Collection Policies
American Association of Museums defines a collections management policy as a written document, approved by the governing authority, which specifies the museums policies concerning all collections-relatedissues, including accessioning, documentation, storage, and disposition. Policies are general guidelines that regulate the activities of the organization. They providestandards for exercising good judgment.
A well thought out and conscientiously followed collections management policy is crucial to the effective and ethical operation of a museum that houses and maintains collections in the public trust. As as guide for mineral museums that are developing or revising their collections management policies, SMMP has undertaken to compile and make available for review policies submitted by its members. SMMP encourages continuing submission of such policy statements, which should be sent in electronic form to to Patty Frisch at plfrisch@nmt.edu or as hardcopy to Patty Frisch, NMBGMR NM Tech, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801.
In addition, museums accredited by the American Association of Museums are required to follow the American Association of Museums Code of Ethics. You will notice that this code is referred to in several of the collections management policies provided below.
Policies by Institution
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The American Museum is a natural history museum that comprises 42 exhibition halls, 5 scientific divisions staffed with 48 curators, and a total workforce of more than 1,200. The Halls of Mineral & Gems exhibit about 5,000 specimens from the collection of more than 100,000 mineral and gem specimens. In addition the Hall of Meteorites features over 140 specimens from a collection representing >1,200 meteorites, and the Hall of Planet Earth presents 168 samples verging on "outcrop" scale from the research collection of more than 18,500 "rock" plus ~4,500 "ore" specimens. Admission ranges from $13 to $53 for a 9-day "city pass" or $55 and up for annual membership. Visitation is estimated at 4,000,000 people annually. |
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The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a Natural History museum with departments of Anthropology, Earth Sciences, Space Sciences, and Zoology. The Earth Sciences department has four curators in vertebrate paleontology, paleobotany/invertebrate paleontology & geology and one collections manager. The collection focuses on Mesozoic & Cenozoic vertebrates and plants from North America. The Earth Science collection has 132,000 specimens, of which 34,000 (~25%) are rocks, minerals, micromounts, and meteorites. Admission charges range from $10 for regular entry to $200 for an annual group pass for 8. Visitation is estimated at 1,200,000 people annually. |
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The Hunterian is part of the University of Glasgow. It opened in 1807 and is the oldest surviving public museum in Scotland. The museum now houses over a million objects, including 120,000 rock & mineral specimens (plus over 25,000 thin sections), 1,500 cut gemstones, and 70 meteorites. Our extensive displays are geared to a general public audience, but the museum has close links with research and teaching in the University Earth Science |
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The National Museums & Galleries of Wales is a collection of museums, the Department of Geology focuses on paleontology, petrology, mineralogy and maintains a geological archive and library, with particular reference to Welsh geology. The Museum as a whole holds 4.7 million items/objects, of which Geology constitutes about 14%. The Geology department has 260,000 registered items and a further estimated 400,000 items at collections level, of this approximately 70,000 specimens are held in the Mineralogy & Petrology Sections. There are nine curators within the Department, with three curators and a Collection Manager in the Mineralogy & Petrology Section. Admission is free. Visitation is estimated at 300,000 people annually to the geological collections, 1,300,000 annual visitation total. |
