Conservation of Cultural Heritage - Specifications for the management of moveable cultural heritage collections

This document specifies a framework and standards for managing cultural heritage collections.  It is intended for use by collecting organisations such as archives, libraries, museums and galleries.  It is applicable to all types of moveable cultural heritage, whether in physical or digital formats.  It promotes core essential policies and procedures that all such organisations shall seek to apply as a minimum and encourages a cycle of continuous review and improvement.

Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Festlegungen für das Management von beweglichem Kulturerbe

Dieses Dokument legt Rahmenbedingungen und Standards für die Verwaltung von Sammlungen des kulturellen Erbes fest. Es ist für die Nutzung durch sammelnde Organisationen wie Archive, Bibliotheken, Museen und Galerien vorgesehen. Es ist für alle Arten beweglichen kulturellen Erbes, ob in physischen oder digitalen Formaten, anwendbar. Es unterstützt wichtige Kernrichtlinien und  verfahren, um deren Anwendung all diese Organisationen mindestens bemüht sind, und regt eine kontinuierliche, zyklische Überprüfung und Verbesserung an.

Conservation du patrimoine culturel - Spécifications pour la gestion des collections relevant du patrimoine culturel mobilier

Le présent document définit un cadre et des normes pour la gestion des collections relevant du patrimoine culturel. Il est destiné à être utilisé par les établissements collecteurs, tels que les archives, les bibliothèques, les musées et les galeries. Il s'applique à tous les types de patrimoine culturel mobilier, qu'il se présente sous forme physique ou numérique. Il promeut des politiques et des procédures essentielles que tous ces établissements doivent chercher à appliquer au minimum et il encourage un cycle de révision et d'amélioration continues.

Ohranjanje kulturne dediščine - Specifikacije za upravljanje premičnih zbirk kulturne dediščine

General Information

Status
Not Published
Publication Date
30-Nov-2023
Current Stage
5020 - Submission to Vote - Formal Approval
Start Date
09-Feb-2023
Due Date
18-Aug-2022
Completion Date
09-Feb-2023

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SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 17820:2022
01-april-2022
Ohranjanje kulturne dediščine - Specifikacije za upravljanje premičnih zbirk
kulturne dediščine

Conservation of Cultural Heritage - Specifications for the management of moveable

cultural heritage collections

Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Festlegungen für das Management von beweglichem

Kulturerbe

Conservation du patrimoine culturel - Spécifications pour la gestion des collections

relevant du patrimoine culturel mobilier
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 17820
ICS:
97.195 Umetniški in obrtniški izdelki. Items of art and handicrafts.
Kulturne dobrine in kulturna Cultural property and
dediščina heritage
oSIST prEN 17820:2022 en,fr,de

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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oSIST prEN 17820:2022
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oSIST prEN 17820:2022
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 17820
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
January 2022
ICS 97.195
English Version
Conservation of Cultural Heritage - Specifications for the
management of moveable cultural heritage collections

Conservation du patrimoine culturel - Spécifications Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Festlegungen für das

pour la gestion des collections relevant du patrimoine Management von beweglichem Kulturerbe

culturel mobilier

This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee

CEN/TC 346.

If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations

which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other

language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC

Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,

Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,

Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and

United Kingdom.

Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are

aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without

notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels

© 2022 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 17820:2022 E

worldwide for CEN national Members.
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prEN 17820:2022 (E)
Contents Page

European foreword ...................................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 4

1 Scope .................................................................................................................................................................... 5

2 Normative references .................................................................................................................................... 5

3 Terms and definitions ................................................................................................................................... 5

4 Principles for managing collections ......................................................................................................... 9

4.1 Overview and responsibilities ................................................................................................................... 9

4.2 Mission statement......................................................................................................................................... 10

4.3 Policies and procedures ............................................................................................................................. 10

4.4 Planning and review .................................................................................................................................... 11

Annex A (normative) Developing collections .................................................................................................. 12

A.1 General.............................................................................................................................................................. 12

