Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 202
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜
978-1-4422-6347-5 • Hardback • May 2016 • $102.00 • (£78.00)
978-1-4422-6348-2 • Paperback • May 2016 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
978-1-4422-6349-9 • eBook • May 2016 • $42.50 • (£35.00)
Angela Kipp is the Collections Manager of the TECHNOSEUM in Mannheim, Germany and an independent museum consultant with a special focus on science, technology, farming and history collections. She holds the German Museum Studies degree of Diplom-Museologin (FH) and has worked in the museum field since 1998. She worked for various institutions including large museums like the Museum für Kommunikation (museum for communication) in Berlin and the Deutsches Museum in Munich, as well as for many smaller museums and cultural projects. She specializes in logistics, project management and the adaption of technology for the special needs of museums.She is especially interested in finding affordable ways to improve collections care in smaller institutions. One way she does that is through her blog project Registrar Trek, aimed at raising awareness for collections care in general and fostering exchange between collections specialists around the world. Another way is this book in which she gathered her own experiences and those of several colleagues to develop a framework for people confronted with a previously unmanaged, only partly managed or just neglected collection.
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Congratulations, It's YourMess Now!
Chapter 2: A First Glimpse
Chapter 3: Back at the Desk
Chapter 4: Getting Organized
Chapter 5: Diving into the Collection
Chapter 6: The Power of Coffee
Chapter 7: Getting Stuff Done
Chapter 8: Storage Wants and Storage Needs
Chapter 9: We Had Nothing
Chapter 10: Failing Successfully
Chapter 11: Success Stories
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
It is her experience of working with a number of collections in varying states of management that led her to write this absorbing and valuable book. At some point in our careers, those of us working in collections care are likely to be confronted with one that has not been cared for to the expected standards. Managing Previously Unmanaged Collections is intended as a practical guide to address these situations. . . .The watchword for the book is practicality. . . .The language is mercifully accessible and shorn of irrelevant buzzwords, yet always clear, knowledgeable and coherent. This alone is remarkable, considering it is written in the author’s second language. . . .It is clear that the book is not just the result of one person’s experience. Kipp invited contributions and advice from museum professionals on her blog throughout the process of writing the book. This has resulted in a rich base of experience from which to address issues. The real-world examples from contributors across the globe give a realistic context to Kipp’s advice and a different voice to the text, all of which adds to the book’s accessibility. Even for those yet to confront an unmanaged collection on a meaningful scale, this book is essential for anyone caring for museum objects. Its clear and supportive language, coupled with the many practical nuggets of advice, will make it a valuable companion for all.
— Museums Journal
This book not only serves as a useful guide on how to approach unmanaged collections, but it also leaves the reader with a sense that they are not alone in their situations. Every collection has room for improvement, and any improvement, no matter how small, can be considered a success.
— AASLH History News
Managing Previously Unmanaged Collections is a must have for the library of any collections caretaker! This book takes the ideas of project management and applies them to those messy collections that we all face at least once in our career. Kipp provides guidelines that will help both the new collections manager and veterans work their way through those unmanaged collections.
— Deborah Rose Van Horn, Registrar, Kentucky Historical Society & Chair, Southeastern Registrars Association