02-09-16 Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF RIVEKSIDE City o Arts Unnovation Museum Board Memorandum TO: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM BOARD FROM: RIVERSIDE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM DATE: FEBRUARY 9, 2016 WARDS: ALL SUBJECT: MUSEUM COLLECTIONS INVENTORY PROCESS ISSUE: Acceptance of an update on the Riverside Metropolitan Museum collections inventory process and status. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Metropolitan Museum Board receive and file the Museum collections inventory process and status update. BACKGROUND: On December 15, 2015, Board Member Dave Barnhart requested an agenda item to provide an update on the inventory process and status of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (Museum) Collections inventory. The Museum is conducting an ongoing comprehensive inventory of Museum collections as part of preparation for the American Alliance of Museums reaccreditation evaluation. This inventory also supports Museum's strategic initiative to provide on -line access to Museum collections to the public via ARGUS.net, a museum collections database. Object information is entered into the ARGUS.net database and will function as the inventory record for collections objects (Attachment 1). The current inventory process will work through the more than 200,000 objects for which the Museum has stewardship responsibility. It will assess objects already in the ARGUS system by updating existing object information, adding information to incomplete inventory records, and creating records for new and previously uninventoried collections objects. Inventory of collections objects is a multi -step process that involves identifying the object and the collection to which it belongs, confirming and /or providing a physical description and location of the object, taking measurements, photographing the object, conducting research as needed, identifying any additional information on the object's significance and assessing its condition. In the past year, the Museum has added two full -time subject- matter - expert Associate Curators of Collections in the areas of History and Anthropology and a part -time Associate Curator of Collections to address collections management and inventory needs.