Northern States Conservation Center
Collections Caretaker eNewsletter
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January 2025 Course Schedule | | |
Welcome to the Collections Caretaker e-Newsletter from Northern States Conservation Center. the newsletter is designed to bring you content that is pertinent to situations we all encounter in our museum and archives work. Feel free to let us know what topics you would like to see featured in Collections Caretaker or even contribute and article. | |  |
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In this Issue
January 2025 Course Schedule
Full 2025 Course Schedule
Featured Courses
Conferences and Meetings
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January 2025 Courses
1. Collections management is the physical and intellectual management of collections. Museums need collections management policies and procedures to insure proper treatment and protection of their collections. If you do not have a Registration Manual for your museum, this class will help you create one and teach what is needed to properly document your collection.
MS 103: The Basics of Museum Registration
January 6 to February 7, 2025
Instructor: Peggy Schaller
Description:
Collections management is a critical component of running a museum. Most museums have collections and these collections drive the public functions and activities of the institution. Collections management is the physical and intellectual management of these items. In this course we will examine how information is collected and recorded for each object brought into the collection - a process called registration. We will also examine the policies that govern what is brought into the collection, including the most important piece of institutional policy--the museum mission statement. These policies are assembled into the collections management 'bible'--the registration manual. At the end of this course you should have a clear understanding of how and why collections are documented in museums and the governing principles that drive daily museum activities.
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2. Do you have a volunteer program at your facility? Are you thinking about instituting a volunteer program? Get the basics for museum volunteer programs and improve your current program or get started with a new program on the right foot!
MS 108: Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs
January 6 to February 14, 2025
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
Volunteers are essential for most non-profit institutions. But good volunteers aren't born -- they are made. Even though they don't get paychecks, it takes time and money to have effective volunteers. Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs teaches the basics of a strong volunteer program. Topics include recruiting, training and rewarding volunteers, as well as preparing staff. Instruction continues through firing and liabilities. Participants will end up with sound foundational knowledge for starting a new or strengthening an existing volunteer program based on a nine-step process.
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3. Want to learn more about doing evaluations on your exhibits and public programs? Want to know why some programs are more popular than others? This course walks you through the process of formulating, executing, and reviewing the results of exhibit and public program evaluations.
MS 237: Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs
January 20 to February 14, 2025
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description
Have you done some evaluation but did not get helpful information? Do you wish you could do evaluations, but think it is too hard or too expensive? Do you wonder how to get people to use an offered program more? Evaluations are feasible and easy. This course will help you determine what you really want to know, choose the right process to gather the information, develop meaningful questions, and figure out what the results tell you. Please have a program or text in mind (real or imagined) to work with during the course. Note: this course will not be looking at statistical analysis.
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4. Do you have a collection moved in your future? What to know the best practices for planning for the move, making it happen, and making sure nothing gets damaged or lost in the process? This is the course that will help you have a successful move!
MS 262: Moving Collections
January 6 to 31, 2025
Instructor: Laura Wingate
Description:
Moving collections is a daunting task. Fragile items need special packing and care to be safely transported. Large, heavy or awkward items like dinosaurs and oversized sculptures require special equipment and support from local authorities. How do you design your project to meet the budget and timing demands of your administration? Are your collections over-packed in acidic boxes and does your move includes improving their storage and care? Collections often take up more room when they are stored properly. How do you determine your needed storage space when the collection is decompressed? Moving Collections provides an overview of how to plan and manage a move to avoid the many pitfalls. The course includes: defining your project, developing a Request for Proposal (RFP), developing a work plan, staffing, and packing protocols. Whether you are moving part of the collection within your building or moving the entire collection to another facility, Moving Collections provides a blueprint for you to follow.
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5. Thinking about using interpretive panels for your institutional grounds, historic site, or zoo? Need information and guidance on the best practices for creating these panels and finding the best product and companies to make them? This course will walk you through the process of creating the best and most informative panels possible.
