SANHS

Museum Artifacts

MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL: TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Background

The Museum Collection is one of the primary Heritage Assets of the Society dating from 1849 onwards. It exists to further the charitable objects of the Society, ‘to promote the study of the archaeology, natural history and history with particular reference to the historic Ccounty of Somerset etc.’ The Collection was leased to Somerset County Council on 1 August 1958 and has since developed as an integral part of the County Museums Collections. The arrangement is subject to a new loan agreement signed on 2 September 2008.

The panel was established by order of 22 October 2011 of the Board of the Society ‘to discuss and approve the next [museum] forward plan to provide a renewed basis of understanding and to enable the museums service to submit to the renewal of its Accredited status, a benchmark to demonstrate it meets minimum standards of care, management and access.’

Under the terms of the Agreement of 2 September 2008, Somerset County Council is obliged to:

‘(3a) consult in the development of a forward collections management plan, such plan to comply with recognised professional standards;

(3b) consult with the Lender in the development of the forward collections management plan;

(3c) arrange at least one meeting in each consecutive period of 12 months from the date of this agreement between the Head of the Museums Service (or similar appropriate officer of the Council) and the Chairperson of the Lender (together with such other appropriate officers or members of either party) to review issues of collections care relating to the Lender’s collection and agree appropriate action;

(3d) properly and publicly acknowledge, in terms agreed with the Lender, the Lender’s ownership of items in the Collection when displayed, reproduced or published in any form;

(3e) allow the Lender or other officials of the Lender and persons authorised by it free access to the Collection at all reasonable times by prior arrangement to inspect the Collection;

(3f) submit an annual report on the collections management plan for the Lender for presentation at each of the Lenders Annual General Meetings and other purposes;

(3g) maintain the Museum’s Accreditation status under the MLA {Museums Libraries and Archives Council or their successors] Scheme; and

(3h) at all time observe and comply with the provisions of the MLA Scheme.’

Under the same Agreement, the Society is obliged to:

‘(4a) acknowledge the role of the Somerset County Council Museums Service in connection with the Collection whenever appropriate;

(4b) support the development of the Collection in accordance with the collections management plan and, where appropriate and at its absolute discretion, express this support by means of financial contributions.’

2. Terms of Reference

The Board:-

2.1 expects the panel to be guided by its museum policy (as enshrined in the preamble to the Agreement of 2 September 2008) including compliance with the Museums Association Code of Ethics;

2.2 authorises the panel to act with the Chairperson of the Society on its behalf in ensuring that the terms of the Agreement of 2 September 2008 are complied with;

2.3 expects the panel to advise it on all matters concerning the well-being, development, public access to, use and management of its Museum Collection including approval of the forward collections management plan and making recommendations for the use of the Museum Exhibit Fund;

2.4 delegates authority to the panel through its officers to decide day-to-day matters with the Head of the Museum Service or other appropriate officer of the County Council such as the approval of loans, the exercise of the Society’s intellectual property rights, sampling of items for research purposes, provided that those decisions are reported to the Board at their next meeting.

3. Membership

The Board will appoint up to six members, at least one of whom will be a fully qualified museum professional (ie a holder of the Associateship of the Museums Association), and at least two of whom will be Trustees of the Society. The panel will appoint its own chair and secretary and has the power to coopt or invite views from third parties. The panel will work with the Head of the Museums Service and other appropriate officers of the County Council.

As with all committees of the Society, the Executive Officers may attend its meetings.

David Dawson, 3 November 2011