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Managing Museum Artifacts in an Archives

SAA Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, July 2017

The Panama Canal Museum Collection at the University of Florida

“The Path Between the Seas”

The Panama Canal is a shipping lane, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The Zone became like any American town, with families, businesses, schools, churches, & social groups, stabilizing the workforce.

Making a Life in the Canal Zone

Transferring Control to Panama

1979 – 1999 Transitional PeriodDecember 31, 1999 Transfer Ceremony

The Panama Canal Museum

1998 – 2012

Transfer to UF

Panama Canal Museum Collection, 20122012 – 2015 IMLS Grant

IMLS Grant

Processing for exhibits and digitization, the 2014 Centennial, and community engagement,

Transition & Processing Plan

IMLS --> SASCwhat’s all this stuff?

how much time & money do we need to process it?

Collections Survey

(all numbers approximate)

archival documents: 6.98 linear feetprints/artwork/maps: 211 items

assorted artifacts: 3,737 items

Collections Survey

(all numbers approximate)

archival documents: 42 hoursprints/artwork/maps: ?

assorted artifacts: ?

Collections Survey

(all numbers approximate)

archival documents: 42 hoursprints/artwork/maps: 35 hours??

assorted artifacts: 633 hours??

“Artifacts in the Archives”

how do archivists plan for incoming projects or track processing of these hybrid collections?

“Artifacts in the Archives”

accessioningprocessingcataloging

inventorying

Initial Response

people institutions15 archivists 12 academic

9 managers/heads 7 museums3 curators 6 public library/nonprofit/church

1 exhibits curator 3 federal/municipal1 registrar 2 corporate

Final participation

people institutions3 archivists 3 academic

2 managers/heads 1 museum2 curators 1 public library/nonprofit/church

2 federal/municipal

Artifact Categories

category description1 archaeological objects, natural specimens2 clothing, costumes, masks

3 larger objects (furniture, equipment, architectural materials, etc.)

4 sculpture (busts, metalwork, stone, trophies, plaques, etc.)5 smaller objects (ceramics, glassware, medals, jewelry, etc.)6 small/flat textiles, textile art7 technology, musical instruments8 toys, games9 works on paper (drawings, prints, paintings, etc.)

Categorized Processing

category average processing times (minutes per item)minimal processing full processing

1 13.33 null2 26.25 37.193 27.00 142.504 39.19 30.715 20.29 22.666 6.43 13.237 5.00 8.578 null 22.879 3.51 20.53

Categorized Processing

category average processing times (minutes per item)minimal processing full processing

1 13.33 null2 26.25 37.193 27.00 142.504 39.19 30.715 20.29 22.666 6.43 13.237 5.00 8.578 null 22.879 3.51 20.53

Averaged Processing

type average processing times (minutes per item)

average minimal processing (categorized) 8.07average full processing (categorized) 21.93

average of all processing (categorized) 19.05

Averaged Processing

type average processing times (minutes per item)

average minimal processing (categorized) 8.07average full processing (categorized) 21.93

average of all processing (categorized) 19.05overall average (all data) 19.40

More more more

all data can be found online @ osf.io/9bp5w

want to add your data?

archivesteve@icloud.com@archivesteve503-494-0186

Thanks.

Illinois State Archaeological Survey Maritime Research Center (National Park Service)

Mooresville (NC) Public LibraryNational September 11 Memorial & Museum

The Ohio State University Orange County (CA) Archives

University of Florida

2016 - Present

Archival controlProcessing

New acquisitions

Collection Policy

Defining scopeCommittee

Accessioning & Deaccessioning

PCMC Labor

Justifying laborStaff + students

Processing Decisions

Rearranging / Re-housingReduce item level

Re-Housing

Accessions/Donors vs.Format/Subject

Future Activities

Re-appraisal for deaccessionMetadata review

Targeted collecting

uflib.ufl.edu/pcmcJohn Nemmers

Associate Chair, Special & Area Studies Collections, University of Floridajnemmers@ufl.edu

Steve DuckworthUniversity Archivist, Oregon Health & Science University

(former Processing Archivist for UF)duckwors@ohsu.edu

Thank you!