Berndt Museum of Anthropology
Pantjiti Mary McLean, Women gathering flowers.
Kalgoorlie 1996 [WU7967] Reproduced by courtesy of the Artist.
Policy and Procedures
CONTENTS
PART A: PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION
* Purpose
* Statement
* Organization
PART B: OPERATING SECTIONS
* Object Collections Section
* Photographic Collections Section
* Conservation Section
* Archive Section
* Public Programmes
PART C: POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Policy and procedure
List of Policies and Procedures
A. Constitution of the Board
B. Collections Policy 1: Acquisitions Policy
C. Collections Policy 2: Acquisition of Aboriginal Australian Sacred Objects
D. Collections Policy 3: Ownership and use of collections
E. Collections Policy 4: Access to Collections
F. Collections Policy 5: Access to Restricted Aboriginal Collections Materials
G. Registration Procedures 1: Registration of Loans
H. Registration Procedures 2: De-accessioning
I. Publications Policy
J. Aboriginal Advisory Committee Constitution
K. Proforma 1: Deposit of Material on Loan
L. Proforma 2: Agreement for Loan from Museum
M. Proforma 3: Catalogue Card
N. Proforma 4: Storage Label
O. Proforma 5: Photographic Index Card
P. Proforma 6: Application for Copyright Photographs
Q. Proforma 7: Photographic Control Sheet
R. Proforma 8: Request for Access
S. Proforma 9: Deed of Gift
PART A: PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION
* Purpose
* Statement
* Organization
PART B: OPERATING SECTIONS
* Object Collections Section
* Photographic Collections Section
* Conservation Section
* Archive Section
* Public Programmes
PART C: POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Policy and procedure
List of Policies and Procedures
A. Constitution of the Board
B. Collections Policy 1: Acquisitions Policy
C. Collections Policy 2: Acquisition of Aboriginal Australian Sacred Objects
D. Collections Policy 3: Ownership and use of collections
E. Collections Policy 4: Access to Collections
F. Collections Policy 5: Access to Restricted Aboriginal Collections Materials
G. Registration Procedures 1: Registration of Loans
H. Registration Procedures 2: De-accessioning
I. Publications Policy
J. Aboriginal Advisory Committee Constitution
K. Proforma 1: Deposit of Material on Loan
L. Proforma 2: Agreement for Loan from Museum
M. Proforma 3: Catalogue Card
N. Proforma 4: Storage Label
O. Proforma 5: Photographic Index Card
P. Proforma 6: Application for Copyright Photographs
Q. Proforma 7: Photographic Control Sheet
R. Proforma 8: Request for Access
S. Proforma 9: Deed of Gift
PART A:
PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION
Introduction
This Policy and Procedures Manual summarises the Berndt Museum of Anthropologyâs purpose and organization, describes Museum operating units, and includes current Museum policies and administrative procedures. It anticipates an expanded level of staffing in the future that will increasingly differentiate a variety of functions at present the responsibility of several staff.
Supplementary pages will be distributed when policy revisions or new policies and procedures are developed.
The Manual serves two purposes:-
(a) to provide organizational and operational guidelines for all employees; and
(b) to give non-employees a detailed perspective of the character and operational parameters of the Museum.
Purpose
In accordance with the Constitution of the Museum Advisory Board (see Appendix A), the Berndt Museum of Anthropology of the University of Western Australia acquires, catalogues, preserves and saves for the use and appreciation of present and future generations socio-cultural materials relating to Aboriginal Australia, Papua New Guinea and Asia. The Museum accepts responsibility for these collections as a public trust, uses them in its own programmes, and makes them available to qualified institutions and individuals for research, display and education in accordance with its declared policies.
The fundamental objectives of the Museum are expressed in the following general goals:-
1. The Museum is to be recognized as one of Australiaâs leading ethnographic museums.
2. Museum collections are to be continually augmented, upgraded, and professionally curated to provide for present and future research, teaching and public appreciation.
3. Research efforts are to be directed toward the development of relevant anthropological studies; the maintenance of the highest standards of data collection, analysis and reporting; cooperation with institutional, governmental and other sponsors; postgraduate student involvement in research projects; and very importantly, with individual and community-based Aboriginal-initiated research programmes.
4. Educational services to the University community and public; made possible through exhibits, special programmes, coursework, research and other means, are to be maintained at the highest professional level.
The Curator/Director, in consultation with members of the Senate-appointed Advisory Board and, where relevant, the Aboriginal Advisory Committee, has defined four major areas of responsibility to achieve the goals of the Museum: collections, research, teaching and public programmes. These are listed in the order of emphasis currently supported by the Advisory Board. Areas of responsibility are closely interrelated, and Museum operations are designed to maximize results and stimulate new goals.
Statement
The Berndt Museum of Anthropology at The University of Western Australia was established by the University Senate in 1976. It holds one of Australiaâs largest and most important collections of Australian Aboriginal cultural heritage, in the form of both historic and contemporary materials. It also maintains collections of Melanesian and Asian cultural materials.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology is to house, document, research, publish, exhibit its collections, and provide access to them in response to the needs of its user groups.
VISION STATEMENT
The Berndt Museum of Anthropology shall
* be a centre for the exchange of information, education, cultural research and cultural maintenance in Australia;
* provide a national resource of highly significant cultural information of value to Australian and Aboriginal researchers, as well as to national and international communities;
* maintain and extend a vital two-way linkage between the Museum and communities from which the bulk of its collections originate.
USER GROUPS
These include research, teaching and student groups from Australia and overseas, as well as members of the general public. The Museum places an emphasis on the delivery of special services to community groups whose cultural materials are held in its collections. Aboriginal communities are key partners in this process.
PRIMARY AIMS
The primary aims of the Museum are
* to house and maintain the Museumâs collections (objects, photographs, sound recordings, archives, etc.) in a safe and culturally appropriate environment;
* to extend the collections of contemporary visual cultural materials;
* to encourage access to the collections by Aboriginal communities;
* to encourage students, staff and researchers to undertake collaborative interdisciplinary research on and education about the collections that recognises the enduring interests of the Museum, researchers, educators and the communities of origin;
* to take cognisance of the aspirations of relevant individuals, groups and communities in the management of collections and their status as intellectual property;
* to disseminate information on the collections, and the results of research, through exhibitions, publications and other forms.
Collections
The basis of Museum research, exhibits, public programmes, and teaching, is well-curated collections. The acquisition, storage, conservation, retrieval, and use of these collections for scholarly purposes and public benefit is accorded the highest priority of all Museum goals.
Research
The development of Museum exhibits, teaching aids, and special programmes for the public are dependent on the documented and conserved collections held in the Museum and on interpretive data derived from these collections. Such data result from scholarly research carried out by Museum personnel, national and international scholars, and interested members of the broader public, including special-interest groups and, in particular, members of Aboriginal communities.
Teaching
Museum staff expertise in Social Anthropology, Museum Studies, collection management, research, exhibitions, and related areas is an important addition to academic training at the University of Western Australia. Courses taught by Museum staff in the Discipline of Anthropology and elsewhere in other discipline groups and other tertiary institutions, especially in the area of Australian Aboriginal Anthropology, provide students with specialized training and potential for postgraduate research within the Museum.
Public programmes
These are based on an affirmed responsibility to develop permanent and temporary exhibits based on collections curated at the Museum and utilizing the expertise of Museum staff in collaboration with relevant communities of origin. These exhibits provide an opportunity to reflect the purpose of the Museum, to display varied examples of Museum collections, to describe current Museum research, and to bring displays and materials pertinent to the Museumâs focus from outside sources for the benefit of a wide audience. Various educational programmes augmenting the Museum exhibits are also an important responsibility.
Organization
The Berndt Museum of Anthropology is a Section of Community Relations, itself part of the Vice-Chancellory of the University of Western Australia. The Curator/Director is advised by the Chairman of the Museum Advisory Board. The Chairman of this Advisory Board reports to the Senate of the University through the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Personnel and financial matters are overseen by the administrative sections of the University of Western Australia.
The Advisory Board, in accordance with its Constitution, establishes over-all policy, goals and programmes for the Museum.
The Curator/Director is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Museum, for budgetary review and long-term planning.
In the present context, the Curator/Director (as Senior Curator) is also responsible for supervising all curatorial activities performed by other staff. Contact with colleagues in the museological and anthropological field is maintained through regional and national meetings for the purpose of ensuring the highest standards of professional performance within the Museum.
PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION
Introduction
This Policy and Procedures Manual summarises the Berndt Museum of Anthropologyâs purpose and organization, describes Museum operating units, and includes current Museum policies and administrative procedures. It anticipates an expanded level of staffing in the future that will increasingly differentiate a variety of functions at present the responsibility of several staff.
Supplementary pages will be distributed when policy revisions or new policies and procedures are developed.
The Manual serves two purposes:-
(a) to provide organizational and operational guidelines for all employees; and
(b) to give non-employees a detailed perspective of the character and operational parameters of the Museum.
