Significance 2.0: a guide to assessing the significance of collections

Roslyn Russell, Kylie Winkworth

Collection care

Significant items in a collection can be placed at risk in a number of ways by being exposed to fluctuations in relative humidity, too strong or varying light levels, and being placed on display for too long. Some significant items are displayed in insecure situations where they can be damaged or stolen.

Taking items out of harm's way – South Sea Islands artefacts

Bark cloth draped over a roll of woven coconut fibre matting

Bark cloth cloak of the Kukukuku people, Papua New Guinea, draped over a roll of woven coconut fibre matting, adjacent to an access ramp
Reproduced courtesy of Adventist Heritage Centre and South Sea Islands Museum, Cooranbong, New South Wales
Photo: Roslyn Russell

A significance assessment of a whole collection of a museum of Pacific Islands material identified a number of significant items that were on open display and unsecured.

This bark cloth cloak, a significant item associated with the Kukukuku people of New Guinea, was at risk because of its exposed location in the museum, situated in the open beside a rampway giving access to the room. It could have been damaged by passing visitors, and the folded-over section at floor level could have left a permanent crease in the fabric. The cloak has now been taken off display and stored in a safe location. Significance assessment of the museum's collection has led to significant items being removed from potential risks.

Lighting

Conservators are currently assessing alternative approaches to lighting guidelines that use significance of items in addition to lighting science, which is also under review.

Security

Many museums, libraries and archives continue to display items and collections, or make archival and library material available, in situations where items can be stolen or damaged.

An Indigenous bicornial basket has now been removed from its easily accessible position on top of a display cabinet within reach of visitors, after a significance assessment identified it as one of the museum's valuable items
Reproduced courtesy of Adventist Heritage Centre and South Sea Islands Museum, Cooranbong, New South Wales
Photo: Roslyn Russell

There have been well-publicised cases where significant maps have been excised from bound volumes and sold; and many library and archive collections report losses of easily stolen material such as single documents. Sophisticated security systems and computer-based methods such as bar coding are not always within the reach of smaller or less well-resourced collecting organisations.

Significant or sacrificial?

A significance assessment of a whole collection can identify the most significant items where the collection contains multiple examples of a particular item type. Those items that are of little significance by comparison with, for example, better provenanced examples or those that are in better condition may be used in less secure areas such as in an open display, or for handling. Making use of these 'sacrificial' items can enhance the visitor experience, while their more significant counterparts are kept safe.

Significance assessment of the museum's collection has led to significant items being removed from potential risks.

Heritage

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