Developing a Strategic Plan for the Cambridge Historical

Preparing the Past for the Future: Developing a Strategic Plan for the Cambridge Historical

Society’s Objects Collection

Heather Larson

A Capstone in the Field of Museum Studies

for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies

Harvard University

Extension School

May 2018 Table of Contents

Author’s Statement ...... i

1. Introduction ...... 1

2. Defining the Terms and Goals of the Objects Collection Strategic Plan ...... 2 2.1 Strategic Planning ...... 2 2.2 Present State of the Cambridge Historical Society’s Collection ...... 3

3. Development of the Objects Collection Strategic Plan ...... 5 3.1 Methodology ...... 7

4. Elements of Collection Care ...... 8 4.1 Documentation ...... 9 4.2 Policy ...... 11 4.3 Collections Storage and Environment ...... 11 4.4 Pest Management and Emergency Planning for Collections ...... 14 4.5 Access ...... 15 4.6 Deaccessioning ...... 18

5. Evaluation of the Objects Collection Storage and Documentation ...... 19 5.1 Current State of Objects Collection Documentation ...... 20 5.2 Current State of Environmental Storage Conditions ...... 21 5.3 Current State of Objects Storage ...... 21

6. Current Collection Needs and Goals of the Cambridge Historical Society ...... 22 6.1 Institutional Needs and Expectations for the Objects Collection ...... 23 6.2 Limitations and Strengths ...... 24

7: Methods and Approach ...... 25 7.1 How Peer Organizations Approached Similar Issues ...... 25 7.2 Approach and Challenges for the Cambridge Historical Society ...... 27

8. Strategic Plan for the Objects Collection of the Cambridge Historical Society ...... 28 8.1 Inventory and Registration ...... 28 8.2 Storage ...... 29 8.3 Provenance and Identification ...... 30

8.4 Assessment and Reporting ...... 31 8.5 Access ...... 31 8.6 Implementation of Objects Collection Strategic Plan ...... 32

Appendix. Five-Year Strategic Plan for the Cambridge Historical Society’s Objects Collection ...... 34

Author’s Statement

The research for the proposed Objects Collections Strategic Plan for the Cambridge Historical

Society (CHS) presented in this paper is built upon my experience with the Society during a semester long internship I undertook in the spring of 2017. During the internship I began to take inventory of the objects collection, digitized inventory records in Past Perfect, scanned institutional documents regarding the collection, and helped incorporate objects from the collection into educational programming and events. Many of the preliminary assessments of the state of the CHS objects collection included in this research were based on my personal findings during my internship at the Society. It is my hope that this research will not only benefit the

Cambridge Historical Society but other organizations that see themselves reflected in the analysis of the Society and their desire to improve upon collection stewardship.

1. Introduction

The desire to collect, preserve, and share communal history is the driving force behind many local history museums and the Cambridge Historical Society (CHS) is no different. Its mission states that the “Society is an active repository for Cambridge’s tradition and history. It will maintain any property entrusted to it and collect, preserve, and interpret items of historical and antiquarian significance” (“Collections Policy” 3). In recent years the Society has stretched and reimagined how to interpret local historic collections. “We hope to continue the strong legacy of meaningful programming that the organization has had in the past and really bring to life the amazing stories of Cambridge,” stated Executive Director Marieke Van Damme upon her hire in the summer of 2015, “we don’t want to emphasize the history of this building. We are not this building. We are not just this collection. We are the stories of everyone in Cambridge” (Feijo).

This goal has manifested itself in dynamic programming that looks at Cambridge today through the lens of the city’s past. The Cambridge Historical Society has reached a crossroads, and it will be necessary to determine and clearly define the role that the collection will play in the new era of the organization.

The Cambridge Historical Society was founded in 1905 by a group of local historians.

Society meetings were held in member’s residences and community spaces until 1957, when the

Society established an official home at the historic Hooper-Lee-Nichols house. Collecting for the organization, however, began in the early twentieth century (History of CHS). The collecting focus at Cambridge Historical Society was and continues to be documenting everyday life in

Cambridge. During the interim before the acquisition of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house, the collection was housed in several local repositories without the supervision of a professional staff member. The gap in early documentation continues to plague the collection to this day.

Before an organization can interpret and share its collection objects with researchers and the public, the collection must first have adequate care. Proper care, often described as collection stewardship, is comprised of inventory and documentation, storage, accessibility, and ongoing preservation of the objects. A museum's collection is the foundation all other functions of the organization are built upon. The five-year Strategic Objects Collection Plan proposed in this paper will guide the Cambridge Historical Society staff and volunteers through the essential process of gaining intellectual and physical control over the organization’s object collection so that the collection may better serve the organization’s mission and goals.

2. Defining the Terms and Goals of the Objects Collection Strategic Plan

One of the Cambridge Historical Society’s objectives is to meet professional standards and best practices for the care of their collection. The guidelines developed by the American Alliance of

Museums (AAM) are considered the gold standard by American museums (Gardner and Merritt

1). The AAM defines the best practices of collection stewardship as owning and exhibiting collections appropriate to the mission of the museum, effectively managing documentation, ongoing research, public access, and overall appropriate care to ensure the safety and preservation of the collection (Collection Stewardship).

2.1 Strategic Planning

Strategic Plans are institutional documents that lay out a three to ten year plan, setting goals for all functions of a museum including: acquisitions, development, and operations (Developing an

Institutional Plan 1). An Objects Collection Strategic Plan, like the one outlined in this paper, deals with a single function of a museum. The process of making an Objects Collection Strategic

Plan, however, will share the same methodology of developing a wider organizational plan.

Rather than setting action steps for the functions of the entire organization, the proposed plan will set goals and plan for the functions of collections care including: inventory, documentation, storage, accessibility, pest management, emergency planning, and public access. The act of making the plan in and of itself is often considered to be as equally beneficial to the museum, as the final document that emerges from the process (Catlin-Legutko 3). Institutional strategic planning is a rare opportunity for vested parties to take a focused look at what needs to be improved in the management of the collection and what resources would be required to make those improvements.

2.2 Present State of the Cambridge Historical Society’s Collection

The Board of Trustees, staff, and volunteers of the Cambridge Historical Society have already elected to focus on collection stewardship by increasing staffing and financial support, as well as putting institutional framework and policy in place. The Collections Committee was formed by the Society to oversee collection concerns and is given the power to set collection priorities, approve proposed acquisitions for inclusion in the permanent collection, and direct long term planning of the collection as outlined in the Cambridge Historical Society Collections Policy

(“Collections Policy” 3). The Committee is comprised of the Executive Director, Archivist, collection volunteers, members of the Board of Trustees, a Curator as voted by the Board of

Trustees, and local museum professionals whom have been invited on the Committee as advisors.

