Channel Islands National Park 

Museum Management Planning Team 

Carola DeRooy, Archivist 

Point Reyes National Seashore 

Point Reyes, California 

Steve Floray, Curator 

Museum Management Program 

National Park Service 

Washington, DC 

Phil Gensler, Paleontologist/Curator 

Hagerman Fossil Beds National 

Monument 

Hagerman, Idaho 

Ann Huston, Chief, Cultural 

Resources 

Channel Islands National Park 

Ventura, California 

 

Diane Nicholson, Special Projects Curator 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area 

San Francisco, California 

(Team Leader) 

Consultants 

Phil Bedel, Curator 

Santa Monica Mountains National 

Recreation Area 

Thousand Oaks, California 

Kent Bush, Lead Curator 

Pacific West Region/Seattle 

Seattle, Washington 

Holly Dunbar, Lead Curator 

Pacific West Region/Oakland 

Oakland, California 

Kelly Minas, Archeologist 

Channel Islands National Park 

Ventura, California 

Pacific West Region 

National Park Service 

Department of the Interior 

2005 

Channel Islands National Park 

Museum Management Plan 

Executive Summary 

This Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan identifies 

the museum management issues facing the park, and presents 

recommendations to address them. A survey of the park staff was 

conducted to determine current informational and program support needs. 

A team of museum management professionals then developed the plan in 

full cooperation with the staff responsible for managing park archives, 

museum collections, and library resources. 

The archives, library, and museum collections remain in a developmental 

phase despite the age and maturity of the park. These park-specific 

resources lack status and definition, and are thus not efficiently 

contributing to park operations. This could be corrected by well-worded 

Role and Function Statements, development of internal protocols for 

collections development, a Scope of Collection Statement that includes all 

collection types, and active management by journeyman-level professional 

staff. 

All of the park collections (archives, library, and museum collections) 

need to be centralized under a single position for efficient management. 

The locations of park property in other private, state, and federal 

institutions need to be identified, and park resources need to be 

inventoried and documented through approved National Park Service 

(NPS) catalog systems. 

This Museum Management Plan offers recommendations for actions 

designed to take the park archives, library, and museum collections 

through a developmental phase that will provide basic documentation, 

preservation, and management of these park-specific resources. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan v
Key Recommendations 

Key recommendations are listed here while more detailed action 

recommendations follow each issue section of this plan. 

 Establish a museum management program with the Santa Monica 

Mountains National Recreation Area curator as curator-of-record for 

Channel Islands National Park, in cooperation with the California 

Mediterranean Coast Network (the Network). 

 Review and upgrade museum documentation and recordkeeping to 

provide adequate legal documentation for the park's museum and 

archival collections. 

 Develop a park-specific philosophy and incorporate it into a Role and 

Function Statement and collection protocols necessary for the orderly 

growth and management of the park archives, library, and museum 

collections. 

 Improve information management tools and access procedures that 

promote intellectual and physical access to the resources in the park 

archives, library, and museum collections. 

 Develop partnerships with park staff, the Network, and other 

organizations to identify outside institutions housing collections from 

the park and promote the documentation, preservation management, 

and use of the collections. 

vi Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 Table of Contents 

Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................v

Key Recommendations................................................................................................................ vi 

List of Illustrations...................................................................................................viii 

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................9

History of Collection Management .............................................................................................13

Issue A — Museum Management Program ...............................................................................21

Issue Statement ..........................................................................................................................21

Background.................................................................................................................................21

Discussion...................................................................................................................................24

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................33

Issue B — Museum Documentation ...........................................................................................35

Issue Statement ..........................................................................................................................35

Background.................................................................................................................................35

Discussion...................................................................................................................................40

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................43

Issue C — Collections Access Policies .....................................................................................45

Issue Statement ..........................................................................................................................45

Background............................................................................................................45

Discussion..............................................................................................................46

 Recommendations.......................................................................................................................51

Issue D — Park Archives and Records Management...............................................................53

Issue Statement ..........................................................................................................................53

Background.................................................................................................................................53

Discussion...................................................................................................................................57

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................64

Appendix A — Archives, Library, and Museum Collections Survey Results ........................67

Survey Objectives .......................................................................................................................67

Survey Methodology ...................................................................................................................67

Demographics.............................................................................................................................68

Survey Summaries......................................................................................................................69

Appendix B — Suggested Workload Analysis ..........................................................................73

Appendix C — Collections Access Policies ..............................................................................77

Appendix D — Archiving Resource Management Field Records............................................95

 Project Identification Sheet..........................................................................................................98

Sample Archival and Manuscript Collections Survey Form......................................................100

Appendix E — Suggested Library Operating Policy...............................................................103

Appendix F — Guidelines for Park Records Management ....................................................113

NPS Records Management Programs .....................................................................................113

Bibliography................................................................................................................................119

Park Reference List ..................................................................................................................119

Suggested Reading List............................................................................................................121

Collection Management References.........................................................................................122

References for Exhibits and Programs .....................................................................................126

Archives Management References...........................................................................................127

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan vii
List of Illustrations

Front cover Anacapa Island Sunset, Michael McFadden photograph 

Front cover, inside Map of Channel Islands National Park 

Figure 1, page 12 Curator of Anthropology John Johnson in Santa Barbara Museum 

 of Natural History collection storage facility containing park 

 collections. Kent Bush photograph. 

Figure 2, page 20 Chumash fish hooks, Harrington Collection, Santa Barbara 

 Museum of Natural History. Travis Hudson photograph. 

Figure 3, page 52 Channel Islands National Park archives. Kent Bush photograph. 

Figure 4, page 66 Pygmy mammoth tusks and teeth, Los Angeles County Museum 

 of Natural History. Kent Bush photograph. 

Figure 5, page 94 Chumash olivella shell beads from Santa Rosa Island, Channel 

 Islands National Park collection. NPS file photograph. 

Figure 6, page 102 Channel Islands National Park library. Kent Bush photograph. 

Figure 7, page 112 Townsends big-eared bat specimens at the L.A. County Museum 

 of Natural History. Kent Bush photograph. 

Back cover, inside Inspiration Point, Anacapa Island, Tim Hauf photograph. 

Back cover Third-Order Fresnel lens from the Anacapa Light House, 

 manufactured ca. 1930, on exhibit in the island visitor center. NPS 

 file photo. 

Tables 

Table 1, page 23 Fiscal Year 2003 project funding for museum collections 

Table 2, page 37 CHIS collections according to FY 2003 Collection Management 

 Report 

viii Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Introduction 

The Museum Management Plan (MMP) replaces the Collection 

Management Plan (CMP) referred to in the National Park Service 

publications, Outline for Planning Requirements, the DO# 28: Cultural 

Resources Management, and the NPS Museum Handbook, Part I. 

The CMP process generally concentrates on the technical aspects of 

museum operations, including a full review of accession files, status of 

cataloging, adherence to guidelines, and making very specific 

recommendations for corrections and improvements. In contrast, the MMP 

evaluates all aspects of museum-related programs within a park, and 

makes a series of broad recommendations to guide development of parkspecific programs that address the needs identified by the park. 