MS270: Planning and Designing Interpretive Panels for Cultural Properties
January 6 to 31, 2025
Instructor: John Veverka
Description:
The Planning, design and text copy development for interpretive panels is a practical “how to do it” course to develop updated or new interpretive panels for heritage sites, historic homes, natural areas, zoos, and other related sites. Panels are the most widely use interpretive media, world-wide, to quickly present a message or story to site visitors in a memorable fashion. We will look at the interpretive planning process, interpretive design concerns, interpretive text writing for panels, panel fabrication materials, panel pre-testing evaluation, and even how to write a RFP (request for proposal) to have your panels fabricated. This is an important course for any interpretive staff member, planner, designer or manager.
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2025 Course Schedule
February
MS001: The Problem with Plastics February 3 to 7, 2025
MS104: Introduction to Collections Preservation: February 3 to March 7, 2025
MS266: Legal Issues in Collections Management February 3 to 28, 2025
March
MS 213: Museum Artifacts: How they were made and how they deteriorate March 3 to April 18, 2025
MS 269: Marketing for Interpretation March 3 to 28, 2025
April
MS010: Condition Assessments April 14 to 25, 2025
MS202: Museum Storage Facilities and Furniture April 7 to May 3, 2025
MS259: The Volunteer Handbook April 7 to May 16, 2025
May
MS 014: Education Collections May 19 to 23, 2025
MS 212: Care of Textiles May 5 to 30, 2025
MS 214: Collections Management Databases May 5 to 30, 2025
MS 234: Archives Management May 5 to 30, 2025
MS 271: Training for Interpretive Trainers May 5 to 30, 2025
July
MS 207: Cataloging Your Collection July 7 to August 1, 2025
MS210: Integrated Pest Management July 7 to August 15, 2025
MS 267: Museum Ethics July 7 to August 1, 2025
MS 272: Exhibit rehab - Breathing New Life Into Old Exhibits July 7 to August 1, 2025
August
MS203: Museum Storage Techniques August 4 to 29, 2025
MS217: Museum Cleaning Basics August 4 to September 12, 2025 (6 weeks)
MS275: Heritage Economics for Interpreters, Planners, Site Managers and Educators August 4 to 29, 2025
September
MS227: Care of Paintings September 8 to October 17, 2025 (6 weeks)
MS 268: Creating Interpretive Gallery Tours September 8 to October 3, 2025
MS 302: Fundraising and Grant Writing September 8 to October 3, 2025
MS303: Found in Collections: Orphans, Old Loans and Abandoned Property September 8 to October 3, 2025
October
MS 106: Exhibit Fundamentals: Ideas to Installation October 6 to November 14, 2025
MS204: Materials for Storage and Display October 6 to 31, 2025
November
MS 007: The Mission Statement: Is it really that important? November 3 to 14, 2025
MS 211: Preservation Environments November 3 to December 12, 2025
MS 212: Care of Textiles November 3 to December 1, 2025
MS 218: Collection Inventories November 3 to December 1, 2025
MS273: Advanced Interpretive Techniques –Interpretive Storytelling - November 3 to December 1, 2025
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For More Information on any of these courses please visit: https://www.collectioncare.org/course-list
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Early Bird Discounts Available for Full Length Courses
An Early Bird Discount is available for anyone who signs up for a full length course from museumclasses.org 30 days prior to the start of that course.
Sign up for a full length course up to 30 days prior to its start and save 20%!
For our course list or to sign up: http://www.collectioncare.org/course-list
To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at collectioncare.org
Earlybird discount for February 2025 courses is January 4, 2025
Earlybird discount for March 2025 courses is February 1, 2025
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Planning and Designing Interpretive Panels for Cultural Properties
The Planning, design and text copy development for interpretive panels is a practical “how to do it” course to develop updated or new interpretive panels for heritage sites, historic homes, natural areas, zoos, and other related sites. Panels are the most widely use interpretive media, world-wide, to quickly present a message or story to site visitors in a memorable fashion. We will look at the interpretive planning process, interpretive design concerns, interpretive text writing for panels, panel fabrication materials, panel pre-testing evaluation, and even how to write a RFP (request for proposal) to have your panels fabricated. This is an important course for any interpretive staff member, planner, designer or manager.