It is important to take existing institutional collection policy and planning into consideration when developing a strategic plan for the objects collection, and that the plan speaks to existing policy and organizational planning. This Collections Committee has begun to put collections policy in place and have drafted and passed an updated Collections Policy which

outlines specific guidelines for all major collection management procedures including: acquisition, documentation, research, access, and deaccessioning. The Collections Committee has also written a Statement to the Board which summarizes the current state of the collections and archives at the CHS, emphasizing the need to improve stewardship of the collection and outlining some possible resolutions to existing issues and concerns (“Statement to the Board”).

The Cambridge Historical Society has an organizational Strategic Plan covering F15-F18, and the Society intends to update the document in 2018 (Van Damme). The Society was motivated to write the Strategic Plan F15-F18 in order to “build on the momentum” of community engagement following the 2013 renovation of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house

(“Strategic Plan” 3). The process and methodology of the Strategic Plan included engaging vested parties in discussion of organizational goals and key issues, reviewing institutional documents and history, operational analysis, researching best practices, and the development of strategic community partnerships. The plan outlines an analysis of the strength and weaknesses of the organization and developed goals and strategies. (“Strategic Plan”) The timing of the research and development of the proposed Objects Collection Strategic Plan has created unique circumstances in how the plan will relate to the larger organizational Strategic Plan. Had the

Cambridge Historical Society recently drafted the update to the Strategic Plan it would be essential that the action steps defined in the Objects Collection Strategic Plan fit into broader organizational goals. Because this is a period of transition for the strategic planning of the organization, the proposed Objects Collection Strategic Plan must take stock of the vision and goals that were set in 2013 while also taking into consideration the direction the Society is headed. Since there is no formal update to the Strategic Plan at the time of this research

interviews with staff, Board members and volunteers will carry a greater weight in understanding the future direction of the Society.

Currently, the Cambridge Historical Society has amassed in its collection approximately

80 manuscript collections, 200 books, 50 cartons and several large cabinets of institutional records, 2,000 identified digital images, 375 objects, and a costume collection with over 100 pieces (“Statement to the Board” 2). The scope of the strategic plan outlined in this paper will be focused on the objects and costume collection, defined moving forward as the objects collection.

The manuscript collections, books, institutional records, photographs, maps, and digitization of these materials all fall under the archives collection of the Cambridge Historical Society. Due to limited staffing, the objects collection falls under the purview of the part time archivist. Some aspects of collection stewardship at the Cambridge Historical Society’s could be improved upon by; maintaining an updated inventory, refining registration methods, and increasing storage and accessibility (“Statement to the Board”). The process of identifying key objectives, assigning action steps, and establishing goals for the next five years is an invaluable opportunity to develop a methodology for collections care at the Society. By mapping out the next five years, the

Objects Collection Strategic Plan will ensure that all work with the collection is moving in a unified direction.

3. Development of the Objects Collection Strategic Plan

The Manual of Strategic Planning for Cultural Organizations defines the five core principles of strategic planning as confidentiality, integrity, accountability, 360-degree perspective, and alignment. Confidentiality is essential in order to receive honest and candid responses from staff, members of the Board, and volunteers (Lord et al. 69). The interviews conducted as part of the

development of the Objects Collection Strategic Plan were done in person in private rooms of the

Hooper-Lee-Nichols house, over the phone, or if necessary some interviews were conducted via email. Communicating over email allowed for confidentiality but lacked the collaborative and conversational dynamic of a live interview. The Objects Collection Strategic Plan was also discussed in a round table discourse at a Collections Committee meeting. “A process based on integrity, the value of all the participants, an agreement to recognize the value of ideas, and transparency will encourage everyone to care about making the institution better” (Lord et al.

70). The Objects Collection Strategic Plan was developed with integrity by maintaining open communication, practicing inclusion, and ensuring that all participants had the resources necessary to participate in the conversation.

It is essential that all parties with vested interest are represented and considered during the planning process of any institutional document and that the organization approaches strategic planning with a 360-degree perspective. The Manual of Strategic Planning for Cultural

Organizations describes this kind of whole organization engagement as an essential step in unifying the work of staff and volunteers. “Alignment is one of the outcomes to be achieved from the strategic planning process. When an institution is “in alignment”, all the staff are working together to achieve the mission and all agree with the goals and objectives to deliver that mission to the public” (Lord et al. 72). The executive director, archivist, collection volunteers and the members of the Collections Committee were all brought into the discussion, as well as, staff and volunteers that work in development, education and marketing.

Accountability is at the heart of collection stewardship; the museums hold collections in the public trust and take on the responsibility of the collection’s care. During strategic planning,

assigning roles and responsibilities helps the organization remain accountable for the action steps laid out in the plan. (Lord et al. 71)

3.1 Methodology

There are many different ways to approach writing a strategic plan but almost all would agree creating a methodology before beginning is important for the success of any project. Lord,

Dexter, and Markert suggest a methodology that includes: identifying key issues, drawing comparisons to similar organization’s methods and preparing a way to guide staff, Board members, and volunteers through the brainstorming process (Lord et al. 93). The Objects

Collection Strategic Plan proposed in this paper was developed with this suggested methodology in mind.

Key issues were identified through private interview with staff and group discussions with the Collections Committee. The methodology laid out in The Manual of Strategic Planning for Cultural Organizations endorses brainstorming key issues with a broad lens and identifying issues that touch upon multiple departments of the organization (Lord et al. 97). Identifying five organizational categories in which to identify key issues and build into the strategic plan is often recommended as a feasible goal without overreaching an organization’s abilities in the next five years (Catlin-Legutko 4). The strategic plan devised for the Cambridge Historical Society has a sole focus on the objects collection. Nonetheless, most of the goals will be far reaching and affect other functions of the Society’s work. It is important to think outside of one’s personal role at the Society, but rather consider how objectives may affect and improve the entire organization.

Better registration of the objects, for example, will improve access for the education and marketing volunteers to integrate the collection holdings into events and marketing materials:

advancing the Society’s mission to integrate history into the discussion of modern day issues and promote the activities of the organization (History of the CHS).

Professionals from peer organizations, local museums with a comparable collection and scale of operation, were interviewed to give insight on their approach to similar collection issues.

Susan Baker Leavitt, member of a two-person team that worked on a two-year collections inventory and rehousing project at The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA, was interviewed regarding the project. Sira Dooley Fairchild, Collections Manager of the Bostonian

Society, provided insight into approaching collections issues and extensive inventory projects.