Purpose
In accordance with the Constitution of the Museum Advisory Board (see Appendix A), the Berndt Museum of Anthropology of the University of Western Australia acquires, catalogues, preserves and saves for the use and appreciation of present and future generations socio-cultural materials relating to Aboriginal Australia, Papua New Guinea and Asia. The Museum accepts responsibility for these collections as a public trust, uses them in its own programmes, and makes them available to qualified institutions and individuals for research, display and education in accordance with its declared policies.
The fundamental objectives of the Museum are expressed in the following general goals:-
1. The Museum is to be recognized as one of Australiaâs leading ethnographic museums.
2. Museum collections are to be continually augmented, upgraded, and professionally curated to provide for present and future research, teaching and public appreciation.
3. Research efforts are to be directed toward the development of relevant anthropological studies; the maintenance of the highest standards of data collection, analysis and reporting; cooperation with institutional, governmental and other sponsors; postgraduate student involvement in research projects; and very importantly, with individual and community-based Aboriginal-initiated research programmes.
4. Educational services to the University community and public; made possible through exhibits, special programmes, coursework, research and other means, are to be maintained at the highest professional level.
The Curator/Director, in consultation with members of the Senate-appointed Advisory Board and, where relevant, the Aboriginal Advisory Committee, has defined four major areas of responsibility to achieve the goals of the Museum: collections, research, teaching and public programmes. These are listed in the order of emphasis currently supported by the Advisory Board. Areas of responsibility are closely interrelated, and Museum operations are designed to maximize results and stimulate new goals.
Statement
The Berndt Museum of Anthropology at The University of Western Australia was established by the University Senate in 1976. It holds one of Australiaâs largest and most important collections of Australian Aboriginal cultural heritage, in the form of both historic and contemporary materials. It also maintains collections of Melanesian and Asian cultural materials.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology is to house, document, research, publish, exhibit its collections, and provide access to them in response to the needs of its user groups.
VISION STATEMENT
The Berndt Museum of Anthropology shall
* be a centre for the exchange of information, education, cultural research and cultural maintenance in Australia;
* provide a national resource of highly significant cultural information of value to Australian and Aboriginal researchers, as well as to national and international communities;
* maintain and extend a vital two-way linkage between the Museum and communities from which the bulk of its collections originate.
USER GROUPS
These include research, teaching and student groups from Australia and overseas, as well as members of the general public. The Museum places an emphasis on the delivery of special services to community groups whose cultural materials are held in its collections. Aboriginal communities are key partners in this process.
PRIMARY AIMS
The primary aims of the Museum are
* to house and maintain the Museumâs collections (objects, photographs, sound recordings, archives, etc.) in a safe and culturally appropriate environment;
* to extend the collections of contemporary visual cultural materials;
* to encourage access to the collections by Aboriginal communities;
* to encourage students, staff and researchers to undertake collaborative interdisciplinary research on and education about the collections that recognises the enduring interests of the Museum, researchers, educators and the communities of origin;
* to take cognisance of the aspirations of relevant individuals, groups and communities in the management of collections and their status as intellectual property;
* to disseminate information on the collections, and the results of research, through exhibitions, publications and other forms.
Collections
The basis of Museum research, exhibits, public programmes, and teaching, is well-curated collections. The acquisition, storage, conservation, retrieval, and use of these collections for scholarly purposes and public benefit is accorded the highest priority of all Museum goals.
Research
The development of Museum exhibits, teaching aids, and special programmes for the public are dependent on the documented and conserved collections held in the Museum and on interpretive data derived from these collections. Such data result from scholarly research carried out by Museum personnel, national and international scholars, and interested members of the broader public, including special-interest groups and, in particular, members of Aboriginal communities.
Teaching
Museum staff expertise in Social Anthropology, Museum Studies, collection management, research, exhibitions, and related areas is an important addition to academic training at the University of Western Australia. Courses taught by Museum staff in the Discipline of Anthropology and elsewhere in other discipline groups and other tertiary institutions, especially in the area of Australian Aboriginal Anthropology, provide students with specialized training and potential for postgraduate research within the Museum.
Public programmes
These are based on an affirmed responsibility to develop permanent and temporary exhibits based on collections curated at the Museum and utilizing the expertise of Museum staff in collaboration with relevant communities of origin. These exhibits provide an opportunity to reflect the purpose of the Museum, to display varied examples of Museum collections, to describe current Museum research, and to bring displays and materials pertinent to the Museumâs focus from outside sources for the benefit of a wide audience. Various educational programmes augmenting the Museum exhibits are also an important responsibility.
Organization
The Berndt Museum of Anthropology is a Section of Community Relations, itself part of the Vice-Chancellory of the University of Western Australia. The Curator/Director is advised by the Chairman of the Museum Advisory Board. The Chairman of this Advisory Board reports to the Senate of the University through the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Personnel and financial matters are overseen by the administrative sections of the University of Western Australia.
The Advisory Board, in accordance with its Constitution, establishes over-all policy, goals and programmes for the Museum.
The Curator/Director is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Museum, for budgetary review and long-term planning.
In the present context, the Curator/Director (as Senior Curator) is also responsible for supervising all curatorial activities performed by other staff. Contact with colleagues in the museological and anthropological field is maintained through regional and national meetings for the purpose of ensuring the highest standards of professional performance within the Museum.
4. PART B: OPERATING SECTIONS
Object Collections Section
Central to the Museumâs purpose is the collection and care of cultural materials in accordance with its Acquisition Policy. The Object Collections Section maintains accession, registration, loan and deaccession records for all elements of the Museumâs collections, and is responsible for curating the collections.
The Object Collections Section actively collects art and material culture from the western half of the Australian continent and, from time to time as circumstances permit, from other areas identified in the Acquisition Policy.
Ethnographic materials, at present numbering approximately 10,000 items, are acquired through field collecting, purchase, commission and gift. The collection is particularly strong in the arena of Australian Aboriginal cultural materials, and represents one of the best-documented collections in Australia. The internationally renowned Berndt Collection, comprising the core of the Museumâs collections, and including the bequest of their Asian Collection, is of particular note in this respect. The Research Collections are augmented by a small Teaching Collection. Ephemera and artefacts relating to the discipline of Anthropology itself and its history are also held.
Object Collections Section staff is responsible for all aspects of the acquisition, documentation, presentation and use of the collections as well as for the maintenance and protection of the collectionâs records. Collections are available for study by staff and students of the University, as well as members of the public. Individuals may study materials in the Museum, and very limited space for extended research is also provided. Photographs of items in the collection may be ordered at cost, and loans of items can be arranged for teaching, research and exhibition, in accordance with the Boardâs policies.
This Section is headed by the Director/Curator, with the support of the Assistant Curators. An immediate priority for this Section is the completion of the transfer of the manual Catalogue to the Museumâs computerised database, which also drives its Web site. Catalogue cards and other records are all generated from the database.
Photographic Collections Section
The Photographic Collections Section of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology is responsible for the acquisition, documentation, preservation and use of the Museumâs photographic collections, which comprise approximately 25,000 negatives, plates, transparencies, prints and lantern slides. Cine film, audio and videotapes, etc. are also held. The photographic collections, which include records of all ethnographic items in the Museumâs collections, focus on historical and contemporary images relating to Aboriginal Australia and other areas as defined in the Acquisition Policy.
The major use of the photographic collections is for illustrative material for a wide variety of publications. More importantly, they are also accessible to researchers and members of the public, especially members of Aboriginal communities, and may be viewed at the Museum. Photographic prints and duplicate colour transparencies, along with digitally generated prints, may be ordered in accordance with the conditions of the proforma âApplication To Use Copyright Photographsâ.
This Section is currently staffed by two Aboriginal members of staff, funded externally, who are under the general direction of the Director/Curator. The computerization of photographic records has been completed, and the digital scanning of these images is proceeding. The registration of the Berndt Collection of Photographs is a high priority in for Museum activities.
Conservation Section
The Conservation Section of the Museum is responsible for the preservation and stabilization of objects in the Museumâs collections, securing the environment in which collections are housed while in storage, on exhibit, or on loan. This Section is also responsible for the implementation of pest control, the monitoring of humidity and light levels, as well as the supervision of packing, storage and handling of collection items.
This Section maintains a very small conservation laboratory area for the examination, stabilization and conservation treatment of Museum objects, but is inadequately equipped to clean, consolidate or stabilize ethnographic objects.
The Section is staffed on a part-time basis by consultant conservvators who work on different elements of the collections, but environmental monitoring responsibilities are delegated to an Assistant Curator and, from time to time, curatorial staff assist in the stabilisation and conservation ofitems under the supervision of professionally trained Conservators. The Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum have, in the past, provided such expertise; consultant conservators are also employed on a project basis. The appointment of a professionally trained conservator and the equipping of a proper laboratory are high priorities in the future development of the Museum.
Archives Section
The Archives Section holds manuscript and other archival materials, such as fieldnotes and unpublished reports, etc., relating to collections held by the Museum, and the history of both the Museum and the discipline of Anthropology in Western Australia and elsewhere.
