Collections Management: Accountability and Ethics

Museums manage, care for, and develop collections of objects that they hold on behalf of the communities they serve.

The 2022 International Council of Museums (ICOM) definition states:

“A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities.”

Museums exist ‘in the service of society’ and the collections they care for are held for that same benefit. Museums operate according to professional standards and Code of Ethics, which underpins the work of the entire museum sector. Being guided by these give the museum sector and workforce a framework to ensure public collections are managed appropriately.

A collections management standard is a set of guidelines, procedures, and best practices used by museums and institutions to manage, document, preserve, and provide access to their collections. Spectrum is the UK collections management standard and it is developed and managed by Collections Trust.

Following Spectrum procedures allows museums and galleries to manage their collections ethically and effectively. The Spectrum standard comprises 21 procedures, which should be followed as part of good collections management.

Within the 21 procedures, there are nine primary procedures which are the ones most museums use all the time. The primary procedures are:

• Object entry
• Acquisition and accessioning
• Location and movement control
• Inventory
• Cataloguing
• Object exit
• Loans in (borrowing objects)
• Loans out (lending objects)
• Documentation planning

Following the nine primary procedures is an important requirement for achieving Museum Accreditation. 5.2 of the UK Museum Accreditation Scheme museums requires museums to follow the primary Spectrum documentation procedures. The current version of Spectrum is 5.1, and full guidance and resources are available through the Collections Trust website.

Accountability in collections management is about being able to demonstrate responsible management of collections. This includes being clear on what you hold, why you hold it, where it is located, and under what legal and ethical basis it is in your care. This also involves being open about past practices, addressing gaps in knowledge, and taking appropriate action where issues are identified.

Collections management exists to:

• Ensure collections are documented, accessible and cared for appropriately
• Support public benefit through research, learning, and engagement
• Maintain transparency and trust with stakeholders and communities
• Enable informed decision-making about future care, use, and development of collections

Good collections management is an ongoing process rather than a fixed outcome. It requires regular review, reflection, and adaptation.

Many museums are working with collections that have developed over decades, even centuries. As a result, current staff often inherit records, systems, and decisions made under different professional standards and contexts. Managing these legacies, and addressing them retrospectively, can bring to the fore examples of poor or ethically dubious historical practice.

It is important to recognise that:

• Good practice today can highlight poor or incomplete practice in the past
• Gaps in documentation, unclear ownership, or missing location records can be evident in historic collections
• These issues do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing, but they do require attention

Museums should approach these legacies with transparency and care. This includes acknowledging uncertainty, documenting what is unknown as well as what is known, and taking steps to improve understanding over time.

In some cases, problematic legacies may relate to:

• Unclear title or transfer of ownership
• Objects acquired under colonial or exploitative contexts
• Incomplete provenance information
• Historic disposals or undocumented movement of objects

Addressing these issues is part of accountable practice and contributes to maintaining public trust.

Museums can strengthen accountability by embedding good practice into everyday work. This includes:

Continually developing documentation

Ensuring collections information is accurate, up to date, and accessible. This may involve retrospective documentation, cataloguing backlogs, and/or updating legacy documentation. Collections Inventory is a primary procedure of Spectrum that ensures museum staff record basic information for all objects in the museum’s care

Understanding legal and ethical status

Clarifying ownership, restrictions, and any ethical considerations associated with objects. Where uncertainty exists, this should be clearly recorded and, where possible, resolved.

Prioritising collections knowledge

Developing a better understanding of collections through research, audit, and potential engagement with communities and subject specialists.

Being transparent

Being open about gaps, challenges, and how decisions have been reached. Transparency supports accountability and helps build trust with stakeholders.

Many museums face challenges in dealing with documentation backlogs or incomplete records. While these can feel overwhelming, they should be approached strategically.

• Prioritise areas of highest risk (e.g. unlocated objects, unclear ownership)
• Integrate backlog work into core activity where possible
• Set realistic, achievable targets
• Seek opportunities for partnership working or external support

Addressing backlogs is a key part of improving accountability; it requires sustained commitment and appropriate resourcing.

In some cases, improving accountability may lead to decisions about whether objects should remain in the collection; this process is called rationalisation and may result in disposals, which you can learn more about on our introduction to object disposal guide.

Disposals may occur where:

• Objects fall outside the museum’s Collections Development Policy
• There is duplication or lack of relevance
• Legal or ethical concerns require action
• The condition of objects poses a threat to health, or is a risk to the wider collection

Any decisions should follow sector guidance and ethical frameworks, ensuring that:

• The process is transparent and well-documented
• Stakeholders are appropriately consulted
• The public benefit remains central

Rather than indicating negative collections practice, rationalisation reflects responsible stewardship and collections development.

Accountability is central to responsible collections management. It requires museums to understand and care for their collections in a way that is transparent, ethical, and responsive to both past and present contexts.

By acknowledging and addressing challenging legacies of practice, museums can strengthen their stewardship and ensure collections continue to serve communities now and in the future. Identifying problematic legacies in collections practice can highlight contemporary issues. The museum sector operates within strict ethical standards, and when it actively addresses these legacies, they should not lead to scrutiny of professional practice.

Use the guidance in this guide to review your collections against these principles and plan next steps with your team.

If you’d like to discuss any aspect of Collections Management further, please organise an appointment with our Museum Development Manager: Collection & Interpretation.

Collections Trust; Spectrum 5.1. The UK museum collections management standard

Collections Trust; Accountability for collections

International Council of Museums (ICOM); Code of Ethics.

Museums Association; Code of Ethics.

Museums Association; Empowering Collections

Museums Association; Off the Shelf: a toolkit for ethical transfer, reuse and disposal.