The recently reported thefts of collection items from the stores of the British Museum, allegedly by a member of staff, have shaken the museum sector both in the UK and internationally. In the weeks following this issue coming to light, other museums reported missing or lost collection items.
It is important to distinguish between the categories missing, lost and stolen. Theft of museum collection items in the UK is very rare indeed. Most items classed as stolen were part of public displays and not from collection stores, because security in UK museums is very tight. Items being lost, that is, unequivocally proven not to be in the museum’s possession but without a reason for its disappearance, is also uncommon. Still infrequent compared to the size of the collections, items being missing includes documentation errors – the location record in the database being inaccurate, and the item actually being in storage when the record marked it as being on display. It is also the case that collections management standards have increased substantially in UK museums since the past 30 years. Many incidents of missing, lost or stolen items are historic and predate the introduction of the Spectrum collections management standard in 1994.
Items going missing from collections is unsettling first and foremost because it has the potential for uprooting the enormous trust people have in museums. Research in the UK showed museums to be among the most trusted institutions. Part of this trust is based on the belief that museums are guardians of factual information, presenting all sides of a story. This research correlates with similar studies undertaken in the US and Australia, underscoring global trust in museums.
Being unable to protect collections may, for many reasons, undermine this trust held by our communities. One consequence may be that museums would be seen as less relevant at a time when, arguably, the expertise they represent is needed more than ever. Museums provide anchors of comprehension, facts and logic in a sea of fake news. What’s more, much of the press coverage has been misleading. It does not take account of the professional standards and processes followed by the sector, often in the face of limited staffing and budget cuts, as highlighted by the Museums Association.
ICOM is the world’s largest professional museums organisation and has at its heart the preservation of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. ICOM promotes excellence and best practice across the global museum community, for example through the dissemination of standards and guidance. This is supported by the work of ICOM’s many international committees, including the Committee for Documentation (CIDOC) which produces information on resources and training.
ICOM UK is now publishing a new series of articles on the theme of Safeguarding Collections in Museums. This series will offer fresh thinking on the management, ethics and security of museum collections with a strong international perspective. This series of articles will act as a resource of practical solutions for our members in the UK and globally. We also hope it will demonstrate that it is right for our communities to trust us, and that we deserve their trust.
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