This Section is staffed by one Curatorial Assistant, working under the Director/Curator, and funded by the Professor Ronald M. and Dr Catherine H. Berndt Research Foundation. It is highly desirable that an Archivist be employed on a contract basis in the near future.
Public Programmes Section
The Public Programmes Section of the Museum has functions in three areas: museum education, public relations and public exhibitions.
The museum education programme focuses on providing formal lectures and informal workshops to tertiary students in the Discipline of Anthropology and Sociology as well as other discipline groups within this University and others elsewhere in Western Australia. These are exclusively in the arena of Australian Aboriginal Anthropology. Groups of primary and secondary school children also visit the Museum on an irregular basis, to receive special guided tours of the exhibition and to handle the Teaching Collection.
Public relations are a vital part of the Museum's operations, specifically in regard to the Australian Aboriginal collections, since many requests for information and access are received from Aboriginal persons and others with particular interest in this area. The provision of information about the Museum and its collections, opening hours, points of access, the sale of publications, etc. is a time-consuming but nevertheless essential aspect of servicing the needs of the public and, in particular, Aboriginal clients. Curatorial staff respond to written and telephoned requests for information, refer specialised requests to other University staff or others when necessary, mount public lectures through University Extension Services, etc. Museum staff is also responsible for selling publications relating specifically to the Museum and its collections, and for supervising security in the public Gallery.
Exhibitions are mounted exclusively by curatorial staff, with minimal outside expertise. A long-term or `permanent' exhibition is mounted in the Museum Gallery, with the aim of indicating something of the range of materials from many different areas represented in the collections. From time to time, as funds are available, short-term thematic exhibitions are mounted elsewhere on the University campus, since at present the Museum lacks a subsidiary gallery for temporary installations. National travelling exhibitions are developed on an intermittent basis as and when resources become available for this purpose. Collaborative activities with Art on the Move and Visions Australia are in place.
This Section is unstaffed, and all its functions are assumed by the Director/Curator, with the support of the Assistant Curators.
Object Collections Section
Central to the Museumâs purpose is the collection and care of cultural materials in accordance with its Acquisition Policy. The Object Collections Section maintains accession, registration, loan and deaccession records for all elements of the Museumâs collections, and is responsible for curating the collections.
The Object Collections Section actively collects art and material culture from the western half of the Australian continent and, from time to time as circumstances permit, from other areas identified in the Acquisition Policy.
Ethnographic materials, at present numbering approximately 10,000 items, are acquired through field collecting, purchase, commission and gift. The collection is particularly strong in the arena of Australian Aboriginal cultural materials, and represents one of the best-documented collections in Australia. The internationally renowned Berndt Collection, comprising the core of the Museumâs collections, and including the bequest of their Asian Collection, is of particular note in this respect. The Research Collections are augmented by a small Teaching Collection. Ephemera and artefacts relating to the discipline of Anthropology itself and its history are also held.
Object Collections Section staff is responsible for all aspects of the acquisition, documentation, presentation and use of the collections as well as for the maintenance and protection of the collectionâs records. Collections are available for study by staff and students of the University, as well as members of the public. Individuals may study materials in the Museum, and very limited space for extended research is also provided. Photographs of items in the collection may be ordered at cost, and loans of items can be arranged for teaching, research and exhibition, in accordance with the Boardâs policies.
This Section is headed by the Director/Curator, with the support of the Assistant Curators. An immediate priority for this Section is the completion of the transfer of the manual Catalogue to the Museumâs computerised database, which also drives its Web site. Catalogue cards and other records are all generated from the database.
Photographic Collections Section
The Photographic Collections Section of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology is responsible for the acquisition, documentation, preservation and use of the Museumâs photographic collections, which comprise approximately 25,000 negatives, plates, transparencies, prints and lantern slides. Cine film, audio and videotapes, etc. are also held. The photographic collections, which include records of all ethnographic items in the Museumâs collections, focus on historical and contemporary images relating to Aboriginal Australia and other areas as defined in the Acquisition Policy.
The major use of the photographic collections is for illustrative material for a wide variety of publications. More importantly, they are also accessible to researchers and members of the public, especially members of Aboriginal communities, and may be viewed at the Museum. Photographic prints and duplicate colour transparencies, along with digitally generated prints, may be ordered in accordance with the conditions of the proforma âApplication To Use Copyright Photographsâ.
This Section is currently staffed by two Aboriginal members of staff, funded externally, who are under the general direction of the Director/Curator. The computerization of photographic records has been completed, and the digital scanning of these images is proceeding. The registration of the Berndt Collection of Photographs is a high priority in for Museum activities.
Conservation Section
The Conservation Section of the Museum is responsible for the preservation and stabilization of objects in the Museumâs collections, securing the environment in which collections are housed while in storage, on exhibit, or on loan. This Section is also responsible for the implementation of pest control, the monitoring of humidity and light levels, as well as the supervision of packing, storage and handling of collection items.
This Section maintains a very small conservation laboratory area for the examination, stabilization and conservation treatment of Museum objects, but is inadequately equipped to clean, consolidate or stabilize ethnographic objects.
The Section is staffed on a part-time basis by consultant conservvators who work on different elements of the collections, but environmental monitoring responsibilities are delegated to an Assistant Curator and, from time to time, curatorial staff assist in the stabilisation and conservation ofitems under the supervision of professionally trained Conservators. The Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Western Australian Museum have, in the past, provided such expertise; consultant conservators are also employed on a project basis. The appointment of a professionally trained conservator and the equipping of a proper laboratory are high priorities in the future development of the Museum.
Archives Section
The Archives Section holds manuscript and other archival materials, such as fieldnotes and unpublished reports, etc., relating to collections held by the Museum, and the history of both the Museum and the discipline of Anthropology in Western Australia and elsewhere.
This Section is staffed by one Curatorial Assistant, working under the Director/Curator, and funded by the Professor Ronald M. and Dr Catherine H. Berndt Research Foundation. It is highly desirable that an Archivist be employed on a contract basis in the near future.
Public Programmes Section
The Public Programmes Section of the Museum has functions in three areas: museum education, public relations and public exhibitions.
The museum education programme focuses on providing formal lectures and informal workshops to tertiary students in the Discipline of Anthropology and Sociology as well as other discipline groups within this University and others elsewhere in Western Australia. These are exclusively in the arena of Australian Aboriginal Anthropology. Groups of primary and secondary school children also visit the Museum on an irregular basis, to receive special guided tours of the exhibition and to handle the Teaching Collection.
Public relations are a vital part of the Museum's operations, specifically in regard to the Australian Aboriginal collections, since many requests for information and access are received from Aboriginal persons and others with particular interest in this area. The provision of information about the Museum and its collections, opening hours, points of access, the sale of publications, etc. is a time-consuming but nevertheless essential aspect of servicing the needs of the public and, in particular, Aboriginal clients. Curatorial staff respond to written and telephoned requests for information, refer specialised requests to other University staff or others when necessary, mount public lectures through University Extension Services, etc. Museum staff is also responsible for selling publications relating specifically to the Museum and its collections, and for supervising security in the public Gallery.
Exhibitions are mounted exclusively by curatorial staff, with minimal outside expertise. A long-term or `permanent' exhibition is mounted in the Museum Gallery, with the aim of indicating something of the range of materials from many different areas represented in the collections. From time to time, as funds are available, short-term thematic exhibitions are mounted elsewhere on the University campus, since at present the Museum lacks a subsidiary gallery for temporary installations. National travelling exhibitions are developed on an intermittent basis as and when resources become available for this purpose. Collaborative activities with Art on the Move and Visions Australia are in place.
This Section is unstaffed, and all its functions are assumed by the Director/Curator, with the support of the Assistant Curators.
PART C:
POLICY AND PROCEDURE
The Curator/Director shall, from time to time as required, and in consultation with members of the Museum Advisory Board and, where relevant, in consultation with the Aboriginal Advisory Committee, devise and implement such policies and procedures as are approved by the Board.
These policies and procedures are intended to streamline the day-to-day operation of the Museum, to provide guidance to staff in the performance of their duties, and to establish principles by which Museum users shall benefit from the Museum.
List of Policies and Procedures
A. Constitution of the Advisory Board
B. Collections Policy 1: Acquisitions Policy
C. Collections Policy 2: Acquisition of Aboriginal Australian Sacred Objects
D. Collections Policy 3: Ownership and use of collections
E. Collections Policy 4: Access to Collections
F. Collections Policy 5: Access to Restricted Aboriginal Collections Materials
G. Registration Procedures 1: Registration of Loans
H. Registration Procedures 2: De-accessioning
I. Publications Policy
J. Aboriginal Advisory Committee Constitution
BERNDT MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY ADVISORY BOARD
1. The Berndt Museum of Anthropology Advisory Board (the board) is responsible to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor through the Co-ordinator, Community Outreach, forâ
(a) advising the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor in regard to the management of the Museum and making recommendations on policy when it considers this necessary;
(b) advising the Director/Curator on the display of the Museumâs collections and facilitating and fostering research and other activities related to the collections;
(c) advising the Director/Curator on the management and deployment of the funds of the Museum, however derived, and ensuring that relevant gifts, donations and bequests are utilised in accordance with the donors' wishes;
(d) advising the Director/Curator on the implementation and encouragement of the preservation, expansion and development within the University of the ethnological collections housed in the Museum for the benefit of both the University and the wider community.