A.2 Policy ................................................................................................................................................................. 12

A.3 Procedures ...................................................................................................................................................... 13

A.4 Significance assessment ............................................................................................................................. 13

A.5 Impact assessment ....................................................................................................................................... 13

A.6 Removal procedures .................................................................................................................................... 14

Annex B (normative) Managing Information About Collections ............................................................... 15

B.1 General.............................................................................................................................................................. 15

B.2 Policy ................................................................................................................................................................. 15

B.3 Procedures ...................................................................................................................................................... 15

Annex C (normative) Using and Accessing Collections ................................................................................. 17

C.1 General.............................................................................................................................................................. 17

C.2 Policy ................................................................................................................................................................. 17

C.3 Procedures ...................................................................................................................................................... 18

Annex D (normative) Caring for Collections .................................................................................................... 19

D.1 General.............................................................................................................................................................. 19

D.2 Policy ................................................................................................................................................................. 19

D.3 Procedures ...................................................................................................................................................... 20

Annex E (informative) Summary of procedures for managing collections ........................................... 22

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................................. 23

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oSIST prEN 17820:2022
prEN 17820:2022 (E)
European foreword

This document (prEN 17820:2022) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 346

“Conservation of Cultural Heritage”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
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Introduction

All organizations that hold moveable cultural heritage collections, such as archives, libraries, museums

and galleries, have a responsibility to manage these collections in a planned and systematic manner so

that they continue to be preserved and accessible. This document sets out a framework for managing

collections, beginning with an organization’s purpose in holding them, followed by the policies it shall

seek to meet and the core procedures that need to be established. It promotes ongoing evaluation and

review of these policies and procedures.

Many cultural heritage institutions have developed their own approaches to managing their collections.

Some countries regulate this in law for government institutions and other public organizations, setting

uniform quality levels and often referring to widely recognized codes of practice (for example the Code

of Ethics for Museums of the International Council of Museums). This document aims to complement

these regulations and codes by providing a framework and operational specifications for good practice.

This document is formed of an introductory normative Principles section followed by normative

Annexes which contain the principal core policies and procedures that all cultural heritage institutions

with collections shall use as a minimum, in addition to any local and national policies required of them.

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1 Scope

This document sets out a framework and standards for managing cultural heritage collections. It is

intended for use by collecting organizations such as archives, libraries, museums and galleries. It is

applicable to all types of moveable cultural heritage, whether in physical or digital formats. It promotes

core essential policies and procedures that all such organizations shall seek to apply as a minimum and

encourages a cycle of continuous review and improvement.
2 Normative references

The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content

constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For

undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

EN 15946, Conservation of cultural property - Packing principles for transport

EN 16095, Conservation of cultural property - Condition recording for movable cultural heritage

EN 16648, Conservation of cultural heritage - Transport methods

EN 16790, Conservation of cultural heritage - Integrated pest management (IPM) for protection of

cultural heritage

EN 16853, Conservation of cultural heritage - Conservation process - Decision making, planning and

implementation

EN 16893:2018, Conservation of Cultural Heritage - Specifications for location, construction and

modification of buildings or rooms intended for the storage or use of heritage collections

EN 17429, Conservation of cultural heritage - Procurement of conservation services and works

ISO 21110, Information and documentation — Emergency preparedness and response
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:

— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
accessibility
opportunity to engage with an object physically and/or intellectually
3.2
accession

process of recording the admission of an object or group of objects into a collection

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3.2.1
accession record

written record of the admission of an object or group of objects into a collection

Note 1 to entry: An accession record is often in the form of a register or a section of a documentation software

package which shall be reviewed and updated and maintained permanently.
3.2.2
de-accession

process of recording the removal from the accession record of an object or group of objects

3.3
acquisition
process of obtaining responsibility for an object
process of obtaining legal title of an object

Note 1 to entry: This applies to obtaining objects through the transfer of legal title or through a loan into the

organization. An organization can select which of these acquired objects will undergo accession into its collection.

