You are here: Home / Discover North Herts / Art, Museums and Heritage / Education and Learning / Museum Loans / Care of Museum Loans
Care of Museum Loans - Information
IMPORTANT: Please make sure that all members of staff who will be using the museum loans reads this information.
It is a condition of use of the service that all schools take special care of their loans and ensure that everything is carefully repacked in entirety for collection at the end of term. It is the school's responsibility to return any items which are not made ready for the time of collection.
Loss or damage must be reported immediately to the Museum Development Officer and the school may be charged for replacement or repair.
This information has been produced to help ensure the safety of the loans and the loan users.
Care of Museum Objects
All objects, real and replica need to be handled correctly to ensure the safety of the children and items. Hitchin and Letchworth Museums Education Service has tried to ensure that all cases are packed adequately to reduce the risk of breakage while the objects travel to and from school. The cases are checked by museum staff to monitor their condition after every loan. We are aware that accidents do happen, please contact the Museum Education Service immediately after an accident so we are aware of any problems and can take steps to repair or replace the case.
To minimise the chance of damage, please follow these guidelines when dealing with museum objects:
- Always assume an object is more fragile than it appears
- Objects are most at risk when being moved or on open display
- Make sure objects are handled over a table
- Teachers should make children aware of any objects that are heavy, have sharp edges, made from breakable materials and those that have moving parts
- If objects are left unsupervised and on open display in a classroom they are vulnerable – please think carefully before you do this and if in doubt contact the Museums Education Service
- Objects are affected by their environment – be aware of radiators, spotlights and liquids of any sort
What do you do if an accident happens?
- Let the Museums Education Service know as soon as possible
- Do not attempt to repair something yourself
Care of Perspex Cases
Hitchin and Letchworth Museums Education Service has tried to ensure that all cases are packed adequately to reduce the risk of breakage while the objects travel to and from school. The cases are checked by museum staff to monitor their condition after every loan.
To minimise the chance of damage, please follow these guidelines when dealing with museum loan cases:
- Objects may have come loose during transport to the school or while the case has been moved, please contact the Museums Education Service for advice to avoid any damage to the objects
- Please do not open or remove any of the perspex casing
- Make sure that cases are displayed securely on flat surfaces away from table edges and high shelving
- Objects are affected by their environment – be aware of radiators, spotlights and liquids of any sort
Care of loans - Costumes
All costumes in the Museums Loan Collection are original and some many years old and fragile. Some have signs of wear and damage from the past and these can be useful for learning how a garment would have been worn and how durable the fabric and stitching has been over time.
To avoid further damage, please follow these guidelines:
- Handling
- Always assume a garment is more fragile than it appears
- Wash your hands before touching the garments
- When you have finished with the garments, pack them away in the same way in which you found them. Fold loosely and avoid pressure
- Garments can be worn, with the exception of children’s clothes.
- Shoes need to be removed and pupils supervised at all times
- Display
- Always display costumes for as short a period as possible e.g. for the duration of the project
- Please do not use pins, staples or blue tack to display garments. Costumes can be hung up using coat hangers or lie flat
- Beware of damage from liquids e.g. water, paint, ink, coffee – garments that get damp can encourage the growth of mould
- Do not leave the garment in direct sunlight or under a spotlight or near a radiator – heat and light cause the fabric to fade and weaken the fibres
- When the costume is not in use please keep in the packaging provided
Care of loans - Datapacks, Local History Packs and Posters
Every effort is made to make the archive (paper) loans suitable for use in a classroom. The majority of the materials have been laminated or sealed in plastic packaging but for some archives this is not possible.
To avoid damage, please follow these guidelines:
- Handling
- Always assume archives are more fragile than they appear
- Wash your hands before touching the archives
- Make sure archives are handled over a table
- Display
- Please do not use pins, staples or sellotape to display archives. Archives can be displayed using blue tack or lie flat
- Archives are affected by their environment – be aware of radiators, spotlights and liquid of any sort
Care of Films and Slides
To minimise the chance of damage please follow these guidelines:
- Films and slides are affected by their environment – be aware of radiators, spotlights and liquids of any sort
- Please use the correct equipment when using these loans
Care of Natural History Specimens
As part of the collection care of the natural history specimens we are now requesting that schools do not allow children to touch the animals. This is partly due to the chemical processes involved in preservation and also that many of the specimens are wearing out. Museum staff are monitoring the situation and checking specimens after every loan.
- To minimise the chance of damage please follow these guidelines:
- Always assume the animal is more fragile than it appears
- Objects are most at risk when being moved or on open display
- Please do not allow pupils to touch the specimens – due to chemical preservation and to reduce deterioration of the animals
- Objects are affected by their environment – be aware of radiators, spotlights and liquids of any sort
