Collections management

Once you’ve defined your purpose and vision, it’s important to consider how the material you hold can be turned into a collection which serves these. 

Defining your collecting parameters

Your purpose will guide what material belongs in your collection. It may define geographic or organisational limits or focus on a specific time. This helps with decisions about accepting new material and reviewing what you already have.  

You may also want to consider whether your collecting area overlaps with that of another organisation. There may be links between local Scout groups and other organisations like churches, schools, or events run jointly with Girlguiding. You might also have other Scout organisations or campsites nearby that maintain their own collections. 

Contemporary collecting

Contemporary collecting involves gathering material currently used in Scouts or from recent events. 

Often collections are donated years later, sometimes after a person has passed away, making it harder to capture the stories behind them. Collecting stories at the time allows you to capture the immediate impact and create richer catalogue entries for future use. 

You may already have colleagues collecting stories and images for media or social media. By working with them and updating permission forms to include the Heritage Collection, you can ensure you’re collecting the heritage of the future. 

Creating an inventory

Before accepting new donations or removing items, it's a good idea to create an inventory of your existing collection. This can be done quickly by recording basic information and assigning each item a temporary reference number. 

Use removable markings such as a 2B pencil or an acid-free paper tie-on label. Avoid stickers or anything that might leave a permanent mark or residue. If the item can't be marked or labelled directly, place it in a sealed plastic bag and label the bag instead. 

Key information to record: 

• Temporary reference number
• Object name (try and be consistent – scarf or neckerchief, mug or cup etc.)
• Brief object description
• Date
• Condition (new, good, used, poor)
• Provenance (if known)
• Location 

Once you’ve completed your inventory you can start deciding which elements are going to be maintained as part of your collection. This will be informed by your purpose and collecting policy. Your inventory may also highlight gaps in your collection. 

How much to hold 

Both practical and aspirational factors will influence how much material you want or are able to keep in your collection. 

Practical considerations: 

• How much space you have
• Your budget for buying appropriate boxes or shelving
• How many people you’re going to have working with the collection for cataloguing or digitising donations. Can they keep on top of new donations coming into the collection? 

Aspirational considerations: 

• Use of material for activities which may contribute to its deterioration over time. For example, for engagement activities or taking material to events where it might get damaged.
• Capacity to digitise material – this may mean that you only need one copy as the digital version can be used for reference or research, so the original won’t be at risk of damage.
• Loaning material – are you likely to loan material to other organisations and for what purpose? 

If you’re going to use material for engagement activities, you could consider having two collections: 

• Primary collection – which preserves material in the best possible condition for display and research purposes
• Handling collection – where it’s recognised that material may eventually deteriorate due to use but that there are benefits associated with this use 

If this is the case, then you would ensure material is already represented in the primary collection before allocating to handling. 

Once material is represented in the collections you wish to maintain, you can make an informed decision on what to keep or rationalise. 

Packing and storage 

Things to consider: 

• Storage rooms should be dry and not subject to major temperature fluctuations e.g. roof spaces. Try to maintain a steady temperature in your space, and don’t use heating or leave doors open.
• Try not to store boxes on the floor due to the risk of flooding.
• Label the areas of your store by cupboard, shelf and bay to help with location recording on your inventory or catalogue. Once this is agreed don’t change it.
• Standard cardboard boxes and plastic wallets are acidic and storing material in them could cause long term damage.
• It’s important to try and use the best storage solution within your means.
• Museum standard conservation materials can be expensive so it may be useful to use cheaper solutions when creating your inventory and then assess what areas of the collection you need to prioritise for better storage. For example, you could initially use archival ziplock bags for badges at inventory level or those designated as handling material, and when cataloguing the ones formally entering the collection use appropriate wallets and acid free boxes.
• Acid free tissue paper can be used to wrap items which are then stored in crates such as ‘really useful boxes’ or as a short-term solution standard cardboard boxes. The acid-free tissue paper will give some protection from the acidity of standard boxes but this shouldn’t be a permanent solution.
• If wrapping an item in acid free tissue paper, add an additional label to the outside of the wrapping as well as the item so you don’t have to unwrap to identify.
• Clearly label the outside of the box with a number to help identify.
• Label boxes which contain fragile or heavy items.

Personal data and heritage collections

All volunteers should complete the Scouts GDPR training to understand the importance of handling personal data responsibly. This is especially relevant when working with heritage collections. 

