Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref:  2013/103

Contact: Karen Warren, Cultural Services Manager Tel: (01865) 323580

Report by Head of Law & Culture (CMDCS4).

Collections are central to the function of the Museums Service. Their effective management is achieved through a coherent set of policy statements, plans and procedures. These are brought together in the Museums Service Collections Development Policy, previously known as the Acquisition and Disposal Policy, which addresses the need for collections development, information, access, care and conservation.

The Collections Development Policy is an essential element in ensuring that the Museums Service is able to meet the standards required in order to retain its current accredited status within the scheme now administered by the Arts Council England.

The Service has now been invited to re-new its Accredited status under the revised standard introduced in October 2011. As part of the application process the Service is required to review and revise its current Acquisitions and Disposals Policy (2006 -2011) which, to comply with the new standard, is restyled a Collections Development Policy (Annex 1).  This report seeks formal approval of the revised version as this is a requirement of the accreditation process.

The Museums Service has received a request from the National Trust to transfer ownership of Lady Nuffield’s Morris 8 car to them.  The Museum Services’ Collections Management Policy 2013 -18 requires a transfer of this nature to be reviewed and approved by the Service’s governing body.  Annex 2 to this report therefore reviews the circumstances of the original acquisition and makes recommendations as to future ownership, subject to approval being given to the Collections Management Policy.

The Cabinet Member for Community Services is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)              approve the Museums Service’s Collections Development Policy 2013-2018;

(b)              subsequent to the approval of the Museums Service’s Collection Development Policy, approve the transfer of Lady Nuffield’s Wolsey 8 (accession number OXCMS 1987.44) to the National Trust.

Agreed.