museums and galleries have a responsibility to preserve and protect their collections for future generations. However, the history of collections can be quite complex, with acquisitions and collections that may not have documented provenance or may have been obtained through questionable means. This is where auditing and addressing legacy issues becomes crucial. By conducting a comprehensive audit, institutions can ensure that their collections are complete and accurate, while making attempts to address any issues that come to light along the way.

Our seminar will cover a range of topics, including:

• The importance and benefits of conducting regular audits
• Planning and developing methodologies for auditing, including considerations around sequencing
• Addressing health and safety issues (i.e. inherent hazards within collection items)
• Addressing legacy issues (i.e. lack of provenance) and developing documentation practices that ensure transparency and accuracy
• Ethical and legal considerations that arise when addressing legacy issues, including repatriation, restitution, and collaborative efforts with source communities
• Case studies or examples in these areas

This seminar is ideal for professionals and volunteers who work in the museum and gallery sector. It is also relevant for members of the public who have an interest in the preservation and protection of cultural heritage, and value the importance of collections as a record of our shared cultural heritage. 

Participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussions and ask questions of the presenters, enabling a deeper understanding of collection auditing and addressing legacy issues in a sensitive and responsible manner.

Venue