11 December 2008
Media Release
Te Papa Holds A Collection Management Workshop In Timaru
National Services Te Paerangi of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) is holding a workshop entitled
Collection Management workshop on Friday 12 December 2008 at the South Canterbury Museum in Timaru.
This workshop is an opportunity for representatives from small museums, heritage organisations, the arts and cultural
sector, iwi organisations, and others in the region to learn useful new skills and share ideas. People will be attending
from South Canterbury Museum, Ashburton Art Gallery, the Airforce Museum, Waimate Museum, Staveley Historical Centre & Ashburton Museum Committee, NZ Historic Places Trust, Ashburton Museum, and The Plains Museum.
The workshop will be composed of a lecture-style presentation, group discussion and problem solving; as well as a
practical demonstration and some hands-on practical tasks. Participants will learn the acquisition process, assigning
accession numbers and marking objects, basics of condition reporting, good handling practices, storage conditions that
help preservation of collections, and loans and packing for transport.
Philip Howe Director South Canterbury Museum said today, “Workshops such as this are hugely valuable to smaller museums
throughout our region as they provide opportunities for participants to see and learn new techniques, practices and
strategies for collection care. They are also wonderful opportunities for people from different museums to compare
notes, discuss specific issues and generally learn from each other. The South Canterbury Museum is pleased to assist
National Services Te Paerangi to facilitate developmental opportunities such as these for our region,”
The workshop will be presented by Salme Kortet, who has 11 years experience in different aspects of collection
management. Her previous experience has included managing the Herbarium collection database at The Finnish Museum of
Natural History, Helsinki and working as Collections Assistant at TheNewDowse and Petone Settlers Museum in Lower Hutt.
This year she has completed a Postgraduate certificate in Heritage Materials Science at Victoria University. Salme’s
current role is Preservation Technician at The National Preservation Office, part of The National Library in Wellington.
Salme said today, “Collection management is an essential part of what a museum does. Good collection management ensures
the most professional care for a museum’s collection now and in the future. New Zealand has hundreds of small, often
volunteer-run museums with wonderful collections and this kind of course offers the opportunity for museum staff to gain
new skills and add to their existing knowledge. I also hope that this course will allow staff from museums in the area
to establish a professional network to share advice and expertise.”
National Services Te Paerangi works with Te Papa and their mission is to strengthen the museum sector by providing
practical and strategic help to museums and iwi throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Our goal is for museums and iwi to be
significantly strengthened by increased participation in our programmes and by working collaboratively at a local and
national level.
Collection Management workshop
Friday 12th December 2008, from 9.30am to 4.30pm, at South Canterbury Museum, Timaru.
ENDS