2.(1)The board comprises:
(a) an appointee of the Vice-Chancellor as Chair;
(b) the Director/Curator of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology;
(c) the Chair of the Anthropology and Sociology discipline group;
(d) the Dean of the School of Indigenous Studies;
(e) the Co-ordinator, Community Outreach;
(f) an Indigenous member of the academic staff appointed by the Vice-Chancellor;
(g) two representative of the business or wider community appointed by the Vice-Chancellor; and
(h) two Indigenous members of the community appointed by the Vice-Chancellor on the recommendation of the Board.
(2) The board may co-opt up to two members to provide balance or expertise as required.
(3) Appointments of the Vice-Chancellor are made with a view to ensuring that at least 50 per cent of the board is comprised of people from Indigenous communities.
(4) Appointed members serve for three years and may be re-appointed.
(5) Co-opted members serve for one year and are eligible to be co-opted again.
3. The board elects a chair and deputy chair annually.
4. The quorum for a meeting of the board is not less than one half of its members.
Adopted by the University Senate, 11 May 2006.
Appendix B: Collections Policy 1
ACQUISITIONS POLICY
Policy
B.1 In accordance with its Constitution, the Berndt Museum of Anthropology collects artefacts, photographs, sound and film recordings, written records, machine-readable data and other materials which document, reflect and aid in understanding and interpreting the cultures and cultural history of its focus peoples. The Museum also collects materials relevant to its own history and development and to that of Anthropology in Western Australia and Australia generally. The Museum may also, from time to time, accept the loan of materials that complement existing collections for use in research, teaching and display. All new collections are selected to enhance the scientific, socio-cultural and educational value of the Museumâs established collections and programmes. The Museum concentrates its collecting efforts in areas of existing strengths and seeks to avoid duplication of major collection foci at other Australian museums.
B.2 The Museum subscribes to a policy of selective and representative acquisition. It is neither feasible nor desirable for the Museum to allow indiscriminate growth of its collections, and the Museum seeks to maintain a primary focus on Australian Aboriginal cultural materials from the western half of the continent as notionally divided at the longitude of Yirrkala, north-eastern Arnhem Land. It purchases and otherwise acquires works ideally within twelve months of their creation; in exceptional circumstances only, the Museum may purchase items outside this time-frame when these directly compliment or otherwise enhance the existing collections. The Museum seeks to encourage the emergence of new artists through the selective acquisition of items reflecting their careers. The Museum also maintains its existing interests in Papua New Guinea, South-East and greater Asia. The Museum is under no obligation to accept all materials offered; those offering material unsuitable for the Berndt Museum of Anthropology will be directed to a more appropriate institution.
B.3 The Museum acquires rights to display on its Web site images of works acquired through purchase, simultaneously with the purchase and as a condition of purchase, upon negotiation of the standard fee.
B.4 The Museum does not obtain or hold unmodified human skeletal remains of any kind; in the event that the Museum is presented with such skeletal materials, these are to be immediately transferred to the Western Australian Museum, which has statutory authority in this respect. Notwithstanding the above, the Museum empowers its staff and associates to obtain, in accordance with professional procedures, all manner of ethnographic artefacts without regard to the materials from which they are manufactured.
B.5 The Museum builds its collections through its own initiatives, primarily through social anthropological field research and other projects of its own and kindred staff of the Discipline of Anthropology and Sociology of the University of Western Australia, and others. It also acquires materials through acceptance of offers by gift, purchase, bequest and exchange, for which title passes to the Museum, and by other contractual agreements, all of which are subject to the approval of the Board.
B.6 The Museum may, in some cases, accept materials under a covenant restricting access for a period of time as agreed to between the donor(s) and the Board on behalf of the University. The Museum will not accept materials upon which unreasonable restrictions are placed such as those that require permanent or long-term exhibition.
Procedures
B.7 The Museum will maintain a written statement concerning the scope of its collections to serve as a guide in evaluating and setting priorities for future acquisitions. This shall reflect the Museumâs Acquisition Policy. Each such statement will be reviewed by the Curator and approved by the Board.
B.8 All potential acquisitions of collections materials offered by individuals and by parties outside the Museum will be reviewed by the Director/Curator in conjunction with the Chair of the Board, subject that loans to the Museum must be formally approved by the Board and conveyed on the relevant proforma to the Registrar for sealing by the University of Western Australia. Similarly, the offer of any collections materials that are subject to any special condition or wish, etc., will similarly be referred to the Board for formal approval.
B.9 Potential acquisitions will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:
(a) conformity with the Museumâs Acquisition Policy, as stated above, and with the relevant scope of collections statement and the priorities that it reflects;
(b) the ability of the Museum to care for the acquisition in a manner that is in keeping with professionally accepted standards;
(c) conformity with applicable statutes, professional codes of ethics and the policies of the Museum; and
(d) quality and comprehensiveness of documentation.
B.10 All gifts by donation will be commissioned by Deed of Gift utilizing the relevant proforma.
B.11 All loans shall be commissioned by a Heads of Agreement For Deposit of Loan utilizing the relevant proforma and sealed by the University.
B.12 A record of the deliberations and decisions relating to the acquisition of collections shall become part of the Museum archives.
Appendix C : Collections Policy 2
ACQUISITION OF ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN SACRED OBJECTS
Policy
C.1 Although dedicated, among other things, to preserving the material record of the cultural heritage of Aboriginal Australians, it is the policy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology to recognize that religious convictions regarding certain objects may take precedence over policies of collection and preservation. Accordingly, the Museum will decline to acquire for its collections items of sacred significance which it considers have been acquired illegally or unethically from Aboriginal custodians; however, the Museum may accept custodianship of sacred materials at the request of individual Aborigines and or relevant Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, the Museum may be willing to act as an intermediary in facilitating the return of such objects to their groups of origin if requested so to do, and may use its influence or take other action as appropriate toward accomplishing this end.
Procedures
C.2 Offers to the Museum of objects known or suspected to have sacred significance to contemporary Aboriginal Australian groups will be referred to the Director/Curator for consultation with the Chair of the Board. Such objects may be accepted as temporary loans for purposes of review.
C.3 In dealing with persons offering such objects, Museum personnel will not offer their opinion or advice as to the propriety of the offer nor in any other ways prejudice any future action.
C.4 Any action concerning such offers shall be taken only after deliberation and decision by the Board of the Museum.
Appendix D: Collections Policy 3
OWNERSHIP AND USE OF COLLECTIONS
Policy
D.1 All specimens, photographs and associated documentation collected or produced by employees in the course of Museum-related work or projects are the property of the Museum except that, in accordance with professional anthropological codes of ethics, field notebooks and other social anthropological recordings of a confidential nature are viewed as essentially personal and private and do not automatically become the property of the Museum, although they may be so transferred by Deed of Gift, conditionally if necessary.
D.2 In accordance with the above, the Museum Board reserves the right to determine the use and disposition of collections materials being the property of the Museum. Curatorial staff will make such materials accessible for use according to the same standards and procedures as are applied generally to collections under their care.
Procedures
D.3 Employees collecting materials should not make commitments to restrict the use of such materials without prior consultation with the Director/Curator and authorization from the Chair of the Board.
D.4 Employees will document thoroughly in writing any restrictions they believe are necessary on the use of materials they have collected, as these restrictions may not automatically bind the Museum.
D.5 Clarification as to whether some materials and projects should be considered museum-related or personal may be required in specific circumstances. In such cases, employees should confer with the Director/Curator and the Chair of the Board.
D.6 No member of the Museum staff shall, in their official capacity, give appraisals for the purpose of establishing the tax-deductible value of gifts offered to the Museum, nor shall they authenticate for other persons or agencies cultural materials under circumstances that could encourage or benefit illegal, unethical, or irresponsible traffic in such materials.
D.7 It shall be a condition of employment at the Museum that no member of the Museum staff shall hold a personal collection of cultural materials analogous to those held by the Museum that has not been audited by the Chair of the Board at the time of appointment; furthermore, no member of the Museum staff shall add to such an audited collection during their employment by the Museum except as provided elsewhere in this Policy.
Appendix E: Collections Policy 4
ACCESS TO COLLECTIONS
Policy
E.1 It is the policy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology to make its collections available to the academic community, members of the public and others for research, publication, exhibition, education and other purposes. Curators and other employees responsible for collections (hereafter referred to as curators) will provide users with as timely and complete access to the collections as is possible. The type and conditions of such use must be consistent with the Museum's responsibility for care and preservation of its collections, and any special conditions on access which may apply.
