How do we assess the significance and preservation needs of your collection?

One of the joys of working with collections is the enormous potential for story telling that tangible objects and their intangible stories hold.

But you won’t get this great story-telling potential with a random collection of flat irons, for example, with no provenance and in dubious condition. This is where a cultural heritage significance assessment [SA] or a preservation needs assessment [PNA] comes in handy.

An SA involves: exploring the collection’s history, provenance and ability to reflect the history it represents, comparing it with similar collections, considering its condition, completeness and integrity; and assessing it against a set of eight criteria. Our findings are provided in a comprehensive report with a Statement of Significance and, invariably, recommendations.

With PNAs we are concerned with the physical condition of the collection; where it is stored, potential risks, the building, storage, exhibition areas, environment, housekeeping, visitor impact, disaster preparedness, collection management training and organisational policies that impact on the collection. Again, a report follows with staged, manageable recommendations so that the preservation needs of your significant collection can be met.

These are not box-ticking exercises.

Significant well-cared for collections shape our collective identities, enrich our contemporary experiences, and sustain our memories.

The goal of these assessments is to assist collections to become or remain a community asset. They will help visitors and users to explore the meaningful connections they have with the past, and to be inspired, educated and entertained.