Collection & Operational Development

Advanced support for established collections

Collection and operational development is designed to support archives, museums, and cultural organizations in their efforts to grow and refine an existing collection program. We ensure continuity between your collection, organizational mission, and policies and procedures. Collection and operational development can also function as an audit of past practices, current community relationships, and future goals—paired with a plan for how to get there. Our service is geared toward leaders who are motivated to reconsider existing operational frameworks, modernize their collecting approach, and evolve their stewardship strategies.

Whether you’re looking to better engage your audience, expand your community impact, or recalibrate your collection to serve your mission, our team will ensure your program aligns with your vision.

Reach out to Get Started

Stewarding stories well in today’s world means providing more than just compelling artifacts and evidence. It demands being responsive to a global audience and updating operational structures. It means carefully preserving important facets of the story and uncovering previously hidden elements.

Navigating the landscape can be highly complex and emotional, but we’ll make sure every facet of your collection and institution is a testimony to what you stand for.

So, if you’re committed to…

Modernizing your collection program and stewardship approach
Working with the communities reflected in your collection
Getting stakeholders as excited as you are about program possibilities
Cultivating quality donor relationships to secure future funding
Working smarter with an optimized program structure and collecting strategy

We’ve got you.

Bring Relicura on Your Team

At your service

Our Collection Development service is tailored to the specific needs of your organization. Here are some of the ways we help you meet the goals of your program.

Operational Assessment

Review past and existing program structure
Identify challenges and opportunities
Guide stakeholder discussions for important community input
Host strategic discussions to identify program goals

Collecting Policy Review

Review past iterations of collecting policies
Gather information on documented & undocumented items
Identify material types & subject matter
Flag potential gaps in the collection

Stakeholder Discussions & Staff Workshop

Interview stakeholders
Discuss collecting principles
Train on methods of care & handling
Outline documentation protocol
Advise on collecting policy and deaccession best practices
Hold Q&A

Operational Recommendations

Provide a summary of findings
Determine program direction
Create a blueprint for program evolution
Recommend updates to operations

Collection Plan

Review inventory, organizational structure, etc.
Provide a findings summary
Define collecting objectives
Revamp collecting priorities and process
Align standards with the Society of American Archivists (SAA) or American Alliance of Museums (as applicable)

Program Strategy

Produce a comprehensive report with recommendations
Present findings and recommendations to your team

Frequently Asked Questions

We want to diversify the voices represented in our collections but know this can be a controversial topic. How can we make positive change within the confines of our community?

How do we gently educate our Board and donors that deaccessioning is a normal part of the collection management practice?

Our organization has operated for 30+ years accepting anything and everything and without paperwork. Much of it is not unique, nor “museum worthy,” but we’re not sure how to properly deaccession it without the records.

Not quite ready to get to work? No problem!

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