Procedures
E.2 Individual curators are responsible for providing and arranging access to the collections under their care. Users are normally required to make an appointment in advance.
E.3 All users of collections, including Museum employees, must complete a Request for Access to Museum Materials proforma. References may be required.
E.4 Curators will advise users as to the proper use and handling of collections and will exercise caution when determining the level of user access and supervision. Curators may revoke access to the collections when safety of the materials is or appears to be jeopardised.
E.5 Access to confidential records and culturally sensitive materials, such as items of religious significance, will be restricted in accordance with guidelines established by the Board.
E.6 Collections users will be responsible for securing publication rights, etc. when necessary.
E.7 Collections users shall make an Application for Use of Copyright Photographs on the approved proforma, paying Hire, Reproduction and Artist's Fees as required in advance of publication. It is the responsibility of the Director/Curator to decide whether or not the Museum will act as agent for the Artist in any particular case.
Appendix F: Collections Policy 5
ACCESS TO RESTRICTED ABORIGINAL COLLECTIONS MATERIALS
Preamble
F.1 Members of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology Advisory Board, mindful of their responsibilities toward the Australian Aboriginal Peoples from whom the collections have been obtained, seek to adopt a firm policy in regard to access to restricted materials.
F.2 âRestricted materialsâ are those items of a ritual nature which are defined by members of the relevant Aboriginal group as âsecret-sacredâ (as opposed to âopen-sacredâ) and which can only be handled by appropriately qualified persons. Most commonly, restricted items cannot be viewed by uninitiated persons and persons of the opposite gender to those who produced the items.
F.3 In drafting this Policy, consultations with Dr B. Meehan (then National Museum of Australia), Dr C. Anderson (then South Australian Museum), Ms M. West (Art Galleries and Museums of the Northern Territory) and Dr N. Williams (then University of Queensland), indicate that there is agreement among museum professionals that items defined as âsecret-sacredâ should not be viewed or handled by any person (apart from the senior curatorial staff given responsibility for these materials), without the approval of the originator and/or community from which an item or series of items was collected.
F.4 There was general agreement that the issue of access is viewed very seriously by many contemporary Aboriginal communities, and that all museums should have restrictive procedures in place to protect not only Aboriginal interests, but also scholars, curators and museums themselves against accusations of breach of trust. The state museums consulted have already implemented a policy similar to this.
Policy
F.5 That access to items once identified as restricted (defined above) shall be limited to the senior curatorial officer charged with the safe-keeping of these materials; all other access shall be denied unless authorised by the originator/artist or senior members of the relevant Aboriginal community from which the item was originally obtained.
Procedures
F.6 The Board shall delegate staff to take responsibility for restricted materials: items deriving from the male domain shall be curated by a senior male curatorial officer and items deriving from the female domain shall be curated by a senior female curatorial officer. In the event that there are insufficient qualified staff in the Museum, the Board may delegate another appropriately qualified person to assume this responsibility.
F.7 The curatorial officer so delegated has the responsibility for implementing decisions of the collector and/or other appropriately qualified persons in identifying the status of newly acquired restricted materials, and to store items together with documentation, etc. in a separate and secure location within the Museum.
Adopted by Resolution of the Board, 15th November 1990
Appendix G: Registration Procedures 1
REGISTRATION OF LOANS
Policy
G.1 All transactions whereby specimens and documentary materials are brought into or taken out of the Museum must be covered by a written agreement that is incorporated into the records of the Museum Register. Individual staff members failing to follow this procedure will be held personally liable by the Museum for such materials.
G.2 The Museum may consider lending materials to recognised museums and art galleries, educational, cultural and scientific institutions that have established corporate legal responsibility, provided that the following conditions are met:-
(a) the institution has a recognised professional staff member in an appropriate field; (b) the reputation of the professional staff and institution are such as to insure adequate care of materials while on loan;
(c) political or economic circumstances do not suggest unreasonable hazard to the materials;
(d) the materials are not being studied by staff or students at the Museum and are not needed for display or educational programmes at the Museum during the proposed loan period;
(e) packing and shipping of the loan will be paid for by the borrower;
(f) the specimens are not so fragile, rare or valuable that the risks in handling and shipping are unacceptable;
G.3 The Museum does not routinely loan items for exhibition. Requests for such loans will only be considered from recognized museums or art galleries having established corporate legal responsibility provided that the following conditions are met:-
(a) loans will be considered on a case by case basis for only public exhibitions deemed by the Museum to be of sufficient scientific, scholarly and educational value;
(b) loans will not be made to exhibitions supporting or promoting an ethical view contrary to that held by the Museum, e.g. involving illegally exported cultural materials;
(c) loans will not be made to travelling exhibitions which are not initiated by the Museum, nor to exhibitions for which charges other than normal admission fees are to be made;
(d) the borrowing institution can satisfy requirements as specified by the Museum regarding physical and environmental security, insurance, packing, transport and other conditions which may apply;
(e) all costs are to be borne by the borrower.
Procedures
G.2 The standard Agreement for Loan from Museum proforma will be used in negotiating incoming and outgoing loans in cases where other contracts or releases do not apply.
G.3 The Curator/Direrctor will supervise the proper preparation of loan agreements.
G.4 For insurance purposes, a value must be assigned by the lender to all incoming loans, as per the proforma Deposit of Material on Loan.
G.5 An original copy of the Loan Agreement shall be sealed by the University and kept on file; the other original is to be passed to the lender.
Appendix H: Registration Procedures 2
DEACCESSIONING
Policy
H.1 It is the philosophy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology that its collections are a permanent part of the public trust. However, the Museum Board also recognises that, from time to time, it may best serve the public interest to remove certain materials from its collections. The following policy applies to material owned by and accessioned into the permanent collections of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology.
H.2 The decision to deaccession may be made for the following purposes:-
(a) to remove material that is potentially hazardous to other collections or to human health; (b) to negotiate insurance compensation for lost or stolen material;
(c) to provide for the appropriate care of material having ritual use or sacred nature by Australian Aboriginal or other interests;
(d) to transfer to another museum, or educational or scientific organisation, material that is deemed by the Museum to be significantly more useful and relevant to the collections and programmes of the other institutions than to those of the Museum;
(e) to relieve the Museum of the responsibility and care for material whose condition has deteriorated to the point where it is no longer of use;
(f) to relieve the Museum of the responsibility and care for material that does not fall within the Museum's scope of collections or serves its purpose.
H.3 The following restrictions will apply to de-accessioning:-
(a) title to the material must be determined to lie with the Museum;
(b) original restrictions or requests related to the use or disposition of material will be considered;
(c) employees of the Museum, their families and representatives are prohibited from acquiring material de-accessioned by the Museum;
(d) No transaction will be carried out if it violates state, federal or other applicable laws or those of the University of Western Australia.
H.4 The following principles will govern disposition:-
(a) disposition shall be to other museums or educational or scientific institutions by exchange of material or service but not by sale;
(b) no prehistoric material or material from any archaeological context, prehistoric or historic, shall be transferred other than to the Western Australian Museum which has statutory responsibility for such materials;
(c) no exchanges may be made except to other recognised museums or educational or scientific institutions, including Aboriginal custodians or their respective communities;
(d) destruction of items may be carried out only when no other method of disposal is available or feasible;
(e) disposal of hazardous materials shall follow all applicable laws and safety guidelines.
Procedures
H.5 De-accession requests shall be directed to the Director/Curator who will arrange for consideration of such requests by the Board. This request shall include a description of the material, the reason for de-accessioning it and the proposed method for carrying out disposal.
H.6 The staff member responsible for the relevant material and the Director/Curator will assemble and examine accession records and all available documentation about the materials proposed for deaccession.
H.7 The proposed deaccession and all accompanying information will be reviewed by the Board, in consultation with the relevant staff member. The proposed action and discussion will be reported to Museum staff in the Minutes of the Board, and a period of 60 days will be allowed for comment by staff before the Board makes its final recommendation in regard to the proposed deaccession and method of disposal to the University Senate.
H.8 In the event of question or doubt regarding any aspect of the proposed action, staff and/or members of the Board may require that legal advice be taken.
H.9 Reporting and approval procedures required by the University Senate and the Asset Register held by Property Services will be followed. Destruction of materials with a value of less than $1,000 will be reported to the Manager, Property Services. All other proposals for de-accessioning will be approved in advance by the University Senate.
H.10 Accurate and complete records of the deaccession will be kept, including minutes of all official meetings in which the deaccession request was considered, date and circumstances of disposition, list of items, and details of recipient. Catalogue and accession records will be amended to reflect the deaccession, which are to be signed by the Chair of the Board and countersigned and dated by the Curator/Director.
H.11 All money acquired from the settlement of insurance claims must be set aside for collections acquisition.
Appendix I: Publications
PUBLICATIONS POLICY
Policy
I.1 It is the policy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology that publication of research is essential for the dissemination of knowledge to scholars and to the public. The Museum encourages publication through its Occasional Papers series, professional and popular outlets.