3.4
appraising

process of deciding whether an object or group of objects has continuing value in accordance with the

collecting organization’s mission statement

Note 1 to entry: For example, an object can have value as evidence or as an historical resource, which would

justify its retention.
3.5
benefits sharing

fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of collection resources and related traditional

knowledge (see also 3.22 rights management)
[SOURCE: United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).]
3.6
business continuity

capability of an organization to continue the delivery of products and services within acceptable time

frames at predefined capacity during a disruption
[SOURCE: ISO 22300:2021, 3.1.19]
3.7
catalogue
structured list of information about or relating to objects within a collection
3.8
collecting organization

organization that collects, cares for and provides access to cultural objects for education, learning,

entertainment, legal or evidential purposes

Note 1 to entry: For example, archives, businesses, heritage organizations, libraries, museums and private

collections.
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3.9
collection
group of objects having shared or combined significance

Note 1 to entry: The term “collection” is mainly used within “moveable cultural heritage”.

Note 2 to entry: It is the intention of the collecting organization to preserve and maintain the collection together.

[SOURCE: EN 15898:2019, 3.1.5]
3.10
competent person

someone who has the necessary training, knowledge, experience, expertise and skills, sufficient to

complete their allotted task safely and effectively
3.11
conservation

measures and actions aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage while respecting its significance,

including its accessibility to present and future generations

Note 1 to entry: Conservation includes preventive conservation, remedial conservation and restoration.

[SOURCE: EN 15898:2019, 3.3.1]
3.12
emergency preparedness

measures and actions taken in advance to mitigate the effects of possible destructive events and to

prepare for an effective response
Note 1 to entry: This includes drawing up a disaster response plan.

Note 2 to entry: The effective emergency response contains series of decisions and/or actions taken in context of

emergency, planned or not.
[SOURCE: EN 15898:2019, 3.4.6]
3.13
emergency planning

development and maintenance of agreed procedures to prevent, reduce, control, mitigate and take

other actions in the event of an emergency
3.14
impact assessment

means of measuring the effectiveness of organizational activities against the overall mission and

judging the significance of changes brought about by those activities
3.15
object
single manifestation of tangible cultural heritage

Note 1 to entry: For the purposes of this document, the term object includes both physical and digital objects.

[SOURCE: EN 15898:2019, 3.1.3]
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3.16
legal title

rights of ownership that are defined or recognized by law or that could be successfully defended in a

court of law
3.17
mission statement

strategic statement setting out an organization’s purpose and objectives and how these are supported

by a cultural heritage collection
3.18
policy

overall intentions and direction of an organization as formally expressed by the organization’s

governing authorities

Note 1 to entry: A policy provides a framework for action and for the setting of objectives.

Note 2 to entry: A policy can be written in the form of a statement.
[SOURCE: EN ISO 9000:2015, 3.5.8, modified]
3.19
procedure
specified way to carry out an activity or a process

Note 1 to entry: The procedures referred to in this document should be written, maintained and reviewed

periodically.
3.20
provenance

documented record of the history of an object covering its origins (including geographical), various

owners and, if relevant, its movement across borders
3.21
removal
permanent transfer of an object out of a collection
Note 1 to entry: Also referred to as disposal.
3.22
rights management

documenting and administrating those rights that fall under legal and other statutory requirements

which are associated with objects, reproductions and information
Note 1 to entry: Rights to be managed can include:

a. Intellectual property rights (IPR), the rights that are granted to creators of certain products of human

intellectual enterprise and creativity. IPR include a number of different categories such as copyright,

performers' rights, database rights, design rights, plant breeders rights.

b. Access and benefits sharing, as a single concept, is one of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological

Diversity. It seeks to ensure the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources is shared with the providers of

the genetic resource. This objective was further developed by the Nagoya Protocol. Agreements associated with

Access and Benefit Sharing will include Prior Informed Consent and Mutually Agreed Terms.