The course includes an e-copy of John’s Interpretive Planning Textbook, and a e-copy of John’s new The Interpretive Trails Book.
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Thinking of creating interpretive panels for your site? Learn all about them by joining John Veverka for MS270: Planning and Designing Interpretive Panels for Cultural Properties staring January 6, 2025.
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Moving Collections
Moving collections is a daunting task. Fragile items need special packing and care to be safely transported. Large, heavy or awkward items like dinosaurs and oversized sculptures require special equipment and support from local authorities. How do you design your project to meet the budget and timing demands of your administration? Are your collections over-packed in acidic boxes and does your move includes improving their storage and care? Collections often take up more room when they are stored properly. How do you determine your needed storage space when the collection is decompressed? Moving Collections provides an overview of how to plan and manage a move to avoid the many pitfalls. The course includes: defining your project, developing a Request for Proposal (RFP), developing a work plan, staffing, and packing protocols. Whether you are moving part of the collection within your building or moving the entire collection to another facility, Moving Collections provides a blueprint for you to follow.
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Is the a collection move in your future? Prepare for it by joining Laura Wingate for MS262 Moving Collections starting January 6, 2025
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Conferences and Meetings
Double check each organization's website for more information.
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2025
Archaeological Institute of America/Society for Classical Studies, Philadelphia, PA
January 2-5, 2025
Society for Historical and Underwater Archaeology, New Orleans, LA
January 8-11, 2025
California Association of Museums, San Francisco, CA
February 18–21, 2025
Museums Association of New York, Ithaca, NY
April 5-8, 2025
Texas Association of Museums, Austin, TX
April 6-9, 2025
Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums, Greeley, CO
April 9-12, 2025
Museum Store Association, Los Angeles, CA
May 5-9, 2025
National Association for Interpretation, Morocco
May 15–22, 2025
Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums, Little Rock, AR
June 20-25, 2025
International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection, New Haven, CT
May 3-8, 2025
American Alliance of Museums, Los Angeles, CA
May 6-9, 2025
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, Lawrence, KS
May 27-31-2025
Association of Academic Museums and Galleries, Albuquerque, NM
June 24-27, 2025
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Association of Midwest Museums, Quad Cities
July 23, Virtual; July 30-August 2, 2025
Society of American Archivists, Anaheim, CA
August 24-27, 2025
Oklahoma Museums Association, Weatherford, OK
September 17-19, 2025
American Association of State and Local History, Cincinnati, OH
September 10-13, 2025
Mountain-Plains Museums Association, Omaha, NE
October 2-4, 2025
Southeastern Museums Conference, Montgomery, AL
October 20-22, 2025
Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Pittsburgh, PA
October 2025
Western Museums Association TBA
Smithsonian Institution and Office of Protection Services
National Conference on Cultural Property Protection and International Committee for Museum Security (ICMS) TBA
Society for Historical and Underwater Archaeology, New Orleans, LA
TBA
2026
Archaeological Institute of America/Society for Classical Studies, San Francisco, CA
Jan 7-10, 2026
Society for Historical and Underwater Archaeology, Detroit, Michigan
TBA
Oklahoma Museums Association, TBA
September 16-18, 2026
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Submissions and Comments
How to submit an article or upcoming workshops for inclusion in the Newsletter:
If you would like to submit an article, notice of an organizational meeting or upcoming workshop for an upcoming Collections Caretaker Newsletter, send your submission to peggy@collectioncare.org.
We are always looking for contributions to this newsletter. Submission deadline is the 10th of each month.
Have a comment or suggestion?
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Sincerely,
Helen Alten, Director
Peggy Schaller, Publications Manager
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