Research and feedback were synthesized to identify five areas of collections care that needs attention at the Cambridge Historical Society and outlining action steps that will improve collections stewardship.

Most literature and guides for writing a strategic plan will incorporate some kind of brainstorming methodology or “workbook” to lead the group in developing goals from key issues and identifying action steps. “Many staff members have [little] experience in planning.

Their working day consists of tasks. The workbook process provides an invaluable tool in helping staff understand how tasks are linked to objectives and goals that will improve the organization's performance” (Lord et al. 123). Interview participants at CHS were asked to think on both a macro scale, considering entire organization efforts and goals, and a micro scale, their specific role and daily tasks in the organization, when reflecting on the objects collection.

4. Elements of Collection Care

The objectives developed and defined in the proposed Objects Collection Strategic Plan aim to improve the stewardship of the Cambridge Historical Society’s objects collection and bring the

organization closer to meeting the industry standards defined by the American Alliance of

Museums (AAM). The AAM defines collections stewardship as:

“The careful, sound and responsible management of that which is entrusted to a

museum’s care. Possession of collections incurs legal, social and ethical obligations to

provide proper physical storage, management and care for the collections and associated

documentation, as well as proper intellectual control” (Collections Stewardship).

The AAM has set a list of standards for collections stewardship that encompass; documentation,

policy, object storage, emergency planning and the introduction or disposal of objects from the

permanent collection.

4.1 Documentation

Taking a comprehensive inventory is integral to collections management and care. It is impossible to care for a collection without first knowing what it encompasses. An inventory will only be beneficial if it is accompanied by a thoughtful and thorough registration system, a method of organizing and maintaining all of the information. The AAM lists, “a system of documentation, records management and inventory is in effect to describe each object and its acquisition (permanent or temporary), current condition and location and movement into, out of and within the museum” as an essential component of collections stewardship (Collection

Stewardship). Proper registration methods are indispensable, as they maintain the institutional memory. Museum registration, commonly taking the form of a numbering system, ensures that records about an object will remain linked to the physical collection specimen in perpetuity. At the Society registration methods have been attempted in the past and some objects are tagged with a number, but the systems have been used inconsistently and the numbering methodology has not been able to accomplish the maintenance of physical and intellectual control of the

collection. Intellectual control requires that a collection is cataloged, listed in a database, or has some other means for researchers to find objects relevant to their interests – much like a card catalog paired with the Dewey Decimal Classification in a library. Physical control over a collection requires that the Society knows where the objects are stored and may be found in their listed location.

Condition reporting is another commonplace form of collections care as a means to assess the condition of each specimen and measure the overall ‘health’ of the collection through condition surveys. It behooves an organization to determine a consistent grading system to measure object condition. The system should be suited to fit the needs of the specific collection and developed to combat surveyor bias (Keene 63-67). Condition of an object must be defined within the museum context, “for example, a pot which is in separate sherds may be in good condition as part of an archaeological archive, while the definition for an applied arts ceramic collection may place it in the unacceptable category” (Keene 67). A grading system ensures that when multiple people are producing a condition report they are all speaking the same ‘language’ and the expectations of condition are set to meet the context of the collection. The AAM considers an appropriate methodology to prioritize conservation and care of the collection to be an important piece of collection stewardship (Collection Stewardship). In order to meet this standard, condition reporting needs to be part of the collection documentation process and a grading system must be in place. The Cambridge Historical Society does not currently have a framework for condition assessment and reporting. To date, three volunteers have worked on the objects collection inventory and the number is certain to grow; having a ‘language’ for multiple collection volunteers to work with during inventory would improve reporting consistency.

4.2 Policy

The AAM requires four distinct collection policy and procedural documents to be in place: a

collections management policy, a collections care policy and procedures, strategic plan, and a

collection plan (Collection Stewardship). Each document is an essential piece to the puzzle and

while they direct different aspects of collections care they must all work in unison and speak to

one another. A collection management policy should be, “in effect and actively used to guide the

museum’s stewardship of its collections”, detailing approved procedures for all aspects of

collection care (Collection Stewardship). “Collections care policies and procedures for

collections on exhibition, in storage, on loan and during travel are appropriate, adequate and

documented” are outlined in the Collections Policy (Collection Stewardship). The AAM states

that, “considerations regarding future collecting activities are incorporated into institutional plans

and other appropriate policy documents” (Collection Stewardship). This would be accomplished

through the development of a Collections Plan and the incorporation of collection needs into

larger institutional Strategic Plans. The Cambridge Historical Society currently has a collections

policy, strategic plan and collection plan in place. An Objects Collection Strategic Plan like the

one proposed in this essay, while not necessary to meet AAM standards, is incredibly useful as a

means to identify collection needs and define specific action steps to expedite the improvement

of the collection management and care. The methodology of collections care developed through

these action steps would also provide a good foundation for a future collection management

policy at CHS.

4.3 Collections Storage and Environment

Collection storage and environmental conditions are an integral part of collection stewardship.

With proper preventative measures in place an organization can be assured of the safety of the

collection. The AAM considers the regular monitoring of environmental conditions and taking proactive steps against potential dangers to the collection to be the two components of collection storage (Collections Stewardship). Historic house museums are faced with additional challenges of maintaining ideal collection conditions in a period structure. The Hooper-Lee-Nichols house is at once the crown jewel and shelter of the Cambridge Historical Society’s collections. The ideal housing for a museum collection would be a structure where it is easy to manipulate the environmental conditions: ultraviolet light, fluctuations in temperature and humidity, air pollution, damage, pests and natural disasters (Collections Stewardship). In a historical house museum this must all be accomplished while simultaneously maintaining the historic significance of the structure, largely mitigating opportunities for structural changes.

Relative humidity and more specifically, fluctuations in relative humidity can have detrimental effects on the long-term preservation of collection objects. “As relative humidity is lowered, these materials will give off moisture and shrink; as relative humidity is raised they will absorb water and swell” (Craddock 16). The ideal relative humidity range for most museum collect objects is a level between 45% and 65%, with humidity swings kept to ±5% (Craddock

16-17). Interior temperature should be maintained from 66° - 72° F in most spaces of the museum, although some objects may benefit from being stored in lower temperatures, as this range has been determined as the ideal compromise between visitor and staff comfort and ideal collection storage temperature (Craddock 16). Humidity that is too high puts objects at risk of mold, mildew, swelling of wood, and metal corrosion; humidity that is too low puts wood and paper objects at risk of brittleness and cracking (Debono Schafer). Like humidity, maintaining a stable temperature is ideal for collection storage and sudden spikes and dips in temperature should be avoided as this can affect the humidity of the space (Craddock 17).