The MMP recognizes that specific directions for the technical aspects of 

archival and collections management exist within the NPS Museum 

Handbook series. It does not, therefore, duplicate that type of information. 

The MMP instead places museum operations in a holistic context within 

park operations by focusing on how various collections may be used by 

park staff to support the goals of this particular park unit. This plan also 

recognizes that there are many different ways in which archives, libraries, 

and museum collections may be organized, linked, and used within 

individual parks, and it provides park-specific advice on how this may be 

accomplished. Where required, technical recommendations not covered in 

the NPS Museum Handbook will appear as appendices in this plan. 

Prior to the site visit by the museum management planning team (MMP 

team), park personnel were surveyed to collect baseline data concerning 

archival and museum collections, the library, and related services needed 

by the staff. This information allowed the team to make a quick evaluation 

of many issues relating to these operations. The survey also provided 

insights into ways in which a well-designed museum management 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 9 
program might address the needs of the park staff. The results of this 

survey are contained in Appendix A. 

The park staff and MMP team worked together over the course of the 

team’s visit to develop the issue statements contained in this plan. Topics 

addressed meet the specific needs of Channel Islands National Park 

(CHIS) as discussed during those meetings, and thus do not necessarily 

represent a complete range of collection management concerns. Most 

elements of this plan are developmental rather than remedial in nature. 

The recommendations are intended to guide the park through the process 

of creating and implementing a workable system that supports all aspects 

of park operations, while at the same time providing guidelines for growth 

and development of the museum management program. 

Members of the MMP team were selected for their ability to address the 

specific needs and concerns of the park. Primary information gathering 

and the initial draft was developed over a two week period in July, 2004. 

The various supporting elements were developed at the same time. 

The team wishes to thank the staff of Channel Island National Park for the 

courtesy, consideration, and cooperation extended during this planning 

effort, in particular Russell Galipeau, Superintendent; Linda Dye, Tim 

Coonan, and Katie Chess, Division of Resource Management; Lena Lee, 

California Mediterranean Network; and Stephanie Stephens, Curator, 

Alaska Region. 

Channel Islands museum collections are located in a number of Southern 

California institutions. During the course of the team's visit to the park, the 

following institutions were also visited: 

Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History - Chris Coleman, 

Curator, Archeology; Scott Van Keuren, PhD., Assistant Curator of 

Anthropology; James Dines, Curator, Vertebrate Zoology; and Samuel A. 

McLeod, PhD., Curator, Paleontology 

Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California, Los 

Angeles - Wendy Giddens Teeter, Ph.D., Curator of Archeology. 

10 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - Karl Hutterer, PhD., Director; 

Henry W. Chaney, Ph.D., Director of Collections and Research; Eric 

Hochberg, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology; Michael Caterino, Curator of 

Entomology; Christa Fahey, Associate Curator, Vertebrate Zoology; John 

R. Johnson, Ph.D., Curator of Anthropology; Ray Corbett, Curator, 

Anthropology; Jan Timbrook, Curator of Ethnography; and Terri 

Sheridan, Librarian. 

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Steve Junak, Curator, and Dieter Wilken, 

Vice President, Programs and Collections.. 

University of California, Santa Barbara Repository - Michael Glassow, 

PhD., Chair, Department of Anthropology; and Brent Leftwich, 

Repository Manager, Anthropology. 

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum - Angela M. Scott, Curator. 

Their time, effort, and involvement made the team’s job much easier and it 

is very much appreciated. These individuals obviously are dedicated and 

committed to the preservation of the park resources, and it is a pleasure to 

work with such professionals. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 11 
Figure 1 Curator of Anthropology John Johnson in Santa Barbara 

Museum of Natural History collection storage facility containing 

park collections. 

12 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
History of 

Collection Management 

There is no record of any curatorial activity conducted by the National 

Park Service between the establishment of Channel Islands National 

Monument in 1938 and the establishment of Channel Islands National 

Park in 1980. According to Christine Horton (Administrative Officer from 

1967-1993), there was no curatorial program in the park during her tenure 

with the monument. Prior to 1980, collections were accessioned and 

maintained at the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Museums of Natural 

History. These institutions and others collected biological and 

archeological materials during this time. The materials were cataloged and 

stored at the institutions from which the research was conducted. For the 

most part, these collections are still located at the institutions. In addition, 

the NPS Western Region biologist conducted a semi-annual survey of the 

monument. Information from these survey records, which were filed at the 

Regional Office, and some of the records themselves, have been added to 

the park’s museum collection. However, information was often incomplete 

or missing altogether, and curation was haphazard. 

With the establishment of Channel Islands National Park in 1980, 

sustained collecting began with the purpose of creating visitor center 

exhibits. Chief of Interpretation Bruce Craig started the park accession log 

book, and initiated curation of the miscellaneous materials that had 

previously been collected and stored at the park. Along with natural and 

cultural objects from the islands, the park also collected materials from 

outside the park boundaries. Collections appeared to concentrate on the 

objects’ fitness for exhibit, rather than on their provenience. All donations 

were accepted and curated, no matter the material’s origin, relevance, or 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 13 
condition, perhaps because the park lacked a Scope of Collection 

Statement. 

From approximately 1983 to 1989, Myrle Kirk, a volunteer who also 

worked for the Ventura County Museum of History and Art, carried out 

the bulk of the curatorial duties. Several loans between the two institutions 

occurred during this time. This period of curation continued the haphazard 

collecting patterns of the past, but the records were more thorough and 

periodic inventories helped reduce losses from the collection. The park 

evinced little interest in curation, other than acquiring interpretive articles. 

It was also at this time that all of the photographs cataloged into the 

collections were removed from the records and stored in a separate photo 

file with its own cataloging system. Batches of photos from a single roll of 

film, or collections from specific projects or trips, were divided and filed 

by subject to better facilitate interpretive use in publications and exhibits. 

Unfortunately, the batches of photos were seldom cataloged or inventoried 

before they were divided, making it difficult to recover the original order. 

In 1985 the park drafted a Scope of Collection Statement to comply with 

NPS requirements. The statement was hastily put together by park staff 

and submitted by Chief of Interpretation Mary Gibson Park for regional 

approval. The statement was brief and general, with most of the text 

coming straight from the NPS Museum Handbook. Although the new 

statement set standards for the park collections and was approved by the 

regional office, collecting of materials continued in the same pattern as 

before. 

The park collections were stored in three standard museum cabinets and 

one herbarium cabinet. At one time stored in the maintenance area, the 

cabinets were moved into the interpretive workroom at park headquarters. 

The cabinets were later moved to the interpretive storage room in the 

auditorium, where because of limited space available, they were stacked 

and placed face to face, preventing complete opening of the cabinet doors. 

About 1986, Linda Kelly from the Interpretive Division was assigned the 

curatorial responsibilities. While Myrle Kirk still volunteered during this 

14 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
time, he departed in 1989. Linda Kelly was the first person with 

responsibility for the collections who had received NPS curatorial training. 

