ABSTRACT
These are common questions from the museum community and the queries themselves reflect a degree of uncertainty regarding the role of the museum and the responsibilities of its officers and staff. Without clear direction, poor decisions are bound to be made and for a museum many such ‘mistakes’ have no easy solutions. The best approach is prevention, and a suggested technique is the adoption of a collection management policy. A collection management policy is a detailed written statement that explains why a museum is in operation and how it goes about its business, and it articulates the museum’s professional standards regarding objects left in its care. The policy serves as a guide for the staff and as a source of information for the public.