Regular interior and exterior measuring of temperature and humidity is the best way to identify and mitigate issues in problem areas of the building. Collections stored in historic homes face specific challenges due to the microclimates formed by most homes. It is important that the organization has a thorough reading of the environment of each room, as spaces can vary in temperature and humidity. Rooms with an exterior wall, attics, basements, or other spaces with unusual partitions are especially prone to unique environmental fluctuations from the rest of the house (Craddock 19). Once any issues are identified they may be resolved through building modification, mechanical intervention, or changes in storage of the collection. The storage and exhibition climates are not currently being monitored at the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house; collecting this data would be helpful in alerting the staff if one of the microclimates of the house is inhospitable to collection objects and storage.

Storage solutions are as unique as the collection object itself and are dependent on the material and stability of the object. The Cambridge Historical Society’s objects collection is comprised of a wide range of objects: furniture, paintings and other framed artwork, household furnishings, tools, the costume collection, and miscellaneous materials from local businesses.

Identifying the material, and in the case of composite objects the most vulnerable material, is important in determining the ideal environment for an object to be stored because a material may be vulnerable in particular conditions including UV light, certain temperature and humidity ranges, pest management techniques, or even certain museum storage and conservation materials may do more harm than good if they are inappropriate for the material of an object (Hunt 129-

133). Proper object storage solutions or ‘housing’ can take a variety of forms: placing an object sensitive to humidity in an archival storage box to create a microclimate and mitigate sudden humidity swings, padding a painting’s frame so it is not chipped or cracked in storage,

constructing specific archival storage and supports for a delicate item, or covering furniture to prevent the collection of dust (Ambrose and Paine 184-186).

4.4 Pest Management and Emergency Planning for Collections

Expecting the unexpected and having a plan in place, puts an organization in the best position to

face pests, hazardous materials and an emergency if or when the situation may arise. The AAM

includes in their collection stewardship standards that, “safety and security procedures and plans

for collections in the museum’s custody are documented, practiced and addressed in the

museum’s emergency/disaster preparedness plan” (Collection Stewardship). Emergency

planning is fundamental for the safety of the collection, staff and visitors of a museum.

Pest management is an ongoing battle for any museum; however, historical house

museums are met with a particular challenge due to the pitfalls of housing a collection in a

historic structure that is at higher risk of infestation itself. A system of pest monitoring, through

trapping methods, frequent surveillance, and documentation of findings, is the foundation of any

integrated pest management plan (Pinniger 239). Even with diligent monitoring, an object

infestation may require the intervention of a pest treatment. Treatments must always be

approached with careful research or bringing in professional consultants to determine the best

course of action to ensure the object is not damaged in the intervening pest treatments such as

fumigation and low or high temperatures (Pinniger 240-41). The Cambridge Historical Society

currently practices a reactive pest control; upon first signs of infestation the staff are quick to

react and begin developing a necessary course of action. A more preventative form of pest

control would be to write and enact an integrated pest management plan: which might include

setting a monitoring schedule for signs of pests, implementing restrictions over food and

beverage in storage and exhibitions spaces, and treatment strategies (Breisch and Greene 370-

371). Having an integrated pest management plan in place would put preventative measure in action and speed reaction time to infestations, mitigating potential damage to the collection.

Disaster and emergency planning is important for any organization with staff or visitors whose safety must be taken into account, however, museum preparations must also consider possible damage to the collection. John E. Hunter identifies four stages of developing emergency planning: identifying hazards to the institution and collections and determining their possible effects, creating strategies to cope with these effects, writing a plan for before, during and after an emergency, and regularly reviewing the plan with staff and volunteers (Hunter 246).

Hazardous material procedures should also be included in any emergency planning. The

Cambridge Historical Society’s objects collection includes items with mercury and chemical preservatives that are potentially hazardous to the staff.

4.5 Access

Ensuring the general public and researchers have access to the collection is an essential aspect of collection stewardship (Collection Stewardship). Many museums dictate the terms of accessing the collection in a written policy. The Cambridge Historical Society outlines the restrictions and allowances of access and use for the collection in the Collections Policy. In the policy the

Society reaffirms their dedication to research access to the collection and archives, and physical and digital exhibition of the collection. The policy also notes that the Society will fulfill restrictions to access outlined in gift agreements, and resolve to limit access if the condition and conservation of the object necessitates restrictions (“Collection Policy” 8).

Most instances of public access to a museum’s collection are one of three categories: physical and online exhibition, research, and programming and special events, all of which offer a distinct point of access to the collection. Barry Lord defines the purpose of exhibition, “is to

transform some aspect of the visitor’s interests, attitudes or values affectively, due to the visitor’s discovery of some level of meaning in the objects on display – a discovery that is stimulated and sustained by the visitor’s confidence in the perceived authenticity of those objects” (18).

Exhibitions may best serve visitors who learn best through exploration and discovery, while collection access for private research, and educational events and programming acknowledge the needs of different visitor demographics. Having several points of access for the public ensures a museum is serving a wide breadth of interests and methods of learning.

The Cambridge Historical Society periodically hosts online exhibitions; webpage exhibition often intended to pair with a physical exhibition in order to increase the audience or present material that cannot otherwise be put on physical display and research on the Society’s website. The staff at CHS rotates physical exhibitions in the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house, arranges some rooms in some period settings, and has posted labels for rooms and objects on exhibition.

The staff and volunteers work to maintain fresh exhibition, reflecting annual themes developed by local historic consortiums or the organization (Sandler). Visitors to the Hooper-Lee-Nichols

House are often either attendees of educational and outreach programming or by appointment, with very few instances of spontaneous visitation. The Society has worked to increase digital visitation through continued digitization of the collection for public use and updating the Society website to improve user experience (“Meeting Minutes 25 May 2017”).

A majority of the research requests received by the Cambridge Historical Society are for archive materials, totaling 145 research requests and 29 researchers in 2017 (“Collections Update

2017”). Speculatively, this could be because the archive finding aids are available online and there hasn’t been an opportunity to offer a similar catalog of the CHS objects collection. This limits researcher awareness of available objects and access to the collection.

Education programming and community outreach has been a recent strength of the

Cambridge Historical Society. The Society regularly schedules History Cafés and walking tours;

“History Cafés are lively conversations with experts in unique settings around town. They are social, conversational, and fun” (Events). The Society also hosts annual summer open houses, events to celebrate members and volunteers, and participates in annual Cambridge Open

Archives events that unite likeminded local archives to celebrate Cambridge and offer additional access to the public. These programs and events offer opportunities to the public to engage with the collection and archives, and marketing the Society as a resource to the community.