When specific curatorial funding became available for the first time in 

1987, the focus of curation shifted to ANCS data entry. The park’s catalog 

records were entered into ANCS that summer, primarily by Ed Corkill. 

Later that year, however, the hard drive of the computer containing the 

ANCS records was believed to have crashed, and no further ANCS data 

entry occurred until 1991. 

Linda Kelly left the park in 1988, and curatorial responsibilities fell to the 

interpretation staff. Although several staff members attempted to work 

with the collections, their poor condition in storage, exhibits, and records 

proved too much for anyone to handle in addition to their regular 

interpretive duties. By this time, at least one hanging exhibit panel of 

Chumash artifacts had been placed in storage because of pilferage. 

Curatorial responsibilities shifted to the Resource Management Division, 

under the purview of Park Archeologist Don Morris, in 1991. Morris 

discovered that the amount of work required to even approach NPS 

curation standards was far more than originally estimated. Physical access 

to the collections for an initial inventory was limited by their storage 

conditions, and the interiors of some cabinets were impossible to reach. 

Newly acquired materials were stored in boxes in an unused park office 

until they could be accessioned, cataloged, and stored properly. The 

backlog of ANCS data entry had also grown, since no one had attempted 

to use ANCS for several years. 

In 1991 the park obtained funding for a Bally building, museum storage 

equipment, and basic preventive conservation of the collection. A 

dedicated curatorial office space was established. At the same time, 

Kathleen Baldwin volunteered to take on the park’s curatorial duties. 

Having just finished archeological field school on Santa Cruz Island and 

two terms of museum studies at UCLA, she was in search of an institution 

that would allow her to put into practice what she had learned. The 

collections at Channel Islands National Park were a perfect match. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 15 
Essentially, all aspects of curation from record management to storage 

needed improvement. 

Baldwin was hired in 1992 using interim funding from the park base and 

project funding from the Santa Rosa Island survey. She was able to bring 

the holdings to a far more acceptable condition by inventorying the entire 

collection, storing like objects together, re-establishing an archive for 

pertinent documents and photographs, and improving storage conditions 

within the Bally building. The problem of what to do with photographs 

that had been accessioned, cataloged, then uncataloged and put into a 

different filing system was especially challenging. While organizing this 

material, Baldwin found many objects that had never been cataloged and 

needed to be added to the park collections. Through continued inventory, 

she also located over forty objects (of more than sixty) that had been 

formally listed as missing. 

Another task was to enter the backlog of catalog records into ANCS. In 

total, approximately 225 pre-existing records were entered, and 2500 new 

records were added. The new records were comprised primarily of the 

photo and document archives. Additional collections included the Santa 

Rosa Island archeological survey, seized maritime artifacts from a major 

case in 1987, and the loan by the U.S. Coast Guard of the original 

Anacapa Fresnel lens, valued at $750,000. 

Materials from an archeological testing project at Daisy Cave on San 

Miguel Island during the 1980s and 1990s is expected to add about 5,000 

items to the park’s holdings when cataloging is completed. Some of these 

objects include sea grass cordage and a sea grass sandal fragment over 

9,000 years old. Baldwin also drafted a new Scope of Collection 

Statement that attempted to more clearly define what items belong in the 

park’s collection. 

Discovery of a nearly complete pygmy mammoth skeleton on Santa Rosa 

Island in 1994 prompted a major paleontological excavation. Casts of the 

skeleton were made for exhibit at the park’s visitor center and at the Santa 

Barbara Museum of Natural History, where the original skeleton was 

placed for curation. In 1999 the park executed a cooperative agreement 

16 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
with this museum for curation of the park’s archeological and 

paleontological collections. The park felt the museum would serve as a 

logical repository for the park collections since it already maintained a 

large collection of both cultural and natural items from the islands, created 

when several of the islands were in private ownership. The museum would 

be able to provide ready access to the collections for park staff and 

researchers, and it also had a professional curatorial staff and a facility that 

met federal curation standards. 

The park also executed a cooperative agreement with the Santa Barbara 

Botanic Garden in 1998 to carry out cooperative activities in the areas of 

research, interpretation, and curation. The Botanic Garden maintains the 

park’s herbarium along with its own extensive collection of plant materials 

from the islands and southern California. 

In 1998 the park established a new Cultural Resources Division and hired 

Ann Huston as a new division chief. Don Morris and Ann Huston 

comprised the entire cultural resources permanent staff, thus doubling the 

park’s cultural resources staff. With the additional management position, 

the park was able to devote more attention to the park museum collection 

and seek more project funding to bring the park’s collection into 

compliance with federal curation standards. 

The park received funding in FY2000 to initiate a four-year project to 

organize and catalog the park’s archival materials. The NPS Western 

Archeological and Conservation Center (WACC) in Tucson undertook an 

archives survey to identify materials to be added to the archives and has 

completed accessioning and cataloging of most of these materials. 

Additional project funding purchased museum cabinets for the archival 

collection, equipment upgrades for the Bally building, and museum 

cabinets for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. These cabinets 

hold the growing paleontological collection and a confiscated collection of 

archeological artifacts from East Santa Cruz Island, used as evidence in a 

court case. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 17 
While attempts to professionalize the management of the park’s museum 

collection continued, the limited staff and funding prevented any ongoing 

accessioning and cataloging. Instead, the focus was placed on obtaining 

project money to address the backlog of natural and cultural collections. 

Archeological collections established through occasional field collecting, 

small-scale testing, and the “under-house” excavation that took place at 

the site of the Scorpion bunkhouse on Santa Cruz Island following the 

December, 1997 flood were stored in the Bally building and in a shed at 

the Scorpion Ranch. The park moved the collections from the shed in 

2002 to an upstairs room in the Scorpion Ranch House. Many of these 

items are personal property of the Gherini family, the former island 

owners. The park is storing these items until a joint determination is made 

about their disposition. 

Archeological collections created through field projects carried out by 

students from the University of Oregon, University of California at Santa 

Barbara, California State University, Long Beach, and other institutions 

have not been systematically accessioned and cataloged, and many of 

these collections are still at the universities. 

Natural history collecting has been ongoing for decades. Many of these 

collections are now in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the 

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, universities and other institutions. 

Although the collections were generally carried out by park staff or 

through research and collecting permits, the park did not assign accession 

numbers or track the disposition of these research collections. 

From 1998-2004 the park has made efforts to update its Checklist for the 

Preservation and Protection of Museum Collections by including the Santa 

Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 

and the University of California at Santa Barbara. It also has obtained 

funds to re-house collections and upgrade equipment at these institutions. 

The park has made a more realistic assessment of its backlog for the 

Collection Management Report, and has requested funds to address the 

archeological and natural history backlog. It has also undertaken the 

18 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
archives project. In 2002 the park completed its first annual inventory in 

many years, with the assistance of Stephanie Stephens, curator from the 

Alaska Regional Office. First brought in by WACC to assist in resolving 

registration problems identified by the archives project, Stephens 

continued to make annual or semi-annual visits to the park to carry out the 

annual inventory, run the Collection Management Report, accession new 

collections into the Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+), update 

the National Catalog records, and provide professional curatorial 

assistance to the park. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 19 
Figure 2 Chumash fish hooks, Harrington Collection, Santa Barbara Museum of 

Natural History. 