I.2 Publication entails certain requirements and rights. Policies relative to author and institutional requirements and rights is given below.
Procedures
I.3 Editorial Rights: The Museum, through its Board, retains the right to edit and revise drafts of publications to be issued by the Museum in order to maintain institutional standards and to meet contractual obligations.
I.4 Standards of Acceptability: Museum publications must meet certain standards of acceptability including high quality of research and clarity in presentation.
I.5 Publication Credit: Publication authorship should accurately reflect the relative contributions of participants in manuscript preparation. Persons responsible for writing any portion of a manuscript will be credited through authorship. Persons responsible for designing and directing research also should be recognised. Authorship credit will also be shared with those who substantially revise inadequate drafts. In manuscripts with multiple authors, the individual responsible for design and direction of research and final coordination of the manuscript will be designated as âEditorâ, with other persons receiving authorship credit for chapters they produced.
I.6 Journal and Monograph Publications: The Museum encourages publication in professional journals, monograph series and edited volumes. Where these include materials in which the Museum holds copyright, this shall be indicated in the publication and the relevant proforma Application For Use of Copyright Photographs shall be submitted prior to publication.
I.7 Copyright: The Board of the Museum will hold Copyright in all publications where the content of the publication is essentially that obtained from existing materials, whether published or unpublished (e.g. an exhibition catalogue), although an authorâs contribution may be simultaneously recognised as appropriate. The author will hold copyright in any publication where the substance of the text and/or illustrative material derives from this personâs own research programme and that they have complied with the conditions of the proforma Application to Use Copyright Photographs.
Appendix J: Aboriginal Advisory Committee
CONSTITUTION
Policy
J.1 The University Senate-appointed Berndt Museum of Anthropology Advisory Board may establish an Aboriginal Advisory Committee in order to place on a more formal level than previously the close working relationship that the Museum has established over a lengthy period.
J.2 The Board is firmly committed to focussing the Museumâs activities in the area of Australian Aboriginal anthropology, and is seeking to benefit from the collective experience of members of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee. The unique nature of the Museumâs collections, and their value for teaching and research, present the Museum with an unparalleled opportunity to further develop this special resource. Procedures
J.3 Advisory Board creates the following regulations for the Aboriginal Advisory Committee:
CONSTITUTION
J.4 The Aboriginal Advisory Committee will comprise a number of Aboriginal persons; this is to be determined from time to time by the Board.
J.5 Members will be appointed for a three-year term by the Board.
J.6 The Advisory Committee will meet at least three times each year and at least one of these is to be on the same day as a meeting of the Advisory Board meeting to give members of both bodies an opportunity to meet jointly together.
J.7 The Committee will elect a Chair at the first meeting of each year.
J.8 The Director/Curator will be Secretary of the Advisory Committee.
J.9 The Chair and one other person are to be nominated to the Board to sit as co-opted members of the Board.
J.10 Members of the Advisory Committee will be asked to comment and advise on the development of policy and guidelines, to put forward and protect Aboriginal interests, to be an advisory source for the Board, and to provide an interface between the academic institution and the broader Aboriginal community. They will be invited to initiate discussions on any issues relating to the Museum's day-to-day operation, as well as those relating to long-term planning.
J.11 The Board in its Annual Report will note the issues discussed and raised by the Advisory Committee.
J.12 The Advisory Committee may request a joint meeting with the Board in order to discuss a particular issue.
J.13 Committee membersâ travel expenses (e.g. mileage or taxi fare, etc.) will be compensated on production of a receipt or other record.
J.14 No sitting fees will be paid, but luncheon or refreshments will be provided as necessary.
Adopted by Resolution of the Board, 14th July 1988.
Amended by Resolution of the Board, 11th June 1992.
Policies and Procedures Manual Adopted by Resolution of the Board 11.8.89, Revisions: November 15 1990, June 11, 1992. Updated: 14.4.01, 26.4.03
POLICY AND PROCEDURE
The Curator/Director shall, from time to time as required, and in consultation with members of the Museum Advisory Board and, where relevant, in consultation with the Aboriginal Advisory Committee, devise and implement such policies and procedures as are approved by the Board.
These policies and procedures are intended to streamline the day-to-day operation of the Museum, to provide guidance to staff in the performance of their duties, and to establish principles by which Museum users shall benefit from the Museum.
List of Policies and Procedures
A. Constitution of the Advisory Board
B. Collections Policy 1: Acquisitions Policy
C. Collections Policy 2: Acquisition of Aboriginal Australian Sacred Objects
D. Collections Policy 3: Ownership and use of collections
E. Collections Policy 4: Access to Collections
F. Collections Policy 5: Access to Restricted Aboriginal Collections Materials
G. Registration Procedures 1: Registration of Loans
H. Registration Procedures 2: De-accessioning
I. Publications Policy
J. Aboriginal Advisory Committee Constitution
BERNDT MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY ADVISORY BOARD
1. The Berndt Museum of Anthropology Advisory Board (the board) is responsible to the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor through the Co-ordinator, Community Outreach, forâ
(a) advising the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor in regard to the management of the Museum and making recommendations on policy when it considers this necessary;
(b) advising the Director/Curator on the display of the Museumâs collections and facilitating and fostering research and other activities related to the collections;
(c) advising the Director/Curator on the management and deployment of the funds of the Museum, however derived, and ensuring that relevant gifts, donations and bequests are utilised in accordance with the donors' wishes;
(d) advising the Director/Curator on the implementation and encouragement of the preservation, expansion and development within the University of the ethnological collections housed in the Museum for the benefit of both the University and the wider community.
2.(1)The board comprises:
(a) an appointee of the Vice-Chancellor as Chair;
(b) the Director/Curator of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology;
(c) the Chair of the Anthropology and Sociology discipline group;
(d) the Dean of the School of Indigenous Studies;
(e) the Co-ordinator, Community Outreach;
(f) an Indigenous member of the academic staff appointed by the Vice-Chancellor;
(g) two representative of the business or wider community appointed by the Vice-Chancellor; and
(h) two Indigenous members of the community appointed by the Vice-Chancellor on the recommendation of the Board.
(2) The board may co-opt up to two members to provide balance or expertise as required.
(3) Appointments of the Vice-Chancellor are made with a view to ensuring that at least 50 per cent of the board is comprised of people from Indigenous communities.
(4) Appointed members serve for three years and may be re-appointed.
(5) Co-opted members serve for one year and are eligible to be co-opted again.
3. The board elects a chair and deputy chair annually.
4. The quorum for a meeting of the board is not less than one half of its members.
Adopted by the University Senate, 11 May 2006.
Appendix B: Collections Policy 1
ACQUISITIONS POLICY
Policy
B.1 In accordance with its Constitution, the Berndt Museum of Anthropology collects artefacts, photographs, sound and film recordings, written records, machine-readable data and other materials which document, reflect and aid in understanding and interpreting the cultures and cultural history of its focus peoples. The Museum also collects materials relevant to its own history and development and to that of Anthropology in Western Australia and Australia generally. The Museum may also, from time to time, accept the loan of materials that complement existing collections for use in research, teaching and display. All new collections are selected to enhance the scientific, socio-cultural and educational value of the Museumâs established collections and programmes. The Museum concentrates its collecting efforts in areas of existing strengths and seeks to avoid duplication of major collection foci at other Australian museums.
B.2 The Museum subscribes to a policy of selective and representative acquisition. It is neither feasible nor desirable for the Museum to allow indiscriminate growth of its collections, and the Museum seeks to maintain a primary focus on Australian Aboriginal cultural materials from the western half of the continent as notionally divided at the longitude of Yirrkala, north-eastern Arnhem Land. It purchases and otherwise acquires works ideally within twelve months of their creation; in exceptional circumstances only, the Museum may purchase items outside this time-frame when these directly compliment or otherwise enhance the existing collections. The Museum seeks to encourage the emergence of new artists through the selective acquisition of items reflecting their careers. The Museum also maintains its existing interests in Papua New Guinea, South-East and greater Asia. The Museum is under no obligation to accept all materials offered; those offering material unsuitable for the Berndt Museum of Anthropology will be directed to a more appropriate institution.
B.3 The Museum acquires rights to display on its Web site images of works acquired through purchase, simultaneously with the purchase and as a condition of purchase, upon negotiation of the standard fee.
B.4 The Museum does not obtain or hold unmodified human skeletal remains of any kind; in the event that the Museum is presented with such skeletal materials, these are to be immediately transferred to the Western Australian Museum, which has statutory authority in this respect. Notwithstanding the above, the Museum empowers its staff and associates to obtain, in accordance with professional procedures, all manner of ethnographic artefacts without regard to the materials from which they are manufactured.
B.5 The Museum builds its collections through its own initiatives, primarily through social anthropological field research and other projects of its own and kindred staff of the Discipline of Anthropology and Sociology of the University of Western Australia, and others. It also acquires materials through acceptance of offers by gift, purchase, bequest and exchange, for which title passes to the Museum, and by other contractual agreements, all of which are subject to the approval of the Board.