The History Café “When Crafty Women Move Domestic Arts to the Public Realm”, hosted in the spring of 2017, is an example of the dynamic programming currently offered by the

Cambridge Historical Society. Lynn Waskelis, Program Specialist at the Cambridge Historical

Society, also considers this History Café to be one of the most effective uses of the collection in programming to date (Waskelis). The evening events connected the past with present through presentations on The “Bee”, a group of local Cambridge women whom knit and sewed garments to send soldiers in the field of battle beginning during the Civil War through World War I, and the “Pussyhat Project” use of knit hats for protests during the 2017 Women’s March (History

Café) (Palmer). The program began with a walking tour of the neighborhood of the Hooper-Lee-

Nichols house that featured many previous homes of members of The “Bee” and moved into a parlor discussion with a historian speaking to The “Bee” and a local women’s rights advocate speaking to the “Pussyhat Project”. In addition there was a collections component, and attendees were encouraged to view relevant photographs and objects pulled from The “Bee” Records and collection for display. (History Café) The event urged attendees to engage with local history through a variety of mediums and built connections between the history and present day of

Cambridge, MA. The addition of a collection component allowed the public access to parts of the collection that they may not otherwise have seen.

This particular History Café is one of the best examples of programming incorporating objects from the collection, although, the relationship between departments could be built even further. Waskelis noted, “I would love to know our collection well enough to not miss an opportunity to put them to use in programs, (sic) or to feature in social media” (Waskelis).

Improvement to the documentation and registration of the objects, and the creation of a comprehensive objects collection catalog would be a significant step in resolving this issue. The collection would be much more accessible to education and marketing staff and volunteers, whom would have a way to search the collection to see if an object fit into upcoming programming.

4.6 Deaccessioning

The decision to remove an object from the collection through deaccessioning is riddled with opportunities for both internal and external controversy. It is in any organization’s best interest to prepare for any deaccessions with a plan in place and to be certain they are meeting ethical and legal standards and practicing due diligence. With the correct methodology, deaccessioning can be an effective collections management tool. Nick Merriman asserts in his research that it is important to move past the assumption that a museum collection must be a permanent repository, it can be something more fluid that may change alongside the organization to best fit the current mission and goals of the organization. Merriman suggests a “strong presumption against disposal” prevents museums from utilizing deaccessioning as a collections management tool

(14). Deaccessioning can promote accessibility and preservation by transferring a collection object to an organization that can provide better care and access to visitors and researchers. This

in turn, improves accessibility and preservation of the remaining objects in the collection by mitigating overcrowding and ensuring the collection reflects the museum’s mission and scope

(Deaccessioning Activity 1). The Cambridge Historical Society, like many museums, is faced with overcrowding in the collection and may hold objects that no longer fit within the scope of the collection as outlined in collection policies. Creating a scale to measure and assign the value of an object to the collection can help an organization make thoughtful deaccessioning decisions

(Merriman 14).

Deaccessioning is not without restrictions and museums are expected to follow the ethical standards of collecting. The AAM Code of Ethics states that disposal of a collection object must be “conducted in a manner that respects the protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources and discourages illicit trade, conform to its mission and public trust responsibilities, and income from disposal may not be used for anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections” (Code of Ethics). Disposal of an object through deaccessioning without careful consideration to the industry standards of ethical and legal collecting could put the Society at risk of losing the trust of the general public and all that entails.

5. Evaluation of the Objects Collection Storage and Documentation

Taking stock of the current state of the objects collection is essential to identifying key issues that need to be addressed. The storage methods at the Cambridge Historical Society and documentation and registration of the objects were summarily assessed in order to identify strengths and weakness of the organization in regard to collection stewardship.

5.1 Current State of Objects Collection Documentation

In its current state, the documentation of the objects collection varies widely from object to object, ranging from zero information to well researched and documented. Ideally, all objects in the collection would be inventoried and registered, have gift agreements or loan records, and some degree of research and documentation of provenance to illuminate the object’s historical significance. All of this information should be digitized for ease of access and maintenance of records. Documentation of provenance is important for the stewardship of the collection objects at the Cambridge Historical Society. The Society’s collecting efforts focus on the social history of Cambridge and the value of the objects in the collection are often tied to the story of the

Cambridge owner, event, maker or organization from the object’s provenance, and less frequently due to the object being a prime example of its category. The “Bee” chair, for example, is not a particularly interesting illustration of furniture making from its period and it is not in perfect condition, however, it is a meaningful piece of the Cambridge club’s story and a wonderful illustration of the archives covering the club’s history. Maintaining proper registration of objects and archiving institutional documents are an important part of maintaining the record of provenance that illuminates the significance of the objects collection.

A majority of the objects in the Cambridge Historical Society collection have been separated from their institutional documents due to the lack of a consistent registration method.

Object accession records and gift agreements have, with relative consistency, been drafted, signed, and both physically and digitally archived since the early 1990’s. Correspondence regarding collection objects has been physically archived since the 1900’s. The objects collection has also been the subject of a fair amount of research throughout the history of the Society, and

CHS holds largely physical copies of this research. An estimated 10-20% of these institutional

documents have been scanned and digitally archived. Without a dependable registration method, however, these documents cannot serve their intended purpose because there is no method in place in which collection objects are connected to relevant the documentation and research.

5.2 Current State of Environmental Storage Conditions

The Hooper-Lee-Nichols house was built in 1685 and later expanded in the 1730s (History of

CHS). In 2013 the house underwent major exterior restorations to address rot and other structural issues as well as a full exterior painting (Guidelli & Bellow Builders). The building is well maintained, has reactive pest control, and is safeguarded against the elements but, like any structure of its age, it is not without issues. The Hooper-Lee-Nichols house has temperature control throughout the first, second floor and some of the third floor and is maintained roughly between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature and humidity is currently not measured or recorded for the interior and exterior of the house. The windows have been outfitted with UV protectant material on the first and second floor on the south facing windows and the staff is attentive to cover objects at risk of UV damage when not being actively exhibited to visitors.

(Previte). The floor is uneven throughout the structure, which has created noticeable stress on some furniture joints, which should be considered in object storage and exhibition decisions.

5.3 Current State of Objects Storage

Object storage at CHS has been managed with intent to preserve but is overall lacking archival techniques necessary for long-term museum object collection storage. The outlier in this sentiment is the costume collection; an estimated seventy five percent of the costume collection artifacts are stored in archival boxes with tissue paper support. In most cases, objects have been stored on display, the floor, or within other collection objects such as trunks, cabinets, or dressers. There is a thoughtfulness that can be seen in the current storage methods; in some

instances objects are carefully spaced out, wrapped in non-archival protective materials, ropes or signs indicate if a piece of furniture is part of the collection, and some objects have handwritten identification notes regarding provenance. Despite these efforts, overall the objects collection is not being stored in a manner that benefits preservation objectives. Objects that have been stored within other collection objects are packed in layers, leaving the collection vulnerable to pest infestation going unnoticed and potential damage as objects make contact with one another without a buffer. There are issues of overcrowding in the collection, especially in regard to larger pieces of furniture; some pieces are being stored in administrative spaces in the house and without protection from dust. At the root of the issue, the lack of a complete inventory or understanding of the composition of the objects collection prevents the Society from being able to properly identify and address storage issues.

