Collections Technology 22 Apr 2021 At the simplest level, “technology” essentially means a “skilled process”. However, Eurocentric bias has meant that the term is overwhelmingly associated with Western narratives of continuing progress. If we can…
Collections Source Communities 23 Mar 202123 Mar 2021 Popularised by Laura Peers and Alison Brown in their edited reader, Museums and Source Communities, the term “source community” directly illuminates the relationship between originating communities and museums. Whilst the…
Collections (Ancestral) Remains 19 Nov 202019 Jan 2021 Referring to human remains kept in collections, this term restores a sense of familial belonging to collected peoples and re-situates them in relationship to contemporary communities. This is not quite…
Collections Preservation 24 Oct 201919 Jan 2021 Many people understand a museum’s central function to be one of preserving culture for display, study and future access. However, the mission to “preserve” is sometimes at odds with communities…
Collections Ownership 9 Oct 201919 Jan 2021 A ubiquitous, but nonetheless uncomfortable term in museum management, the idea that museums are the “owners” of items in their collection is interpreted variously. Whilst museums claim legal ownership, this…
Collections Curiosities 24 Jun 201919 Jan 2021 This tends to be invoked to describe displays and historically, was used to refer to reflect the eclectic nature of particularly private collections of everything from exotic objects to living…
Collections Community of origin 11 Jun 201919 Jan 2021 Used mostly in collections management and museums practice, this term refers to the original communities/community members from whom material artefacts were acquired, as well as their descendants living today (see…
Collections… Anniversaries 9 May 201919 Jan 2021 Commemorations of historical events, often marked by museums and cultural institutions on social media or through bespoke programming relating to collections that engage with the particular history being remembered. Often,…
Collections… Access 7 May 201919 Jan 2021 Usually discussed in relation to physical accessibility for disabled visitors to museums, the term “access” has come to cover all aspects of inclusivity in museum spaces. From having working lifts…
The Decolonial Dictionary 