20 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Issue A — 

Museum Management Program 

Issue Statement 

Developing a network-level museum management strategy and 

enhancing existing partnerships are the keys to advancing the 

park’s curatorial program. 

Background 

Channel Islands National Park is currently responsible for a museum and 

archival collection of over 345,000 items (2003 CMR). The park, together 

with Cabrillo National Monument (CABR) and Santa Monica Mountains 

National Recreation Area (SAMO), comprise the Mediterranean Coast 

Network. This inter-park relationship is further strengthened by the 

California Mediterranean Research Learning Center (CMRLC), an integral 

program of all three units. Both the Network and the CMRLC provide a 

myriad of opportunities for the three units to cooperatively confront shared 

and similar resource management, research, and public outreach related 

opportunities and challenges. 

Certain resource management and other park project archives are located 

at the park, as are small collections of historic and archeological materials, 

and entomological and herbarium specimens. The majority of the 

collections, however, are housed at repositories maintained by various 

park partners: the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History; the 

University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Santa 

Barbara; the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; and the Santa Barbara 

Museum of Natural History. These collections have resulted from 

countless research and resource management activities undertaken within 

the park by these partner institutions over the past seventy-odd years (as 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 21 
well as projects undertaken in the Channel Islands but done outside park 

boundaries and/or prior to an area’s incorporation into the park). As a 

result, these park partners maintain important inter-related collections of 

both NPS and non-NPS materials that help to document the Channel 

Islands’ unique natural and cultural heritage. 

At the same time, these materials do not reflect all of the collections, 

particularly archival materials, which should be part of the park collection. 

During the park’s early history, Cabrillo National Monument provided 

management oversight. The archives at Cabrillo may contain numerous 

materials related to CHIS’s formative years. Other archival materials may 

be located at the National Archives and Records Centers in San Bruno and 

Laguna Niguel, California.. Early archeological and natural resource 

collections may also be located at a number of other institutions, including 

the Jepson Herbarium at the University of California, Berkeley; the 

Southwest Museum; the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden; the 

Claremont Graduate University; the San Diego Museum of Man; and the 

Antelope Valley Indian Museum. 

The park has two dedicated museum collections management facilities: a 

small insulated modular structure (commonly called a “Bally building”) at 

headquarters, and Suite 101 at 1559 Spinnaker Drive, a commercial space 

leased by the park approximately 1⁄4 mile from headquarters. The two areas 

currently house museum, archival, and library collections. Smaller 

archival collections (project data, photographs, and entomological 

specimens) are located in the Resource Management Annex building. 

The park’s visitor center in Ventura contains an exhibition of the Channel 

Islands natural history. Specimens include island foxes, several raptors, 

casts, models, and cultural objects. Some of these items are in the museum 

collection, others are not. 

The chief of cultural resources management leads the cultural resources 

program (including managing the museum collections). Currently, the 

position serves as the park historian and is a GS-170-12. The only other 

additional cultural resources staff is the recently hired GS-190-11 park 

22 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
archeologist. In the past, the chief has carried out the park’s museum 

management responsibilities as time permits. 

Total base funding for cultural resources in FY 2004 is $169,193. This 

figure includes the $3,000 base increase for ANCS+ support and 

cataloging. The museum program’s total base funding currently amounts 

to the $3,000 for ANCS+/cataloging, as all other divisional base funds 

simply cover the chief's and park archeologist's salaries. Although the park 

has received small base increases over the last five years, costs have outstripped the increases. So the budget has continued to erode leaving less 

funding available for support to the museum program (as well as all park 

programs). 

In FY 2004 the park received the following project funds to support and/or 

create museum collections: 

Organize and Catalog 

Park Archives and Photo 

Collection, Year 4 (PMIS 

72339) 8120-0303-CCC

Backlog Cataloging $48,000

Oral History Project Challenge-Cost Share $20,000

Update Park Collection 

Management Plan and 

Scope of Collection 

Statement (PMIS 72653) 

8120-0417-UCC 

Museum Collections Preservation 

and Protection Program (MCPPP) 

$17,000

Table 1 FY 2004 project funding for museum collections 

In July, 2004 the park received $450,000 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

These monies resulted from a civil fine levied against a company engaged 

in illegal offshore dumping. The cultural resources division’s share of the 

settlement funds is $50,000, which will be allocated to island 

archeological and shipwreck monitoring projects. Although these funds 

allow the park to carry out necessary monitoring activities, they do not 

enable the park to expand the museum management program to adequately 

address the access needs of both the park staff and the public, or for the 

on-going preservation and protection of the museum and archival 

collections. However, as noted above, working on the network level and 

using the services of the California Mediterranean Research Learning 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 23 
Center should present the park with numerous options for effectively 

overcoming these challenges. 

Discussion 

The museum program crosses many disciplines and subject areas. The 

park must continue to take an aggressive approach to long-range planning 

for the effective development of the museum management program's 

budget, and staff necessary to preserve its resources and complete its 

missions. A proactive approach toward necessary planning and 

programming will allow the staff to complete work that will help preserve 

park resources and educate the public. 

It is important to maintain perspective and to determine how resource 

management activities support the overall missions and goals of the park 

in planning for all resource preservation. The resources that make up the 

park records, museum collections, archival materials, and library 

constitute documentary evidence of park resource management activities 

and the administrative decisions affecting them. Park museum collections 

are primary resources and comprise the park's institutional memory. The 

museum management program should serve four distinct functions within 

the park: documentation; preservation; research; and education and public 

programs. 

Staff members who are assigned responsibility for collections 

management have the primary responsibility for producing the planning, 

programming, and reporting documents necessary to ensure that the 

primary functions mentioned above are adequately staffed, funded, and 

performed. To achieve this goal, the staff must understand the 

interrelationships among the various reporting and planning documents 

such as the Collection Management Report (CMR), the Checklist for the 

Preservation and Protection of Museum Collections (Checklist), the 

Resource Management Plan (RMP), the Project Management Information 

System (PMIS), Operations Formulation Systems (OFS), and various 

program-specific documents. By understanding these relationships, the 

staff can produce effective programming documents that will enable them 

to secure funding from available sources. Although the NPS Museum 

24 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Handbook, Parts I, II, and III, provide overall guidance for the NPS 

Museum Program, the museum staff must use their professional expertise 

in addressing the needs of museum collections. 

The documentation of time and costs to the museum management program 

for individual elements of the four primary functions mentioned above is 

an essential element of planning and programming. Increasingly, park 

managers are asked to show "value received for value given" in their 

operations. The response "to comply with regulations" is often not 

sufficient justification for funding in today's climate of lean budgets and 

reduced staff. Sometimes it is difficult for the non-specialist reviewing 

budget requests to perceive exactly what the "value received" to the park 

actually is, so illustrations of "value" in planning documents, budget 

requests, and reports must be overt and proactive. 