6. Current Collection Needs and Goals of the Cambridge Historical Society

In its current state, the objects collection is not supporting the mission and goals of the

Cambridge Historical Society and the Society is not serving the needs of the collection. Solutions to these issues do not need to be mutually exclusive; there are many opportunities for the care of the collection to be improved upon that will also better align the objects collection with the goals of the Society. The needs and expectations of the Society and its members were determined through private interview, Collections Committee discussion, and the Collections Committee

Statement to the Board, while the resources of the Society are estimations based on public information. Keeping action steps within both the staffing and financial means of the organization and utilizing the strengths of the organization are essential to the success and practicality of strategic planning.

6.1 Institutional Needs and Expectations for the Objects Collection

A common sentiment held by the staff and volunteers of the Cambridge Historical Society is that they are unsure of how the objects collection fits into the Society’s future. In the 2013 Strategic

Plan the Society set a vision for the future of the organization as a place where the Cambridge community could, “understand and embrace how the history of Cambridge: shapes the fabric of the vibrant community in which they live, work, play, pray, and engage, and informs present-day decision-making and future planning” (“Strategic Plan F15-18” 3). The Society approached this vision by placing the focus of the Strategic Plan F15-18 on community outreach setting goals to increase programming, events and relationships with researchers.

The Society has also aimed to improve quality and standards of collection care, including the hiring of a professional staff member to oversee the care of the objects and archives in the

2013 Strategic Plan (“Strategic Plan F15-18” 9). A part time archivist position was established and filled in 2016; the position includes overseeing the care of the objects collection and archives, responding to research and public inquiries, and supervising collection and archive interns (Hoffman). The decision to have a staff archivist, rather then a museum professional, likely stems from the strength of the archives over the composition of the objects collection. The archives collection at the Cambridge Historical Society is much larger then the objects collection and many of the objects were accessioned into the collection with their related papers. The archives are comprised of family papers, institutional documents from clubs and organizations, photographs, maps, and other work that sheds a unique light on life in Cambridge, MA throughout history. Due to this imbalance of staffing the objects collection hasn’t been processed at the same rate as the archives. This disparity of processing has left the object collection less accessible to the program specialist and researchers because there is no comprehensive

inventory, registration method or objects collection catalog. The proposed Objects Collection

Strategic Plan is designed to alleviate this inconsistency of care by offering clear action steps that can be undertaken by the archivist and interns to improve the processing and care of the objects collection. This would ensure the objects collection is available to be integrated into programming and to researchers, better supporting the Society’s larger goals.

6.2 Limitations and Strengths

Like many organizations of its size, the Cambridge Historical Society has limited financial and staffing resources that can be dedicated to collection management and care. The organization has four staff members: an executive director, development and administrative associate, archivist and assistant (Governing Council and Staff). A few dedicated volunteers serve essential roles in the organization, particularly in the areas of education, programming and marketing. Presently, the Cambridge Historical Society has a strong relationship with the Simmons College Library and Information Science program, and the Harvard University Extension School Museum

Studies program, frequently hosting interns and volunteers enrolled at each institution. These relationships have provided a valuable pool of volunteers who are familiar with professional standards and techniques for the care of archives and collections. The Cambridge Historical

Society often hosts interns working with the archives and collections, as well as student volunteers focused on education, programming and marketing for the organization. CHS has done a commendable job sourcing volunteer support that is well versed in the needs of the organization. This allows more technical work, which might otherwise require the attention of a professional staff member, to be assigned to interns and volunteers.

Finding appropriate staffing and financial resources to support collection maintenance and projects is an inevitable and ongoing conversation at the Cambridge Historical Society and

staffing and financial resources can often be at odds with one another. Applying for grants and hosting interns and volunteers are effective ways to save or acquire funding, however, grant applications and overseeing volunteers requires staff time.

7: Methods and Approach

Collection care encompasses all functions of the museum and can be difficult to determine what to prioritize. As suggested in The Manual of Strategic Planning for Cultural Organizations, drawing comparisons to peer organizations’ methods of approaching similar collections issues can be helpful to determine the best course of action without wasting time ‘reinventing the wheel’. It is also crucial to consider realistic limitations and challenges of the organization; otherwise the strategic plan is at risk of being obsolete due to setting unattainable goals.

7.1 How Peer Organizations Approached Similar Issues

The House of the Seven Gables, located in Salem, MA, was built in 1668 and was restored and opened as a museum to the public in 1910 (House of The Seven Gables). The organization shares a similar mission and scale to the Cambridge Historical Society, however, has a significantly higher visitation because the house is in Salem, a popular tourist destination in Massachusetts.

Susan Baker Leavitt, a member of the two-person team that worked on a two-year collections inventory and rehousing project at The House of the Seven Gables, framed the collection needs of The House of the Seven Gables in similar terms to that of the Cambridge Historical Society.

The House of Seven Gables had focused on programming and events and had a large backlog in processing of their collection, much like the CHS. The House of the Seven Gables also faced financial limitations, and the approach taken by Leavitt and her colleague took those limitations into consideration when developing their approach. (Leavitt)

The approach taken at The House of Seven Gables was broken down into three phases.

Phase one was focused on assessment and inventory of the collection and, if necessary, rehousing the collection objects as the team moved through inventory. Phase two was comprised of documentation, appraisal and search for provenance of the objects. The third, which has not been completed, will be to determine accessioning and deaccessioning needs for the collection.

(Leavitt) Breaking down the process into phases is a good way of making an intimidating problem into manageable action steps. It also ensures that the whole collection is being moved through processing steps, or phases, at the same time. This methodology is effective when volunteers are completing the work, as the processing of the collection is broken down into smaller tasks that can be taken on during an internship or volunteer period. A significant portion of the process undertaken at The House of Seven Gables was the decision to rehouse objects as the team moved through the inventory of the collection. This required archival materials such as pH balanced tissue, boxes and other materials designed specifically for housing museum objects.

This method, while efficient and effective, also carries the expense of these specialty materials.