B.6 The Museum may, in some cases, accept materials under a covenant restricting access for a period of time as agreed to between the donor(s) and the Board on behalf of the University. The Museum will not accept materials upon which unreasonable restrictions are placed such as those that require permanent or long-term exhibition.
Procedures
B.7 The Museum will maintain a written statement concerning the scope of its collections to serve as a guide in evaluating and setting priorities for future acquisitions. This shall reflect the Museumâs Acquisition Policy. Each such statement will be reviewed by the Curator and approved by the Board.
B.8 All potential acquisitions of collections materials offered by individuals and by parties outside the Museum will be reviewed by the Director/Curator in conjunction with the Chair of the Board, subject that loans to the Museum must be formally approved by the Board and conveyed on the relevant proforma to the Registrar for sealing by the University of Western Australia. Similarly, the offer of any collections materials that are subject to any special condition or wish, etc., will similarly be referred to the Board for formal approval.
B.9 Potential acquisitions will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:
(a) conformity with the Museumâs Acquisition Policy, as stated above, and with the relevant scope of collections statement and the priorities that it reflects;
(b) the ability of the Museum to care for the acquisition in a manner that is in keeping with professionally accepted standards;
(c) conformity with applicable statutes, professional codes of ethics and the policies of the Museum; and
(d) quality and comprehensiveness of documentation.
B.10 All gifts by donation will be commissioned by Deed of Gift utilizing the relevant proforma.
B.11 All loans shall be commissioned by a Heads of Agreement For Deposit of Loan utilizing the relevant proforma and sealed by the University.
B.12 A record of the deliberations and decisions relating to the acquisition of collections shall become part of the Museum archives.
Appendix C : Collections Policy 2
ACQUISITION OF ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN SACRED OBJECTS
Policy
C.1 Although dedicated, among other things, to preserving the material record of the cultural heritage of Aboriginal Australians, it is the policy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology to recognize that religious convictions regarding certain objects may take precedence over policies of collection and preservation. Accordingly, the Museum will decline to acquire for its collections items of sacred significance which it considers have been acquired illegally or unethically from Aboriginal custodians; however, the Museum may accept custodianship of sacred materials at the request of individual Aborigines and or relevant Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, the Museum may be willing to act as an intermediary in facilitating the return of such objects to their groups of origin if requested so to do, and may use its influence or take other action as appropriate toward accomplishing this end.
Procedures
C.2 Offers to the Museum of objects known or suspected to have sacred significance to contemporary Aboriginal Australian groups will be referred to the Director/Curator for consultation with the Chair of the Board. Such objects may be accepted as temporary loans for purposes of review.
C.3 In dealing with persons offering such objects, Museum personnel will not offer their opinion or advice as to the propriety of the offer nor in any other ways prejudice any future action.
C.4 Any action concerning such offers shall be taken only after deliberation and decision by the Board of the Museum.
Appendix D: Collections Policy 3
OWNERSHIP AND USE OF COLLECTIONS
Policy
D.1 All specimens, photographs and associated documentation collected or produced by employees in the course of Museum-related work or projects are the property of the Museum except that, in accordance with professional anthropological codes of ethics, field notebooks and other social anthropological recordings of a confidential nature are viewed as essentially personal and private and do not automatically become the property of the Museum, although they may be so transferred by Deed of Gift, conditionally if necessary.
D.2 In accordance with the above, the Museum Board reserves the right to determine the use and disposition of collections materials being the property of the Museum. Curatorial staff will make such materials accessible for use according to the same standards and procedures as are applied generally to collections under their care.
Procedures
D.3 Employees collecting materials should not make commitments to restrict the use of such materials without prior consultation with the Director/Curator and authorization from the Chair of the Board.
D.4 Employees will document thoroughly in writing any restrictions they believe are necessary on the use of materials they have collected, as these restrictions may not automatically bind the Museum.
D.5 Clarification as to whether some materials and projects should be considered museum-related or personal may be required in specific circumstances. In such cases, employees should confer with the Director/Curator and the Chair of the Board.
D.6 No member of the Museum staff shall, in their official capacity, give appraisals for the purpose of establishing the tax-deductible value of gifts offered to the Museum, nor shall they authenticate for other persons or agencies cultural materials under circumstances that could encourage or benefit illegal, unethical, or irresponsible traffic in such materials.
D.7 It shall be a condition of employment at the Museum that no member of the Museum staff shall hold a personal collection of cultural materials analogous to those held by the Museum that has not been audited by the Chair of the Board at the time of appointment; furthermore, no member of the Museum staff shall add to such an audited collection during their employment by the Museum except as provided elsewhere in this Policy.
Appendix E: Collections Policy 4
ACCESS TO COLLECTIONS
Policy
E.1 It is the policy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology to make its collections available to the academic community, members of the public and others for research, publication, exhibition, education and other purposes. Curators and other employees responsible for collections (hereafter referred to as curators) will provide users with as timely and complete access to the collections as is possible. The type and conditions of such use must be consistent with the Museum's responsibility for care and preservation of its collections, and any special conditions on access which may apply.
Procedures
E.2 Individual curators are responsible for providing and arranging access to the collections under their care. Users are normally required to make an appointment in advance.
E.3 All users of collections, including Museum employees, must complete a Request for Access to Museum Materials proforma. References may be required.
E.4 Curators will advise users as to the proper use and handling of collections and will exercise caution when determining the level of user access and supervision. Curators may revoke access to the collections when safety of the materials is or appears to be jeopardised.
E.5 Access to confidential records and culturally sensitive materials, such as items of religious significance, will be restricted in accordance with guidelines established by the Board.
E.6 Collections users will be responsible for securing publication rights, etc. when necessary.
E.7 Collections users shall make an Application for Use of Copyright Photographs on the approved proforma, paying Hire, Reproduction and Artist's Fees as required in advance of publication. It is the responsibility of the Director/Curator to decide whether or not the Museum will act as agent for the Artist in any particular case.
Appendix F: Collections Policy 5
ACCESS TO RESTRICTED ABORIGINAL COLLECTIONS MATERIALS
Preamble
F.1 Members of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology Advisory Board, mindful of their responsibilities toward the Australian Aboriginal Peoples from whom the collections have been obtained, seek to adopt a firm policy in regard to access to restricted materials.
F.2 âRestricted materialsâ are those items of a ritual nature which are defined by members of the relevant Aboriginal group as âsecret-sacredâ (as opposed to âopen-sacredâ) and which can only be handled by appropriately qualified persons. Most commonly, restricted items cannot be viewed by uninitiated persons and persons of the opposite gender to those who produced the items.
F.3 In drafting this Policy, consultations with Dr B. Meehan (then National Museum of Australia), Dr C. Anderson (then South Australian Museum), Ms M. West (Art Galleries and Museums of the Northern Territory) and Dr N. Williams (then University of Queensland), indicate that there is agreement among museum professionals that items defined as âsecret-sacredâ should not be viewed or handled by any person (apart from the senior curatorial staff given responsibility for these materials), without the approval of the originator and/or community from which an item or series of items was collected.
F.4 There was general agreement that the issue of access is viewed very seriously by many contemporary Aboriginal communities, and that all museums should have restrictive procedures in place to protect not only Aboriginal interests, but also scholars, curators and museums themselves against accusations of breach of trust. The state museums consulted have already implemented a policy similar to this.
Policy
F.5 That access to items once identified as restricted (defined above) shall be limited to the senior curatorial officer charged with the safe-keeping of these materials; all other access shall be denied unless authorised by the originator/artist or senior members of the relevant Aboriginal community from which the item was originally obtained.
Procedures
F.6 The Board shall delegate staff to take responsibility for restricted materials: items deriving from the male domain shall be curated by a senior male curatorial officer and items deriving from the female domain shall be curated by a senior female curatorial officer. In the event that there are insufficient qualified staff in the Museum, the Board may delegate another appropriately qualified person to assume this responsibility.
F.7 The curatorial officer so delegated has the responsibility for implementing decisions of the collector and/or other appropriately qualified persons in identifying the status of newly acquired restricted materials, and to store items together with documentation, etc. in a separate and secure location within the Museum.
Adopted by Resolution of the Board, 15th November 1990
Appendix G: Registration Procedures 1
REGISTRATION OF LOANS
Policy
G.1 All transactions whereby specimens and documentary materials are brought into or taken out of the Museum must be covered by a written agreement that is incorporated into the records of the Museum Register. Individual staff members failing to follow this procedure will be held personally liable by the Museum for such materials.