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c. Data protection, ensures that organizations collect, manage and use personal data (information about living,

identifiable individuals) in a responsible manner and gives individuals different rights over the information that

organizations hold about them.
3.23
risk assessment

process of identification, analysis and evaluation of risks that might alter significance

3.24
risk management
overall process of risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation
[SOURCE: ISO Guide 73:2009, 3.4.1]
3.25
significance
combination of the all the values assigned to an object, ensemble or collection
[SOURCE: EN 15898:2019, 3.1.7]
3.26
significance assessment

assessment of how important an object, group of objects or collection is to the organization and other

stakeholders
3.27
user

individual who engages with the services of a collecting organization or directly with a cultural heritage

object
3.28
value

aspect of importance that individuals, communities or society assign(s) to an object, ensemble or

collection in a particular context

Note 1 to entry: Values can be of different types, for example: artistic, symbolic, historical, social, economic,

scientific, educational, technological, functional etc.

Note 2 to entry: The assigned value can change according to circumstance, e.g. how the judgement is made, the

context and the moment in time. Value should always be indicated by its qualifying type.

Note 3 to entry: Objects can have different values to different people and communities.

[SOURCE: EN 15898:2019, 3.16]
4 Principles for managing collections
4.1 Overview and responsibilities

4.1.1 An organization that wishes to hold, take responsibility for and provide access to cultural

heritage collections shall operate within a clear management framework as defined by this document. It

shall define its purpose in the form of a mission statement and from this set out its policies towards

developing its collections, managing information about them, using and accessing them and caring for

them. It shall ensure that these policies are considered, written and approved at the highest

organizational level and develop systematic plans to achieve them, following defined and documented

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procedures. It shall review its mission, policies and procedures periodically in order to assess progress

in achieving its objectives and commit to promoting its mission wherever appropriate. (See Annex E)

4.1.2 Ultimate responsibility for a cultural heritage collection resides with the legal trustees or

governing authorities of an organization, even where the collection is managed by a smaller operational

subsidiary or department (for example an art collection held by an educational organization such as a

university). These governing authorities are required to take up their responsibility to ensure their

collections are managed systematically and competently, as defined by this document.

4.1.3 It is a pre-requisite of any collecting organization that it shall be a legal entity with a clearly

defined route for decision-making and accountability for operations, including named roles with

responsibility for mission, policies and procedures. Clear responsibility shall be designated for

maintaining the organization’s resources and for seeking to maintain economic sustainability.

4.1.4 A collecting organization shall aim to pursue its operations in an environmentally sustainable

manner, seeking to minimize its environmental impact wherever possible, including minimizing its use

of energy and its carbon footprint. It shall keep under review the likely environmental impact of all

activities, including collecting, storage and maintenance of collections, visitor access, lending and

borrowing of collections and online access to collections.

4.1.5 Organizations that hold collections for the public good shall aim to operate in a manner that

reflects this social responsibility and seek to play a constructive and co-operative role as a part of the

wider community of museums, galleries, libraries and archives, nationally and internationally.

4.1.6 Information about the mission, policies and procedures of a collecting organization shall be

maintained in a transparent manner and made available to all stakeholders wherever possible, ensuring

that legal, ethical and security considerations are observed.

4.1.7 Staff, volunteers, service providers and others involved in delivering the organization’s

objectives shall be trained and demonstrably competent to carry out their roles, and opportunities shall

be sought continuously to widen education and learning that involves both the collections and the

organization’s operations.
4.2 Mission statement

4.2.1 All organizations that aim to collect, maintain, use and provide access to collections of cultural

heritage shall set out their purpose in doing so in the form of a mission statement. This may be a part of

a wider mission (for example a department within a university) or specifically for the whole

organization (for example a public museum). The mission statement shall be published wherever there

is reference to the collection or to the organization’s role and responsibilities (such as on a website).