Personal data includes any information about a living person that can identify them directly or indirectly, such as a name, membership number, or identifiable characteristics. 

Data protection laws set strict rules for handling personal data but also allow for its permanent preservation when it's in the public interest, known as ‘archiving in the public interest’. This should be separated from records that are kept for legal, business or operational reasons. 

Personal data can appear both within heritage collections and through the process of administering the collection, so it’s important to consider data protection laws within both contexts. 

Whilst having some personal data in archives is permitted as being in the public interest, you must still ensure you take care and consider how it is being used. Some things you should consider are: 

• Is the data being held securely?
• Who can access it?
• Can you justify why it’s being held?
• Is it in the public interest?
• Is the individual concerned still alive?
• Has permission been granted for data to be shared?
• Is the information already publicly available?
• Is there any information that might cause upset or distress anyone? 

Whilst the purpose of archiving some records is to retain a permanent record, other records will be made available to the public and displayed. Extra care and attention should be paid when displaying records, and consideration given to avoiding including personal data in these displays where possible. 

Even in situations where the specific requirements of the UK GDPR may not apply, for example the individual you are talking about is deceased, you should consider whether data that identifies individuals adds value to your content or story. 

For more information we recommend the National Archives Guide to Archiving Personal Data. 

Rationalisation 

Many collections review previously donated items to assess whether they still meet the organisation’s needs. This should be guided by your statement of purpose and collecting policy. 

Resources are often limited, and Scouts collections commonly include duplicate items. It’s acceptable to rationalise your collection by removing material that isn’t needed. Once your inventory is complete, you’ll be better placed to make informed decisions about what to keep. 

You should consider: 

• Relevance to the collecting policy
• Duplication
• Condition
• Knowledge of provenance 

Once you’ve decided which material you wish to dispose of, you can consider what route to take:

• If it has a link to another collection or organisation it should be offered to them first
• Rationalised material can be sold, providing the funds raised are reinvested into the collection 

Once you’ve decided your disposal route, an exit list should be approved by your governing body or their representative. This should be recorded as part of your collections management records. 

For more information, check out the collections rationalisation video by Museum Development South East. 

Managing donations 

When accepting a new donation, it's important to keep a record of the transfer of ownership. This can be done with a simple entry form signed by both the donor and the collection. Each form should have a unique reference number, which will be entered on to your catalogue enabling you to make the link between the material and its provenance. Entry forms can also be used for temporary items, such as loans. 

The entry form should record: 

• The name and contact details of the owner
• The name and contact details of the depositor (if different to the owner)
• A list of the material being donated
• How the material has arrived, for example by post or in-person
• Why the material has entered the collection, for example donation, purchase or loan
• The signature of the donor
• The signature of the collection representative 

Where possible it is also useful to collect information about the donation’s provenance. This could include stories relating to the owner, their time in the Scouts, dates, and key locations. This could be collected by interviewing the donor or asking them to write a summary to be submitted alongside the donation. This information will enhance your collections records and enable you to make better use of material in the future. 

Creating a collection catalogue 

Once you’ve decided what material you want to keep within your collection you can start creating your catalogue. This will record more in-depth information about your collection. It’s also where you’ll start recording new donations to the collection. 

Each item within your collection will now be given a permanent catalogue number or object number. You can follow the same numbering protocol as you did with the temporary number but replace the T with a suffix linked to your collection. The UK Scout Heritage Service uses TSAHC (The Scout Association Heritage Collection). 

The collection catalogue will serve several key functions: 

• It creates the link between the material and its provenance to ensure you preserve each item’s unique stories
• It enables you to locate items easily and return them to the correct storage location
• Records any temporary locations, such as when on display
• Traces the proof of ownership
• Is a quick reference of what you hold to avoid the acquisition of duplicates
• Records insurance value 

Your catalogue can be maintained on a basic spreadsheet, or if budget allows you may want to consider a collections management system. Costs relating to these vary, but the Collections Trust has an online guide to all the main systems. eHive is a cloud-based system which has a starter pack which enables you to record up to 200 records for free. 

Insurance

Collections may be kept in a range of locations. It is important to consider the implications of these. 

• Does the insurance cover for the location include the heritage collection?
• Is the location secure?
• Plans in case of an emergency such as a flood or fire
• If kept away from a Scout site (such as at an individual’s home) is there any overview of the collection, for example: 
  • checks on condition 
  • clear arrangements over ownership 
  • delineation between personal and local collections 
  • provision in place if the individual is no longer able to store it