For those of you who've enquired, the Cultural Resource Management Program
at the University of Victoria is definitely going ahead with the Managing
Natural History Collections course in February, although we do have few spaces
left. Please let us know if you'd like to participate!


MANAGING NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS
The diverse, complex, often delicate nature of natural history collections-and
the increasingly vital roles they play in environmental research and public
education-create special challenges for collections managers and curators.
This course explores current principles and practices in the management of
natural history collections, and discusses the impacts of new technologies,
diminished resources, and pressures for increased accountability, relevance,
and access. You will strengthen your ability to develop and manage natural
history collections by exploring and analyzing:

o       the roles and nature of natural history collections in both specialized and
general museums
o       their relevance to institutional mission
o       the expectations of internal and external users
o       policy and management frameworks
o       documentation requirements
o       systems of organization and information management
o       implementation and evaluation strategies
o       preparation and preservation requirements
o       approaches to interpretation and exhibition

Instructor: Dr. Paisley Cato is a specialist in the development, management and
care of natural history collections, and is co-author of Developing Staff
Resources for Managing Collections., published by the Virginia Museum of
Natural History with assistance by the Canadian Museum of Nature

Dates:  Feburary 11 - 20

Fee: $589 CDN

Accomodations: A range of B&B accommodations are available close to campus -
you can obtain information on our website, or contact the Program Office

Travel: Victoria is easily accessible by air or ferry from Vancouver or Seattle.




Course Objectives
Through this course, participants will:
1.  Understand the role of natural history collections in the museum
community.
2.  Appreciate the complexity of the collection management
profession.
3.  Be knowledgeable about the functions that comprise
management of natural history materials.
4.  Be familiar with
literature, sources and references that assist with developing and
improving standards and practices for managing natural history
collections.
5.  Be familiar with a management framework for
problem-solving and improving collection management practices.



Joy Davis, Program Director
Cultural Resource Management Program
University of Victoria
Phone 250-721-8462
FAX 250-721-8774
email  [log in to unmask]

For detailed Program information, please visit our Web Site at
http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/crmp