by DOUG COLLIE
Poor quality and broken objects in a vast collection of 50,000 items currently shown or stored in eleven Scottish Borders museums may be disposed of or destroyed as part of a rationalisation which will also influence future policy on acquisitions and development.
The region's rich heritage is reflected in the exhibits on display in the diverse range of museums spanning thousands of years of history and embracing 'celebrities' as diverse as Mary Queen of Scots and world champion racing driver Jim Clark.
Scottish Borders Council - owners of the collections - and Live Borders, the arms length trust which manages the museums have produced their Collections Development Policy (2024-2029).
Shortage of storage space at some locations and a limited amount of money for future additions to collections are both acknowledged in the policy document.
According to the report which will be considered by members of SBC: "Measures include: Update reference to priorities for rationalisation or disposal necessary for legal, safety, care or conservation reasons including material in heavily damaged or very poor condition; and disposals for curatorial reasons."
And the authors of the report - Avril Marriott, Programme Manager and Fiona Colton, Live Borders Head of Museums, Galleries & Archives warn: "If the amendments to the existing Collections Development Policy are not approved it is unlikely that Live Borders Museums and Galleries will achieve an award of Full or Provisional Accreditation. In turn this could affect eligibility for grant aid, partnership opportunities and the allocation of Treasure Trove archaeological material from the Finds Disposal Panel. The Policy reduces the risk of uncoordinated or unplanned collecting."
As the document points out the Council holds the permanent collections of museum objects and works of art in stewardship on behalf of Scottish Borders communities. The Council also has responsibility for a section of the permanent collections designated as Common Good historic and cultural assets which are managed by Live Borders as part of the museum, library and archive collections.
"At this time, the collection (which is held in stewardship by Scottish Borders Council and managed by Live Borders Museums & Galleries) comprises approximately 50,000 items. It is anticipated that through an active Collections Development Policy this will continue to grow. The core collections include objects, works of art, Common Good heritage and cultural assets and information relevant to the Scottish Borders region. Supporting collections include photographs, personalia, high quality replica objects, handling collections and reconstructions, topographical and pictorial representations including archaeological records, reports, books, maps and printed ephemera associated with named collectors, excavations and relevant sites."
Rationalisation and disposal of unwanted items will be through a formal review process that identifies which collections are included and excluded from the review.
It is claimed the outcome of review and any subsequent rationalisation will not reduce the quality or significance of the collection and will result in a more useable, well managed collection.
"The process will be documented, open and transparent. There will be clear communication with key stakeholders about the outcomes and the process.
"Priorities for rationalisation and disposal include: Rationalisation or disposal necessary for legal, safety, care or conservation reasons including material in heavily damaged or very poor condition (broken and beyond economic repair, badly damaged by woodworm, water damage, fire damage, mould or insect infestation, provide a significant risk or danger to either people or property), especially where high costs of conservation outweigh the importance of the object".
In a section headed 'DESTRUCTION' the report says if it is not possible to dispose of an object through transfer or sale, the governing body may decide to destroy it.
"It is acceptable to destroy material of low intrinsic significance (duplicate mass-produced articles or common specimens which lack significant provenance) where no alternative method of disposal can be found. Destruction is also an acceptable method of disposal in cases where an object is in extremely poor condition, has high associated health and safety risks or is part of an approved destructive testing request identified in an organisation’s research policy."
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