G.2 The Museum may consider lending materials to recognised museums and art galleries, educational, cultural and scientific institutions that have established corporate legal responsibility, provided that the following conditions are met:-
(a) the institution has a recognised professional staff member in an appropriate field; (b) the reputation of the professional staff and institution are such as to insure adequate care of materials while on loan;
(c) political or economic circumstances do not suggest unreasonable hazard to the materials;
(d) the materials are not being studied by staff or students at the Museum and are not needed for display or educational programmes at the Museum during the proposed loan period;
(e) packing and shipping of the loan will be paid for by the borrower;
(f) the specimens are not so fragile, rare or valuable that the risks in handling and shipping are unacceptable;
G.3 The Museum does not routinely loan items for exhibition. Requests for such loans will only be considered from recognized museums or art galleries having established corporate legal responsibility provided that the following conditions are met:-
(a) loans will be considered on a case by case basis for only public exhibitions deemed by the Museum to be of sufficient scientific, scholarly and educational value;
(b) loans will not be made to exhibitions supporting or promoting an ethical view contrary to that held by the Museum, e.g. involving illegally exported cultural materials;
(c) loans will not be made to travelling exhibitions which are not initiated by the Museum, nor to exhibitions for which charges other than normal admission fees are to be made;
(d) the borrowing institution can satisfy requirements as specified by the Museum regarding physical and environmental security, insurance, packing, transport and other conditions which may apply;
(e) all costs are to be borne by the borrower.
Procedures
G.2 The standard Agreement for Loan from Museum proforma will be used in negotiating incoming and outgoing loans in cases where other contracts or releases do not apply.
G.3 The Curator/Direrctor will supervise the proper preparation of loan agreements.
G.4 For insurance purposes, a value must be assigned by the lender to all incoming loans, as per the proforma Deposit of Material on Loan.
G.5 An original copy of the Loan Agreement shall be sealed by the University and kept on file; the other original is to be passed to the lender.
Appendix H: Registration Procedures 2
DEACCESSIONING
Policy
H.1 It is the philosophy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology that its collections are a permanent part of the public trust. However, the Museum Board also recognises that, from time to time, it may best serve the public interest to remove certain materials from its collections. The following policy applies to material owned by and accessioned into the permanent collections of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology.
H.2 The decision to deaccession may be made for the following purposes:-
(a) to remove material that is potentially hazardous to other collections or to human health; (b) to negotiate insurance compensation for lost or stolen material;
(c) to provide for the appropriate care of material having ritual use or sacred nature by Australian Aboriginal or other interests;
(d) to transfer to another museum, or educational or scientific organisation, material that is deemed by the Museum to be significantly more useful and relevant to the collections and programmes of the other institutions than to those of the Museum;
(e) to relieve the Museum of the responsibility and care for material whose condition has deteriorated to the point where it is no longer of use;
(f) to relieve the Museum of the responsibility and care for material that does not fall within the Museum's scope of collections or serves its purpose.
H.3 The following restrictions will apply to de-accessioning:-
(a) title to the material must be determined to lie with the Museum;
(b) original restrictions or requests related to the use or disposition of material will be considered;
(c) employees of the Museum, their families and representatives are prohibited from acquiring material de-accessioned by the Museum;
(d) No transaction will be carried out if it violates state, federal or other applicable laws or those of the University of Western Australia.
H.4 The following principles will govern disposition:-
(a) disposition shall be to other museums or educational or scientific institutions by exchange of material or service but not by sale;
(b) no prehistoric material or material from any archaeological context, prehistoric or historic, shall be transferred other than to the Western Australian Museum which has statutory responsibility for such materials;
(c) no exchanges may be made except to other recognised museums or educational or scientific institutions, including Aboriginal custodians or their respective communities;
(d) destruction of items may be carried out only when no other method of disposal is available or feasible;
(e) disposal of hazardous materials shall follow all applicable laws and safety guidelines.
Procedures
H.5 De-accession requests shall be directed to the Director/Curator who will arrange for consideration of such requests by the Board. This request shall include a description of the material, the reason for de-accessioning it and the proposed method for carrying out disposal.
H.6 The staff member responsible for the relevant material and the Director/Curator will assemble and examine accession records and all available documentation about the materials proposed for deaccession.
H.7 The proposed deaccession and all accompanying information will be reviewed by the Board, in consultation with the relevant staff member. The proposed action and discussion will be reported to Museum staff in the Minutes of the Board, and a period of 60 days will be allowed for comment by staff before the Board makes its final recommendation in regard to the proposed deaccession and method of disposal to the University Senate.
H.8 In the event of question or doubt regarding any aspect of the proposed action, staff and/or members of the Board may require that legal advice be taken.
H.9 Reporting and approval procedures required by the University Senate and the Asset Register held by Property Services will be followed. Destruction of materials with a value of less than $1,000 will be reported to the Manager, Property Services. All other proposals for de-accessioning will be approved in advance by the University Senate.
H.10 Accurate and complete records of the deaccession will be kept, including minutes of all official meetings in which the deaccession request was considered, date and circumstances of disposition, list of items, and details of recipient. Catalogue and accession records will be amended to reflect the deaccession, which are to be signed by the Chair of the Board and countersigned and dated by the Curator/Director.
H.11 All money acquired from the settlement of insurance claims must be set aside for collections acquisition.
Appendix I: Publications
PUBLICATIONS POLICY
Policy
I.1 It is the policy of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology that publication of research is essential for the dissemination of knowledge to scholars and to the public. The Museum encourages publication through its Occasional Papers series, professional and popular outlets.
I.2 Publication entails certain requirements and rights. Policies relative to author and institutional requirements and rights is given below.
Procedures
I.3 Editorial Rights: The Museum, through its Board, retains the right to edit and revise drafts of publications to be issued by the Museum in order to maintain institutional standards and to meet contractual obligations.
I.4 Standards of Acceptability: Museum publications must meet certain standards of acceptability including high quality of research and clarity in presentation.
I.5 Publication Credit: Publication authorship should accurately reflect the relative contributions of participants in manuscript preparation. Persons responsible for writing any portion of a manuscript will be credited through authorship. Persons responsible for designing and directing research also should be recognised. Authorship credit will also be shared with those who substantially revise inadequate drafts. In manuscripts with multiple authors, the individual responsible for design and direction of research and final coordination of the manuscript will be designated as âEditorâ, with other persons receiving authorship credit for chapters they produced.
I.6 Journal and Monograph Publications: The Museum encourages publication in professional journals, monograph series and edited volumes. Where these include materials in which the Museum holds copyright, this shall be indicated in the publication and the relevant proforma Application For Use of Copyright Photographs shall be submitted prior to publication.
I.7 Copyright: The Board of the Museum will hold Copyright in all publications where the content of the publication is essentially that obtained from existing materials, whether published or unpublished (e.g. an exhibition catalogue), although an authorâs contribution may be simultaneously recognised as appropriate. The author will hold copyright in any publication where the substance of the text and/or illustrative material derives from this personâs own research programme and that they have complied with the conditions of the proforma Application to Use Copyright Photographs.
Appendix J: Aboriginal Advisory Committee
CONSTITUTION
Policy
J.1 The University Senate-appointed Berndt Museum of Anthropology Advisory Board may establish an Aboriginal Advisory Committee in order to place on a more formal level than previously the close working relationship that the Museum has established over a lengthy period.
J.2 The Board is firmly committed to focussing the Museumâs activities in the area of Australian Aboriginal anthropology, and is seeking to benefit from the collective experience of members of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee. The unique nature of the Museumâs collections, and their value for teaching and research, present the Museum with an unparalleled opportunity to further develop this special resource. Procedures
J.3 Advisory Board creates the following regulations for the Aboriginal Advisory Committee:
CONSTITUTION
J.4 The Aboriginal Advisory Committee will comprise a number of Aboriginal persons; this is to be determined from time to time by the Board.
J.5 Members will be appointed for a three-year term by the Board.
J.6 The Advisory Committee will meet at least three times each year and at least one of these is to be on the same day as a meeting of the Advisory Board meeting to give members of both bodies an opportunity to meet jointly together.
J.7 The Committee will elect a Chair at the first meeting of each year.
J.8 The Director/Curator will be Secretary of the Advisory Committee.
J.9 The Chair and one other person are to be nominated to the Board to sit as co-opted members of the Board.
J.10 Members of the Advisory Committee will be asked to comment and advise on the development of policy and guidelines, to put forward and protect Aboriginal interests, to be an advisory source for the Board, and to provide an interface between the academic institution and the broader Aboriginal community. They will be invited to initiate discussions on any issues relating to the Museum's day-to-day operation, as well as those relating to long-term planning.
J.11 The Board in its Annual Report will note the issues discussed and raised by the Advisory Committee.
J.12 The Advisory Committee may request a joint meeting with the Board in order to discuss a particular issue.
J.13 Committee membersâ travel expenses (e.g. mileage or taxi fare, etc.) will be compensated on production of a receipt or other record.
J.14 No sitting fees will be paid, but luncheon or refreshments will be provided as necessary.
Adopted by Resolution of the Board, 14th July 1988.
Amended by Resolution of the Board, 11th June 1992.
Policies and Procedures Manual Adopted by Resolution of the Board 11.8.89, Revisions: November 15 1990, June 11, 1992. Updated: 14.4.01, 26.4.03
