William –
I agree also with Astrid, Gregory and Angela regarding working this mass collection(s). Organize with your safety in mind, then the safety of the collections, then determine ownership, then think of needs and budget. I must also stress…
look at this not as a chore, but an opportunity for your skills as a museum professional to shine. Too often I’ve been in your situation. Most of the time a collection is not necessarily ‘not managed’ as Angela states… but poorly administered
by well- intentioned, political or academic people (even at large institutions) whose goals are not like ours in the field. They rarely ask for advice. Due to these factors, in 90% of cases, there is barely or no paperwork and confused missions and collection
scopes.
So as you start, remember you have the advantage here to make the decisions of how and where to begin the process, to mold (pardon the pun) these collections and making them accessible, accountable and interpretable.
Best of luck,
Cheryl Stoeber-Goff, Museum Curator
Historic Services Division
Monmouth County Park System
805 Newman Springs Rd
Lincroft, NJ 07738
Ph: 732-975-9747 Fx: 732-975-9748