Museum collections management staff must do cost analyses for both the 

current and projected activities of the branch as a means to establish 

credibility for the management of park museum collections. Some very 

basic time and cost analysis questions might include: 

 How many accessions have been processed over the past three years? 

 Is the rate of new accessions entering the collections increasing or 

decreasing? 

 Is the park keeping up with basic registration, or is a backlog being 

created? 

 What is the average time/cost to process an accession? 

 What is the average time/cost to catalog an object? 

 What is the time/cost to provide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 

and environmental monitoring per year? 

 What is the time/cost to provide storage/inventory per cubic foot of 

storage per year? 

 How many requests for research access to the collections are received 

each year from both staff and public, and what is the time/cost per 

request to provide that access? 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 25 
 Have the requests for access increased or decreased over the past 

three years? 

 Have collections and/or documentation been used for educational 

purposes? 

After the staff collects, analyzes, and formats these types of data for 

preservation, park management will begin to recognize the direct costs 

associated with various facets of collections management and to determine 

whether essential work is being accomplished in a timely manner. With 

these data, park staff will be able to develop effective, integrated programs 

to identify, program for, and meet park needs. These data will also 

document where project or temporary staff may be necessary to 

accomplish backlogged work or to make the overall program more 

efficient. Finally, this information will provide the foundation and 

documentation for establishing appropriate staffing levels—both in 

numbers of positions and grade levels. 

The park should continue to seek additional funding sources for curatorial 

projects to provide needed assistance in cataloging and museum 

collections management. As a member of the Mediterranean Coast 

Network, the park is in a unique position to work in partnership with 

Cabrillo National Monument and Santa Monica Mountains National 

Recreation Area to establish network-wide/multi-park projects to address 

common needs. The park’s museum management program can also apply 

for project funding as funds are available through the California 

Mediterranean Research Learning Center, which funds projects related to 

research, internships, and citizen science. 

In addition to the various cultural resource management project fund 

sources (which the park successfully uses to fund needed project work), 

the NPS administers two grant programs that the park might want to 

consider applying for: Save America's Treasures and Challenge Cost 

Share. 

The park's cooperating association, the Western National Park 

Association, and local foundation offices should be approached with 

specific project requests tailored to organizational interests. A number of 

26 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
graduate programs (including a large number of local universities and 

colleges in the greater Los Angeles area) may provide interns to do 

professional level museum project work under the direction of other 

museum professionals. The American Association of Museums has a list 

of such accredited programs. 

The NPS has a cooperative agreement with the National Council for 

Preservation Education that provides a clearinghouse for interns from 

appropriate college and university programs for parks. The Student 

Conservation Association (SCA) will also provide interns with applicable 

training. Another source of information is the American Institute for 

Conservation, which maintains a list of conservation programs. If free 

housing could be found (perhaps in cooperation with Santa Monica 

Mountains National Recreation Area, which maintains limited park 

housing) it might be possible to find free or nearly free interns with 

professional training to work on specific projects at the park. Stipends can 

be funded with project money or even through support from the Western 

National Park Association. 

Another possible source of funding for the museum management program 

could be realized by establishing a “Friends of the Park” group. A Friends 

group could actively solicit donations of funds and in-kind support from 

the local community. The three-county metropolitan area (Ventura, Santa 

Barbara, and Los Angeles) is both fairly affluent and environmentally 

conscious, which should greatly assist in such organizing and fundraising 

efforts. 

Finally, as previously noted, the park has very close ties with the Los 

Angeles County Museum of Natural History; The University of California, 

Los Angeles; The University of California, Santa Barbara; the Santa 

Barbara Botanic Garden; and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural 

History. The park is currently updating cooperative agreements with the 

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural 

History, and is planning to expand its relationship between it, these 

institutions, and the NPS (as discussed further below). The Pacific West 

Region museum management staff, museum management staff at Santa 

Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the service-wide NPS 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 27 
Museum Management Program, the Western Archeological and 

Conservation Center (WACC), and the Division of Conservation at 

Harpers Ferry Center may provide assistance, recommendations, and 

additional oversight, if needed. 

CHIS currently has a base increase request (OFS), "Preserve Cultural 

Resources and Museum Collections" (5083B), which includes additional 

funding to “Maintain Park Museum Collection” with 1.0 FTE devoted to 

the collection. This request is park priority 5 and regional priority 220. 

Although it seems unlikely that this request will be funded any time soon, 

the park should nonetheless document all of its needs. 

However, in keeping with developing a network-wide strategy for 

museum management, the park, in cooperation with its network partners 

SAMO and CABR, should develop a new OFS request reflecting network 

curatorial needs. Given the observations of the planning team, the park’s 

museum management program and the Network's archival and records 

management program present major challenges. This new OFS request 

should include funding to establish a network archivist position (GS-1420-

11) as well as a network-wide museum technician (GS-1016-7) that could 

assist all three parks with monitoring, preventive conservation, and 

compliance activities and be an essential component of the California 

Mediterranean Research Learning Center. 

The OFS request should also include sufficient funding to raise the current 

SAMO GS-1015-11 curator position to the GS-12 level with curatorial 

oversight responsibilities for all three parks (in cooperation with the 

various parks’ program managers), and all support costs including funds 

for maintaining collections at partner institutions. The new network 

curator would supervise the other two permanent network museum 

positions and be the curator-of-record for all three parks. 

As an essential part of park operations, the museum management program 

should have a separate ONPS budget in addition to project funds. If the 

network-based museum management program is carried out, appropriate 

levels of increased base funding could be managed by the Network 

curator, in collaboration with the three parks’ chiefs of resources 

28 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
management. Once project(s) are completed to deal with the backlog need 

(as documented throughout this plan), the CHIS program does not appear 

to need a full-time curator on-site, but could rely upon the services of the 

Network museum staff, one of whom could be based at CHIS (such as the 

museum technician). Perhaps the park could explore using natural 

resource funds to assist with the museum technician position, which could 

also assume the permit function at CHIS. This arrangement would allow 

the CHIS scientist currently involved in permitting issues greater time for 

project work. Such a strategy would undoubtedly also help to ensure that 

natural resources collections issues are addressed during planning and 

programming for research projects. 

Since it is unlikely that the park will receive additional (non-network) 

museum staff in the near future, this network approach to collections 

management would appear to be a tremendous opportunity. Not only will 

the collections receive highly professional care, the park will benefit from 

the latest research using and identifying these materials. In addition, new 

generations of scientists and historians will benefit from using these 

collections and receiving training in museum management. 

The park might also expand cooperative opportunities with their current 

partners (The Nature Conservancy; Los Angeles County Museum of 

Natural History; University of California, Los Angeles; University of 

California, Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; Santa Barbara 

Museum of Natural History; Santa Cruz Island Foundation; Santa Barbara 

Maritime Museum; University of California Nature Reserve System), 

other federal agencies (Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, the 

National Marine Fisheries Service, Bureau of Land Management and 

Forest Service), the California Coastal Commission, California State 

Parks, California Department of Fish and Game, other local, state, and 

regional agencies, and non-governmental organizations. As the 

management of public lands moves further toward ecosystems 

management rather than by artificial political boundaries, it becomes more 

efficient for all concerned to manage resources in a more holistic manner. 

