My perspective is not from a small history museum, but I view a Collections
Policy as a set of guideline the museum (or a segment of the museum)follows
in regards to the aquisition of new material. Such a policy might limit
the scope of new objects to be acquired, set standards for the condition of
any new object to be acquired.
 
A Collections Management Policy   should be a guide to the procedures and
practices a museum or a unit of the museum follows to care for the objects or
specimens in their collections.
 
In many cases the two policies probably get merged into one document, but
I feel the two topics are distinct entities. They are however closely related
and not conflict with each other.
 
James Dean
Division of Birds
National Museum of Natural History
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