4.3 Policies and procedures

4.3.1 The organization shall define, approve and communicate a series of documented policies that

support its mission. These polices as a minimum shall cover the following areas:
a) developing its collections, in accordance with Annex A;
b) managing information about its collections, in accordance with Annex B;
c) using and accessing its collections, in accordance with Annex C;
d) caring for its collections, in accordance with Annex D.
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4.3.2 In setting out its policies in all of these areas, the organization shall commit to meeting relevant

legal and ethical requirements.

4.3.3 Having set out its policies in these areas, the organization shall specify and undertake a range of

related procedures. All such procedures shall be documented.

4.3.4 The organization shall ensure that all procedures carried out on its behalf that have the

potential to cause an impact on the collections are performed by trained and competent persons.

4.4 Planning and review

4.4.1 The organization shall periodically review its policies and their implementation through the

relevant procedures. A cycle of review shall be maintained regularly, assessing whether policies

continue to be appropriate and procedures continue to be in line with the policies. Where procedures

are not in line with policies or do not achieve their objectives, a plan shall be developed to make

changes and/or improvements.

4.4.2 A review of the policies and procedures shall always be carried out following changes in

relevant legislation that affect the organization and/or its collection. Examples of other changes that

shall trigger a review include those which present a new opportunity or a risk to collections, to users or

to resources.
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Annex A
(normative)
Developing collections
A.1 General

A.1.1 The development of collections involves defining the rationale for holding and using a cultural

heritage collection. It also establishes the processes by which decisions are made regarding whether or

how a collection changes. This involves both a growth in understanding of an existing collection and the

further evolution of that collection (e.g. increasing or reducing the number of objects in the collection;

changing the balance of types of material or how much is displayed etc.). The organization shall have a

policy covering the development of its collections and a set of procedures that follow from it, in

accordance with the following specifications.
A.2 Policy

A.2.1 The organization shall have a documented and widely communicated policy that includes:

a) a definition of the scope of the collection, including:

i) the purpose of the collection, in line with the collecting organization’s mission statement

(see 4.2);

ii) the range of objects (e.g. type, format, geographical limits or chronological limits);

iii) if appropriate, a distinction between collections that are accessioned and those which are

not;

iv) the role of lending and borrowing in support of the collection and its purposes (where

appropriate);

b) the legal requirements that govern the organization and its collection (see also Annex B);

c) a commitment to manage the collection within specific ethical codes;

d) a commitment that all objects entering the collection shall have their provenance researched and

recorded and shall define how it will seek to establish provenance for any existing collections for

which it is not currently recorded;

e) a commitment to carry out collection significance assessments in accordance with A.4;

f) a description of the circumstances in which the organization will accept or remove objects,

summarizing:
i) criteria for decision making;
ii) the authority that permits acquisition or removal;
iii) the procedures applied;
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iv) the circumstances in which a collections impact assessment shall be made (see A.5);

A.3 Procedures

A.3.1 The organization shall specify and follow a range of documented procedures that seek to

achieve the objectives set out in its policy. When reviewing the existing contents of a collection, or

considering or appraising new acquisitions, the following procedures shall be carried out:

a) a significance assessment conforming to A.4 and recording the actions resulting from the

assessment;
b) an impact assessment conforming to A.5;

c) due diligence and legal research including e.g. title, intellectual property rights, copyright, artist’

resale rights and provenance (see Annex B);

d) a decision-making process listing steps to be taken and details of how decisions are documented

and communicated, including a list of roles and responsibilities in decision-making, who signs off

on decisions and whether to consult outside advice if appropriate.

A.3.2 Following the above procedures, a formal documented decision shall be made as to whether to

acquire title of objects, borrow objects, de-accession or dispose of objects.
A.4 Significance assessment

A.4.1 When considering making a change to the scope or content of a collection, a significance

assessment shall be carried out, with direct reference to the mission statement. A significance

assessment shall also be an essential part of emergency planning. The assessment shall involve:

a) determining the relevance of an object or collection or group of objects to the scope of the

collection as defined in accordance with A.2.1); and

b) determining the value (e.g. social, cultural, intellectual, financial and rarity) of an object or

collect
...

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