This would also make it easier for outside researchers who could do "onestop-shopping" rather than having to go to a number of different locations. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 29 
The park is currently involved in the General Management Plan (GMP) 

process. Park management, staff, and the planning team all agree that the 

new GMP should adequately address the current and ongoing needs of the 

museum management program. All concur that the best, most costeffective and practical method is museum management using a 

cooperative network-level approach. 

At present, the park has a small number of collections in the museum 

exhibits at the visitor center. The new GMP should note this situation and 

make recommendations for future exhibits at the visitor center and other 

appropriate visitor facilities. The park anticipates development of a new 

Long Range Interpretive Plan (LRIP) following approval of the GMP. It is 

critical that both the GMP and LRIP address museum collections access 

and use, through exhibits, publications, the web, and other media. During 

these planning initiatives, the museum staff should be an integral part of 

the planning teams in order to integrate the museum management program 

into the interpretive program. 

The Resource Management Plan (RMP) was last updated in 1999 and 

contains a number of project statements related to the museum program, 

which have been incorporated into the park's PMIS program. However, 

the narrative does not provide a roadmap for managing these important 

resources. Once new RMP guidance is received, the museum management 

program should be an integral part of the narrative plan as well as the 

programming documents that support that plan. 

Park staff are to be commended for their attention to cultural resources 

planning and identifying museum needs in PMIS. The chief of CRM has 

developed a sound five-year program of prioritized needs. This plan 

provides additional guidance for such a program. Searching the PMIS 

database for similar projects can be very helpful in drafting and/or revising 

new statements, particularly those that have been funded. The team 

identified a number of possible new project statements based on their 

observations: 

30 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 Conduct a new park-wide archival and records management survey. 

 Survey the park’s accession books and records, and document status 

of collections, collections-quality materials, erroneously accessioned 

and/or de-accessioned items, etc., to provide increased accountability. 

 Locate park lands’ museum collections maintained in other 

institutions (this could be a multi-park, network project). 

 Recall (and/or consolidate) collections from other institutions and 

update museum records. 

 Complete an Emergency Operations Plan for museum collections. 

 Design and construct appropriate cases for temporary museum 

exhibits. 

 Assess materials in the Bally building, visitor center, Scorpion Ranch, 

and other areas for possible inclusion within the museum collection. 

 Develop a network-level museum management plan. 

Current PMIS project statements that may be revised include: 

 PMIS #68258, “Improve Storage of Park-Maintained Collections.” 

This project details moving collections into the Bally building 

following a Collection Storage Plan. The planning team noted that the 

Bally building does not provide an acceptable environment for 

collections and recommends that items be relocated to Suite 101. This 

project statement should be revised accordingly. 

 PMIS #85101, “Complete IPM Plan, Housekeeping Plan, and Risk 

Assessment.” The park may want to consider making this a multi-park 

network project(s) and increasing the cost estimates accordingly. 

 PMIS #61796, “Prepare Collection Storage Plan.” The park may want 

to revise this project into a network-wide Collection Storage Plan 

(CSP) that would assess all three parks’ (and partners) storage 

facilities and make recommendations using a network approach. Such 

a CSP could also investigate the possibility of future network storage 

at the Soka University site, if acquired by SAMO. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 31 
There are two other critical reporting documents that provide data for 

managing the park's museum collections as well as identifying funding 

needs: the Checklist for Preservation and Protection of Museum 

Collections (Checklist) and the Collection Management Report (CMR). 

The Checklist for Preservation and Protection of Museum Collections is 

an important document from several different viewpoints: 

 Establishing the standards under which park museum collections are 

maintained and against which the park evaluates itself 

 Documenting the preservation of the park museum collections at a 

particular point in time 

 Determining the funding needed to bring a museum collection to 

standard 

The Checklist is divided by facility and type, so a structure that holds both 

exhibit and storage would have two checklists. The park must complete 

and/or update this document on an annual basis. The Museum Collection 

Preservation and Protection Program (MCPPP) funding is based on the 

data received from park checklists. Thus, the careful completion of the 

updated checklists is critical to adequately estimate the needs of the park. 

The service-wide funding is divided by a formula based on total needs for 

each of the seven NPS regions. Every four years this funding is adjusted 

based on the most current data so it is critical that the data be accurately 

reflective of present needs. 

CHIS is currently reporting on seven facilities: the Bally building; Suite 

101; Anacapa Island Visitor Center; Scorpion Ranch (Santa Cruz Island); 

the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History; the Santa Barbara Botanic 

Garden; and University of California, Santa Barbara, repository. Park 

collections are also housed at several additional (partners’) facilities, so 

the park will want to add those facilities to its checklist as well. This is 

especially critical as there are deficiencies in those facilities that may be 

addressed with MCPPP funding. 

The Collection Management Report provides a statistical overview of the 

park's present collection. It gives park staff and management, as well as 

32 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
the region and the service-wide programs, information on size and type of 

collection; the growth of the collection over time; documentation of use; 

and identification of uncataloged backlog. This latter is very important as 

it relates to funding. The service-wide Backlog Catalog Program fund 

distribution is based on this report so it must accurately reflect the total 

park collection, especially with regard to the uncataloged backlog. As 

noted for MCPPP, reallocation and distribution of these funds is based on 

the backlog reported on the CMR. 

Concerning access and use of park collections, park staff may want to 

establish a protocol with partner institutions holding CHIS collections to 

accurately report all use of such materials. This information can then be 

included on the park’s annual CMR submission. 

Recommendations 

 Develop a network-level museum management plan. 

 Develop a list of essential archival, museum, and library management 

activities, and begin a time/cost documentation and analysis for each 

activity (see Appendix B for an example). 

 Update existing and add new PMIS statements as noted throughout 

this plan. 

 Develop a new OFS request that reflects network curatorial needs in 

cooperation with SAMO and CABR, 

 Develop a strategy of conveyance options concerning certain 

specimens housed at partner institutions. The Pacific West Region 

museum management staff can assist the park with this project. 

 Complete an Emergency Operations Plan for museum collections. 

 Design and construct appropriate cases for temporary museum 

exhibits. 

 Establish a priority list and apply for funding to meet the Learning 

Center’s museum management needs related to research, internships, 

and citizen science opportunities. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 33 
 Investigate the establishment of a Friends group for the park that can 

assist in funding resource management and other needs.

 Revise the park Checklist based on the recommendations of this 

MMP. 

 Accession all backlog collections to ensure that the park is eligible to 

receive Backlog Cataloging funds. The accessioning of archival 

materials should await the completion of a new park-wide archival 

and records management survey. 

 Revise the Resource Management Plan as opportunities arise, and 

participate in interpretive planning to address the specific needs of the 

museum management program. 

 Continue to participate in GMP planning efforts. 

 Assess CABR archival collections for materials related to CHIS 

dating from the years of CABR management oversight. This could be 

a component of the new archives survey. 

