Objects and Collections of National Importance

What are objects of national importance?  Who holds them?  What are the legal, ethical, practical obligations for museums, galleries and collectors holding these objects? 

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Act 1992 says that one of the roles of Te Papa is:

“To co-operate with and assist other New Zealand museums … providing appropriate support to other institutions and organisations holding objects or collections of national importance”

Other countries have addressed similar ideas on collections of national importance, and information on their approaches is readily available on the internet – for some examples see the links for the Australian, Scottish, British and Canadian schemes.

Here in New Zealand, Museums Aotearoa has been developing a parallel idea of a ‘Distributed National Collection’ (DNC) since it published the Strategy for the Museums Sector in New Zealand in April 2005 http://www.museums-aotearoa.org.nz/Site/about/about.aspx

Following the compilation of a draft list of some 1000 objects across 11 DNC categories, this project has morphed into ‘Ngā Taonga’.  A Ngā Taonga widget has been developed by Museums Aotearoa, which will enable museums to highlight identified objects on their websites.  The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is currently supporting Museums Aotearoa to do further work on the data on the DNC categories, including digitising the entries, ensuring consistency of data, and uploading information for the Ngā Taonga widget.  For further information on the this project and the widget contact Mathew Norman, Ngā Taonga Project, Museums Aotearoa, dnc@museums-aotearoa.org.nz

But how does this work fit with the idea of “providing appropriate support to other institutions and organisations holding objects or collections of national importance” in Te Papa’s Act?  How do you identify these objects or collections and what would be appropriate support for those holding them?   What other questions come up when you start to look into this?

The Ministry would like to research these issues in order to provide relevant advice to the Government.  As this is a project which potentially affects every public and private collection in New Zealand, we would like to get the input of the sector.  That’s you!  A lot of questions have already been raised and we would value your views on these.  Eventually, your comments will be informing advice for Hon. Chris Finlayson, the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, on the Government’s role in relation to these issues so this is a great opportunity for you to have your say. 

The topics and questions we have come up with are listed as themed pages on the right of this page – comment is welcome.  If you think there is another area we should be exploring, let us know.  Remember, these are your views on your collections so have your say.

Update 28 April 2010:

The Ministry would like to thank all those who were able to attend the OCNI session at the Museums Aotearoa conference in New Plymouth on 16 April.

It was particularly useful for the Ministry to hear directly from those who have an interest in the OCNI issue. We have taken the comments that were made at the session and added these to the relevant topics found on this blog.  As you will see, many of the discussions on one topic overlapped into another.

The Ministry would welcome further comment from those visiting this blog and feedback from those who were at the conference and who wish to respond to or develop those ideas which were discussed at the session.