Susan Baker Leavitt noted that the team had maintained the digital database records as they processed the collection and suggested this method to organizations facing similar issues

(Leavitt). This recommendation would be beneficial during the processing of the objects collection at The Cambridge Historical Society. The Society employs interns for a lot of the inventory and processing of the collection and it is easy to lose institutional knowledge when interns leave at the end of a term. Digital documentation of previous intern projects would help bridge avoidable gaps in institutional memory and knowledge.

The Bostonian Society was founded in 1881 and is the steward of the Old State House in

Boston, MA and its collection of Revolutionary American artifacts and archives (Bostonian

Society). The organization works on a much larger scale than the Cambridge Historical Society in terms of size, visitation and significance of the collection, however, they maintain comparable historical collections and face some similar issues in collections care.

Sira Dooley Fairchild, Collections Manager of the Bostonian Society, spoke to dynamic collection care solutions and how small changes can have vast effects. Fairchild cited the return of two large collection objects that had been stored for the city of Boston since 1884 as one her biggest challenges and triumphs during her time at the Bostonian Society. She commented, “it's a small thing, but it has had huge ripple effects” (Leavitt). This is a great example of an organization alleviating overcrowding in storage while maintaining standards of care and public accessibility to the object. This type of advantageous solution can resolve collections care issues while remaining budget conscious, maintaining the public trust, and mutually benefiting peer organizations. The Cambridge Historical Society has recently resolved similar issues of overcrowding in the archives by returning a collection that had been stored at the Hooper-Lee-

Nichols house while another organization found a permanent home, once they had found a permanent repository (“Meeting Minutes 14 Mar 2018”).

7.2 Approach and Challenges for the Cambridge Historical Society

The proposed Objects Collection Strategic Plan for the Cambridge Historical Society will integrate input and examples from staff, volunteers, members of the Board, and peer organizations. The collections issues at the Cambridge Historical Society require both the systematic approach utilized by The House of the Seven Gables and the dynamic and budget conscious solutions of the Bostonian Society. The Society does not currently have full physical or intellectual control of the objects collection and by taking steps to do so the collections can better support the mission of community engagement and change. Ideally, with creative problem

solving, the process of caring for the collection can be built on and around community engagement and the Society may find a better balance where the objects collection is serving the needs of the Society and, in turn, the Society is meeting the needs of the collection.

8. Strategic Plan for the Objects Collection of the Cambridge Historical Society

The overarching goals of the proposed Objects Collection Strategic Plan, which can be found in the appendix, are to improve collections stewardship by regaining intellectual and physical control and reimagining how the objects collection fits into the mission and objectives of the

Society. Strong collection stewardship can have positive and reverberating effects across all areas of the museum. Better care of an object often leads to better access to the public; objects are easier to find and learn about, objects are stored in a manner that benefits preservation, and the objects are cataloged and assessed which improves integrity of accession and deaccessioning decisions and public transparency. Five key areas of collections care were identified as requiring the most immediate attention over the next five years: documentation and registration, storage conditions, condition reporting of objects, and access. Action steps were developed within these areas of focus, designed from an organization wide perspective and with the limitations and strengths of the organization in mind.

8.1 Inventory and Registration

First and foremost, a comprehensive inventory of the objects collection must be completed in order to begin processing and registration of the collection. Two of the three floors of the

Hooper-Lee-Nichols house have been inventoried, leaving a remaining floor of objects to be documented. The inventory allows a museum to take stock of what they have and where it is physically located and fix any issues so that museum functions may run smoother – almost like

defragmenting a hard drive. A comprehensive inventory of the objects collection will provide crucial knowledge for all other decisions made regarding the collection down the line.

It is also proposed that a numbering system is developed that reunites objects with their relevant archives and coincides with the archive numbering methodology. This concept of an integrated registration system was brought up in the Collections Committee round table discussion and suggested by Irina Sandler, previous archivist at the Society (“Meeting Minutes

14 Mar 2018”). This will intellectually introduce the objects into the archives collection, linking the two parts of the Cambridge Historical Society’s collection: the archives and objects. Many of the objects were brought into the collection alongside the correlating archives and intellectually merging these two collections will put the objects into better historical context and improve organization for research searches and requests.

8.2 Storage

It is proposed that the Cambridge Historical Society begin monitoring storage and exhibition conditions including measuring and recording interior and exterior temperature, humidity, and implementing integrating pest control. The Cambridge Historical Society does not currently monitor storage and exhibition conditions but, in doing so, they will be able to better understand the microclimates of the historic Hooper-Lee-Nichols house and make more informed decisions about storage. The Society currently has a reactive approach to pests; when an infestation is identified the staff is quick to act, however, there is no consistent monitoring. Writing and enacting an integrated pest management plan would help mitigate risk, improve response time, and provide the staff with a course of action if an infestation is discovered.

During the inventory of the first two floors of the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house, it became apparent that many collection objects are stored within other collection objects such as dressers,

desks and trunks. New space has recently been opened in the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house for storage and it is proposed that a new storage plan be developed that utilizes the new arrangement. Such a plan should include identification of objects in need of structural support or specific housing intervention. These measures might include but are not limited to the construction of storage containers, bracing of furniture on uneven flooring to alleviate structural strain, or moving objects to an area of the house with more suitable environmental conditions, all of which would improve the preservation of at risk collection objects.

8.3 Provenance and Identification

A fair amount documentation and research has been conducted on the CHS objects collection.

Research documentation, correspondence, object appraisals and temporary loan documents were found during the digitization of institutional documents. It is proposed that completing the digitization and processing of these institutional documents would be a significant step toward regaining intellectual control of the objects collection, by reconnecting the provenance and other information to the collection by means of catalog or finding aid.

Marieke Van Damme, Executive Director of the Cambridge Historical Society, suggested crowdsourcing the transcription of hand written collection documents and gathering information on objects in the collection. Crowdsourcing, as a means for collecting data, has increased in popularity across both the commercial and non-profit sectors. Users provide invaluable information that could not otherwise be replicated by computer software and technologies, and in return they get to participate in the work of an organization or hobby they might otherwise not be able to access at a professional level (Bonacchi et al). Some of the most successful crowdsourcing projects have been when organizations were able to activate online groups or the local community who already had an investment in the organization and its work and engaged

them in a new way. An organization can not only increase access to the collection and deliver new content from a crowdsourcing project, but these projects also engage users with the collection in a meaningful way due to the collaborative nature of crowdsourcing (Owens 128). It is important to note, especially when using this methodology to gain information on collection objects, that staff or professionals review and confirm all information before it is formally entered into the Society’s database or archives.