34 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Issue B —

 Museum Documentation 

Issue Statement 

Professional level documentation of archival and museum 

collections is required to fill both public and park operational needs 

for quality information.

Background 

Museum documentation provides the record of ownership and detailed 

descriptions of the artifacts, specimens, and archives that make up park 

museum and archive collections. Documentation begins with the 

accessioning process, where collections are first made museum property. 

It consists of the accession book, accession files (containing the vital 

Accession Receiving Report and possibly the List of Objects, Deed of 

Gift, purchase document, Receipt for Property, and other documents 

related to the acquisition), and an accession database record in the 

Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+). Specific information 

about individual artifacts or groups of similar artifacts is contained in the 

catalog record, which is entered into the ANCS+ database. If additional 

documents such as physical photographs and treatment reports exist for 

cataloged objects, they are placed in catalog folders. 

An annual inventory of collections is completed to provide accountability 

and help ensure against losses. The Checklist for the Preservation and 

Protection of Museum Collections documents how parks meet the 

standards for museum facilities and operations; it is completed every other 

year or as needed. Archives can generate additional documentation unique 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 35 
to the archives discipline, including container lists and finding aids (see 

Issue D on archival collections). 

The NPS Museum Handbook, Part II: Museum Records, identifies the 

records needed to manage NPS museum collections. These records are 

consistent with professional standards and they provide the foundation for 

a good and legal museum management program. Without good records, all 

other aspects of the museum program will be suspect and it will be 

difficult for park staff to carry out their responsibilities for museum 

management. Specific guidance for museum recordkeeping is contained in 

the following sections of the Museum Handbook: 

 Accession material into the museum collection (Chapter 2) 

 Receive incoming loans (Chapter 2) 

 Catalog objects (Chapter 3) 

 Photograph objects (Appendix K) 

 Mark objects with a catalog number (Appendix J) 

 Report losses of museum objects (Chapter 4) 

 Conduct the annual inventory of museum property (Chapter 4) 

 Complete the annual Collection Management Report (Chapter 4) 

 Place museum collections on outgoing loan (Chapter 5) 

 De-accession museum collections (Chapter 6) 

According to the 2003 Collection Management Report, Channel Islands 

National Park currently has a collection of over 345,000 items. This does 

not include current un-accessioned materials, many of which are in 

institutions located throughout Southern California and elsewhere. 

Museum collections (including natural resource specimens, archeology, 

and records associated with the objects and specimens) are located at the 

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; the Fowler Museum of 

Cultural History, University of California, Los Angeles; the Santa Barbara 

Museum of Natural History; the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; and the 

University of California, Santa Barbara. 

36 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Archeology 

History Archives Biology Paleontology Geology Total 

Cataloged 1,506 2,610 16,974 603 61 55 21,809 Backlog 9,036 35,000 279,470 202 300 324,008 

 Total 10,542 37,610 296,444 805 361 55 345,817 

 Table 2: CHIS collections according to FY 2003 Collection Management Report 

Additional institutions that may house park collections are the Southwest 

Museum; the Phoebe Hearst Museum and the Jepson Herbarium, 

University of California, Berkeley; the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 

the Claremont Graduate University; San Diego Museum of Man; and 

Antelope Valley Indian Museum. These institutions may also house 

collections related to the Channel Islands that predate the park or from 

non-park islands. Information about those collections is important for the 

park resource management and should be collected as well. 

Channel Islands, although created as a national monument in 1938 (and 

managed by Cabrillo National Monument until 1967) and a national park 

in 1980, has never had professional museum staff to manage its museum 

collections and the museum records reflect this. As noted in the chapter on 

history of collections management, the park did not begin actively 

collecting under the Interpretation Division until the early 1980s when 

materials were identified for collection in order to display them in the park 

visitor center. 

In the 1990s museum management shifted from interpretation to resource 

management under the direction of the park archeologist and an 

archeological technician. In 1998 the park created the position of chief of 

cultural resources and Ann Huston moved from the Western Regional 

Office to establish a cultural resource management program. Huston has 

tried to sustain a program but with the increasingly complex cultural 

resources program at the park, she has been unable to spend as much time 

on the records as they require. In the last few years the park has been 

assisted by the Alaska Region's curator who, on an annual basis, has 

visited the park, completed the annual reports and annual inventory of 

museum property, and tried to catch up on basic recordkeeping. In 

addition, about four years ago the archivist from the Western 

Archeological and Conservation Center (WACC) completed an archival 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 37 
and records survey and WACC has been processing these materials using 

Backlog Catalog funds. 

A museum Collection Management Plan was approved in 1995 with some 

recommendations about museum recordkeeping, but the section was brief. 

Few of the recommendations have been accomplished, primarily due to 

lack of operational funding to manage the program on an on-going basis. 

Discussion 

Although the park has had an active collecting program for the last 25 

years, the museum records are inadequate or missing altogether. The park 

has not had the resources to hire professional museum staff and the current 

staff has little time to spend on the program or training necessary to 

complete the records. The park has been very creative in accomplishing 

some basic documentation with very few resources by engaging the 

assistance of a professional curator on an annual basis. However, in many 

cases, the older records do not provide basic documentation of ownership 

or custody. 

Accession Book 

The Accession Book is a legal document and it may be used in a court of 

law, if necessary. The value of the book as a legal document lies in the 

uninterrupted sequence of entries, without missing pages or erasures. The 

accession book is one of the most important museum record-keeping 

documents. 

The park accession numbers range from CHIS-00001 through CHIS00327. However, there are several numbers unused although spaces were 

left in the book for the numbers. Many accession numbers were assigned 

and then materials were transferred to "Research Files" and the numbers 

reused. There are numerous notations about materials being removed or 

de-accessioned. This will be discussed further under "Accession Files" 

below. Finally, there are many entries in pencil. 

38 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Accession Files

Each accession folder should contain the originals or archival copies of the 

documentation that supports the accession. The documentation must 

correspond with the accession book entry. These are the legal documents 

that support the custody and/or legal ownership of museum collections. 

The park accession files are varied in the documentation they contain. One 

of the biggest concerns is that many files are empty, and a number of 

accessions have no files at all. Although the later files do contain basic 

information, many are without Deeds of Gift or other required documents 

that record custody of the materials contained in the transaction. In 

addition, much extraneous information exists: copies of catalog cards, and 

even objects themselves. The latter should be placed in separate museum 

collections areas. The other items should only be kept if they provide 

additional information not contained in the park's ANCS+ database. If 

these copies do provide that extra information, they should be placed in a 

catalog file folder which is filed by catalog number. 

Other documents that should be placed in the catalog file folder include 

Object Treatment Reports, additional research information on specific 

objects or specimens, documentation of de-accessioning (see Museum 

Handbook, Part II, Chapter 6 for specific documents needed), or any other 

item that is specific to the object or specimens rather than to the accession 

as a whole. Finally, all metal fasteners should be removed as they are 

rusting and damaging the documents in the files. 

