Museum Resources

The Interior Museum Program provides training and assistance for the Department of the Interior's museum programs, but the knowledge and resources used for caring for museum collections can benefit all. This section provides helpful resources for stewards of types of collections - museum, archives, and even your home treasures.

Here are ongoing lists categorized by preservation, collection standards, emergency management, and professional associations.

Preservation

Objects

American Institute for Conservation
Caring for your Treasures(link is external)
General Conservation Topics(link is external)

American Alliance of Museums
Suggested Practices for Museum Collections Space Security(link is external)

Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Conservation and Art Material Encyclopedia Online(link is external)

National Park Service
Conserve-O-Grams
Museum Handbook, 1.4 "Museum Collections Environment"
Museum Handbook, 1.7 "Museum Collection Storage"

Smithsonian Institution Museum Conservation Institute
Taking Care(link is external)

Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections Homepage(link is external)
Guidelines for the Care of Natural History Collections(link is external)

U.S. Department of the Interior
FAQ About Contaminated Museum Collections

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Preventive Conservation(link is external)

Archives

American Institute for Conservation
Conservation OnLine(link is external)

Library of Congress
Preservation

National Archives and Records Administration
Guidelines for Digitizing Archival Materials
Storing and Handling Archival Materials

Northeast Document Conservation Center
Preservation Basics for Paper and Media Collections(link is external)
Needs Assessment Survey(link is external)

Collection Standards by Discipline

Anthropology

American Anthropological Association(link is external)

American Association for State and Local History(link is external)

National Park Service
National NAGPRA Program

Archeology

Archaeological Institute of America
Code of Ethics(link is external)

National Park Service
Curatorial Care of Archeological Collections
Managing Archaeological Collections (Online Training Course)
National NAGPRA Program

Nebraska State Historical Society
The Importance and Care of Archeological Records(link is external)

Society for American Archaeology
Principles of Archaeological Ethics(link is external)

Society for Historical Archaeology
Standards and Guidelines for the Curation of Archaeological Collections(link is external)

Archives

American Institute of Conservation
The Book and Paper Group Annual(link is external)

National Archives and Records Administration
Facility Standards for Records Storage Facilities

Society of American Archivists
Standards Portal(link is external)

Art

Association of Art Museum Directors
Mission and History(link is external)
Professional Practices in Art Museums(link is external)

History

American Association for State and Local History(link is external)

American Historical Association
Professional, Research, and Teaching Standards(link is external)
Standards for Museum Exhibits dealing with Historical Subjects(link is external)

Museums (General)

American Alliance of Museums
Collections Stewardship(link is external)
Ethics, Standards, and Best Practices(link is external)
Museum Assessment Program (MAP)(link is external)

Natural History

General

Natural Science Collections Alliance(link is external)

Scientific Collections International(link is external)

Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections(link is external)

 

Biology

American Entomological Society(link is external)

American Malacological Society(link is external)

American Ornithologists' Union(link is external)

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists(link is external)

American Society of Mammalologists(link is external)

Botany Societies and Associations(link is external)

Burke Museum
Herbarium Database(link is external)

Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Mission: Conservation(link is external)

Florida Museum of Natural History
Malacology(link is external)

Global Registry of Biorepositories (GRBio)(link is external)

International Association for Plant Taxonomy
International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code)(link is external)

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature(link is external)

Society for Marine Mammalogy(link is external)

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles(link is external)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Entomology
Collecting Insects(link is external)

 

Geology

American Federation of Mineralogical Societies(link is external)

Mineralogical Society of America(link is external)

 

Paleontology

Society for Vertebrate Paleontology(link is external)

Society for Vertebrate Paleontology Ethics(link is external)

Image

Emergency Management

Emergency Planning Resources

American Alliance of Museums
  Developing a Disaster Preparedness/Emergency Response Plan(link is external)

American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works
  Publications and Resources for Disaster Response and Recovery(link is external)
  National Heritage Responders(link is external)

Balboa Art Conservation Center
  Guide to Emergency Preparedness Resources(link is external) to regions on the U.S. West Coast

Canadian Conservation Institute(link is external)

Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts(link is external)

The Getty Conservation Institute
  Building an Emergency Plan: A Guide for Museums and other Cultural Institutions(link is external)

International Council of Museums (ICOM)
   ICOM Handbook on Emergency Procedures(link is external) (2010)

Northeast Document Conservation Center
   Preservation Leaflets(link is external)

Emergency Management by Disaster Type

Earthquakes

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) The Great ShakeOut(link is external) Southern California Earthquake Center's Earthquake Safety Flyer: Drop-Cover-Hold On USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

 

Emergency Management Training: Non-DOI

Balboa Art Conservation Center(link is external)

Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts(link is external)

FEMA Emergency Management Institute

Library of Congress

Northeast Document Conservation Center(link is external)

Northern States Conservation Center(link is external)

Volcanoes

USGS Volcano Hazards Program
 

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• International Tsunami Information Center(link is external)
• USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
   

Tsunamis

U.S. Government Tsunami Information

Tornadoes

American Red Cross(link is external) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Weather Service (NWS)
 

Security

American Alliance of Museums
  Suggested Practices for Museum Collections Space Security(link is external)

National Park Service
  Conserve-O-Grams (Refer especially to 2. Security, Fire, and Curatorial Safety)

The Urban Institute Justice Policy Center
  Preventing Vandalism(link is external)
 

Spills

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
 

Hurricanes

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hurricane safety National Hurricane Center
 

Fire

Department of the Interior
  411 DM, I.11 “Fire Protection and Security”

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  NFPA 101: Life Safety Code(link is external)
  NFPA 909: Code for the Protection of Cultural Resource Properties-Museums, Libraries, and Places of Worship(link is external)

National Park Service
  Museum Handbook, I.9 “Museum Collections Security and Fire Protection”
 

Floods

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Floodsmart Program National Weather Service (NWS) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood Risk Management Program
 

 

Professional Associations

Art Museums

Art Museum Network(link is external)
Association of Art Museum Directors(link is external)

History/Historic Preservation/Archaeology

National Council on Public History(link is external)
National Trust for Historic Preservation(link is external)
PreserveNet(link is external)
Society for American Archaeology(link is external) (SAA)
Society for Historical Archaeology(link is external) (SHA)
Society for History in the Federal Government(link is external)

Natural History

Natural Science Collections Alliance(link is external)
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections(link is external) (SPNHC)

Museum Professionals

American Alliance of Museums(link is external) (AAM)
American Association of State and Local History(link is external) (AASLH)
Association of Science and Technology Centers(link is external)
Association of Zoos and Aquaria(link is external)
International Council of Museums (ICOM)(link is external)
International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection(link is external) (IFCPP)
Museum Computer Network(link is external)

Archives

Academy of Certified Archivists(link is external)
Association of Canadian Archivists(link is external)
Association of Information Management Professionals(link is external)
National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators(link is external)
Society of American Archivists(link is external) (SAA)

Conservation

American Institute for Conservation(link is external) (AIC)
Canadian Conservation Institute(link is external) (CCI)