All three parts of the Museum Handbook are now online!
Watch this space for availability of other chapters.
What is the Museum Handbook?
It is a reference guide on how to manage, preserve, document, access and use museum collections.
There are three parts to the NPS Museum Handbook:
Part I, Museum Collections
Part II, Museum Records
Part III, Museum Collections Use
It focuses on standards and procedures of preventive care for musuem collections with information on:
- Preservation and conservation
- Emergency planning
- Handling and shipping objects
- Integrated pest management
- Security and fire protection
- Storage buildings, equipment and techniques
It also includes numerous appendices on techniques for the preservation of specific types of materials found in museum collections including:
- Archeological objects
- Cellulose nitrate film
- Ceramics, glass and stone
- Leather and skin objects
- Metal objects
- Paintings
- Paper objects
- Photo collections
- Textiles
- Wooden objects
It provides guidance on documentation and accountability for the following types of objects:
- Archeology
- Ethnography
- History
- Archival and manuscript collections
- Biology
- Geology
- Paleontology
It addresses the following topics:
- Accessioning
- Cataloging
- Inventorying
- Marking objects
- Record photography
- Incoming and outgoing loans
- Deaccessioning
It addresses the following topics:
- Evaluating and documenting museum collections use
- Legal issues
- Publications
- 2-Dimensional reproductions
- 3-Dimensional reproductions
- Special uses of museum collections
- Using museum objects in exhibits
- Furnished historic structures
- Research
- Guidance for planning research space
- Reference interview process
Part I, II and III of the Museum Handbook are now online.
For additional information, click here to email, or write to:
National Park Service
Museum Management Program
1849 C Street, NW, Room NC230
Washington, D.C. 20240
U.S.A