8.4 Assessment and Reporting

Collection assessment is an effective tool when making collections decisions such as, accessioning, deaccessioning and budget. Creating a common ‘language’, as proposed in the

Objects Collection Strategic Plan listed in the appendix, is necessary to prevent surveyor bias and have a scale in which to measure objects against. Designing an appropriate framework in which to measure the condition of collection objects and their significance to the collection, paired with an evaluation of the objects in collection, is great foundation in which to make accessioning and deaccessioning decisions. Thorough assessment of the collection will also help when communicating collection decisions to the public, improving transparency around potentially controversial actions such as deaccessioning of collection objects.

8.5 Access

It is proposed that the Cambridge Historical Society make a catalog of collection objects available online to researchers and the public. The Society has been working to make archive finding aids available on the website, which is extremely helpful to prospective researchers. This, among other initiatives, has increased the number of research requests since the hiring of a part- time archivist (“Collections Update 2017”). Providing a similar online catalog of the objects collection will increase public awareness of what the Cambridge Historical Society has to offer.

Increased integrating of collection objects into educational programming, events and exhibition has been an ongoing goal of the Cambridge Historical Society and was highlighted as an objective in the F15-18 Strategic Plan. The inventory, registration and cataloging of the objects collection will be a significant step in making collection and programming integration easier, by increasing access to what is available in the collection. The action step laid out in the proposed Objects Collection Strategic Plan in the appendix encourages collaboration amongst departments and reference of each other’s work. For example, if objects have already been pulled from storage for educational programming, the content and collection objects from that program could be used for an exhibition. Referencing the work between programming and exhibitions will maximize developed content and give the audience multiple entry points to access the collection.

8.6 Implementation of Objects Collection Strategic Plan

The proposed Objects Collection Strategic Plan, as outlined in the appendix, includes an implementation schedule based on the methodology utilized by The House of Seven Gables.

Because the objects collection is a relatively manageable size, it is possible to move the entire collection through the processes of gaining intellectual and physical control. In contrast, it may be more practical to break a larger collection down into smaller sub-groups, focusing on a single category of a collection at a time. The phases of the plan: inventory and assessment, registration and planning, and provenance and research, build upon each other with each phase and apply the information gathered in the previous action steps into the next stages of work. Integration of the objects into educational programming, events and exhibitions will be an ongoing process, with ease of access to the collection improving over time.

The implementation of the Objects Collection Strategic Plan is a great opportunity for staff and volunteer collaborations across departments. The objects collection falls under the purview of the part-time archivist, with a lot of the work likely undertaken by interns with oversight from the CHS staff. Some of the outlined action steps would be a good undertaking for an intern team of archivist and museum collections students, such as the processing of institutional documents and development of a registration system that integrates the two parts of the collection. Marketing and education staff and volunteers will be instrumental in implementing the crowdsourcing initiative and integration of the objects collection into programming and events. Collaborations amongst staff and volunteers will further unify the work of the Society, benefitting the entire organization.

The Cambridge Historical Society aims to engage the community in discussion about contemporary issues through the lens of the social history of the city. All functions of a museum are built upon its collection. The collection at the Society helps to bring to life the history of

Cambridge and better fulfill the mission of the organization. Due to disparities in staffing, the archives have been processed at a faster rate then the objects collection. The implementation of the proposed five-year Strategic Objects Collection Plan will map the essential process of gaining intellectual and physical control over the organization’s object collection for the

Cambridge Historical Society staff and volunteers. In doing so, the objects collection will be more accessible to the public and Society in support of their mission and goals.

Appendix. Five-Year Strategic Plan for the Cambridge Historical Society’s Objects

Collection

I. Context and Objectives

A. Composition of the Cambridge Historical Society’s Objects Collection

The Cambridge Historical Society’s Objects Collection is comprised of an estimated 375 objects including; furniture, paintings and other framed artwork, household furnishings, tools and miscellaneous materials from local businesses; and a costume collection estimated at 100 pieces.

The Society has an estimated 50 cartons and several large cabinets of institutional records, many of which document the contents of the collections.

B. Planning Context

The Object Collections Strategic Plan was developed to mitigate disparities in the processing and care of the archives versus the objects collection at the Cambridge Historical society by laying out a plan to gain intellectual and physical control of the Society’s objects collection over the next five years. The staff and volunteers of the Cambridge Historical Society, overseen by the archivist on staff, will undertake the action steps laid out in the plan.

C. Objectives c1. Improve collections stewardship by bringing collections care up to professional standards. c2. Improve community engagement and access to the objects collection.

II. Goals and Strategies

Improve collections stewardship by: regaining intellectual and physical control of the objects collection and reimagine how the collection fits into the mission and goals of the Society

A. Inventory and Registration

a1. Complete a comprehensive inventory of the objects collection.

a2. Develop a numbering methodology that reunites objects with their relevant archives and

coincides with the archive numbering framework.

B. Storage

b1. Monitor object storage and exhibition space including; measuring and recording interior

and exterior temperature and humidity.

b2. Write and enact an integrated pest management plan.

b3. Develop and implement a storage plan that utilizes recently opened space in the Hooper-

Lee-Nichols house and data from the complete objects inventory.

C. Provenance and Identification

c1. Complete the processing and digitization of institutional collection documents.

c2. Engage community in crowdsourcing transcription of handwritten labels and collection

documents, and identification of objects.

D. Assessment and Reporting

d1. Design an appropriate framework and language in which to assess the condition of

objects in the collection and their value to the collection.

d2. Assess the condition of objects in the collection and their value to the collection using the

designed framework.

E. Access

e1. Increase integration of collection objects into educational programming, events and

exhibition by encouraging department collaboration and referencing.

e2. Make a catalog of collection objects available to researchers and the public.

III. Implementation of the Strategic Plan

Phase 1: Inventory and Assessment

Complete a comprehensive inventory of the objects collection (a1), monitor object storage

and exhibition space including; measuring and recording interior and exterior temperature

and humidity (b1), complete the processing and digitization of institutional collection

documents (c1), and design an appropriate framework and language in which to assess the

condition of objects in the collection and their value to the collection (d1).

Phase 2: Registration and Planning

Develop a numbering methodology that reunites objects with their relevant archives and

coincides with the archive numbering framework (a2), write and enact an integrated pest

management plan (b2), assess the condition of objects in the collection and their value to the

collection using the designed framework (d2), and develop and implement a storage plan that

utilizes recently opened space in the Hooper-Lee-Nichols house and data from the complete

objects inventory (b3).

Phase 3: Provenance and Research

Engage community in crowdsourcing transcription of handwritten labels and collection documents, and identification of objects (c2), and make a catalog of collection objects available to researchers and the public (e2).

Ongoing: Increase integration of collection objects into educational programming, events and exhibition by encouraging department collaboration and referencing (e1).

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