National Catalog/ANCS+ 

For National Park Service museum collections, cataloging is the process 

of recording detailed information about individual items or groups of 

related items. Cataloging also includes assigning a unique identifying 

number to the item or group of items. A museum catalog record is 

required for all objects, specimens, and archival/manuscript collections in 

the park's museum collection. The information on the catalog records may 

be as important as the items themselves. 

The Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+) is the automated 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 39 
system for the NPS. Materials must be cataloged into this database system 

and submitted to the National Catalog in order to be considered cataloged. 

According to the National Catalog, catalog numbers of records CHIS 

00001 through CHIS 06835 have been received by the close of 2003. The 

park's catalog log has issued numbers through CHIS 09941. There is one 

record for CHIS 10000 in the National Catalog database. The 

documentation for many numbers has apparently not been received by the 

National Catalog. The park does maintain some printed catalog records, 

some of which appear to be the white originals. These also need to be 

deposited in the National Catalog. 

NAGPRA 

Information in the accession book indicates that there are a number of 

accessions that may contain Native American Graves Protection and 

Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) materials, including human remains. There 

are no reports in related accession files documenting these materials or 

any consultation, repatriation, or other appropriate action. 

Outgoing Loan Agreements 

Although the park has a number of outgoing loans, only those to WACC 

are documented by the Outgoing Loan Agreement form. These are filed in 

the accession files from which the material is removed. For WACC, at 

least, this means that the same loan agreement is filed in numerous 

accession file folders rather than filed in a Loan File in order of the loan 

agreement number. The many collections located at institutions mentioned 

above are not documented by loan agreements at the present time. 

The state of these museum records is a major concern despite the 

innovative and commendable work that Huston has done in her tenure at 

the park. The park needs to do a major review and upgrade of all the park 

museum records: 

 Review and upgrade all accession information in the accession book 

and the ANCS+ accessions database. This would include updating the 

accessions to actual numbers of materials once an accession is 

completely cataloged. 

40 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 Upgrade accession files to match the accession book and complete 

appropriate documents, including Deeds of Gift, Receipts for 

Property, Incoming Loan Agreements, etc. Once an accession is 

completely cataloged, generate an inventory from ANCS+ for 

inclusion in the file folder. Document all research completed to find 

the legal information about each accession in the accession file folder.

 Once it has been determined that park collections—including field 

records or other documentation— located at the institutions housing 

them have not been accessioned, these collections need to be 

accessioned by site (for archeology) or project (natural resource 

specimens). Following accessioning, loan agreements for each 

institution need to be completed (note - in the future, loan agreements 

should be completed as the materials are deposited at the institutions). 

 Once all the accessions data has been verified, complete a new 

accession book which meets all NPS standards and provides clear 

documentation of each accession as best as can be determined by the 

thorough review of park records. Note on the inside cover the name 

and title of the person completing the work, the date done, and the 

reason for the copy. Place the original accession book in the file 

cabinet with the accession files and the new accession book. Although 

copying the book is a serious step to take, the current accession book 

is almost incomprehensible and copying clearly the correct 

information will make museum recordkeeping in the future easier for 

park staff. 

 Review the paper copies of the catalog records (form 10-254) to 

determine whether original copies are still maintained by the park and 

whether the National Catalog has copies of these records. If the 

records are original and the National Catalog does not have them, 

then work with the NPS Registrar to send them to the appropriate 

location. 

 Complete a 100% inventory of museum collections housed at the park 

and update location records. 

 Complete proper de-accessioning documentation for all materials 

disposed of in the past as well as all items not found during the 

inventory. File these documents in the appropriate accession file 

folder. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 41 
 Provide read-only access to the park ANCS+ database for researchers 

and park resource managers. 

This is a major project that would take at least one year’s work for a 

professional museum curator (GS-1015-09) or registrar (GS-1016-09), or 

the equivalent under the direction of a journeyman level NPS museum 

curator (GS-1015-11), such as the curator at Santa Monica Mountains 

National Recreation Area (SAMO). 

Unfortunately, there is only one project fund source that would be 

available for this work - Cultural Resource Preservation Program Base 

(CRPP). In 2006, the next available year for projects, $99,000 of the total 

must be spent on museum projects. The park has programmed their CRPP 

Base requests through 2007 and this project needs to be completed sooner 

than that. The park should remain in contact with the Pacific West Region 

Lead Curator for possible funds for such projects. 

The creation of the new learning center for the Network may also be a 

potential source of funds as these records provide the foundation for the 

museum management program and the resources it preserves. In addition, 

the NPS Challenge Cost Share grant program might be a possible source 

of funds although there is a one-to-one non-federal match for these funds. 

It may be possible to work with the Santa Barbara Natural History 

Museum to provide an in-kind match using the cooperative agreement that 

is in draft form at the present time. 

Once the records are current, then a method of maintaining accession 

records will need to be identified. The most sustainable way to manage the 

program is with operational funds. Since this does not seem feasible, at 

least in the short term, to maintain the museum collections, consideration 

should be given to assessing the project funds or programs, including the 

I&M and archeology projects that are creating the objects, specimens, and 

records. 

At the same time, the park needs to identify a journeyman-level NPS 

museum curator (GS-1015-11) as a curator-of-record, perhaps the curator 

at SAMO, to provide oversight for the park museum program. The park 

42 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
received a base increase of $3,000 for purchase of ANCS+ and to maintain 

park museum records. These funds should be used to support the work of 

the curator-of-record for Channel Islands. 

Refinement of the park collections should also be undertaken. Using a 

team of subject matter experts, review all collections to determine if they 

are out of scope, in poor condition, or provide no value to the park. For 

materials that were part of confiscated or legal cases, the chief ranger 

should provide legal advice on disposal. Once this has been accomplished, 

de-accession those deemed appropriate for disposal following the 

guidelines provided in Chapter 6 of the NPS Museum Handbook, Part II: 

Museum Records. 

In order to accomplish all the work outlined in the chapter, funding 

requests need to be completed for the projects (Project Management 

Operations Systems - PMIS) and the operational increases (Operations 

Formulation System - OFS). Possible PMIS project statements: 

 Survey Institutions for Park Collections. 

 Review and Update Park Museum Accession and Catalog Records. 

 Catalog Backlog of Uncataloged Museum and Archival Collections. 

 Update NAGPRA Information Related to Museum Collections. 

 Photograph Museum Collections. 

 Reformat Museum and Archival Collections for Access. [This can be 

microfilm and/or scanning.] 

Recommendations 

 Survey all possible institutions that may house collections from the 

park, and inventory materials housed at the institutions. 

 Accession all backlog un-accessioned materials appropriate to the 

park's museum collections using the curator-of-record for assistance. 

 Review all collections with subject matter experts for materials that 

should be de-accessioned per NPS policy. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 43 
 Develop an agreement identifying the Santa Monica Mountains 

National Recreation Area (SAMO) museum curator as curator-ofrecord to provide oversight for the CHIS museum program. 

 Request funding to update museum records and eliminate the backlog 

of uncataloged objects, specimens, and archives. 

 Review existing NAGPRA documentation and update/create records 

as necessary. 

 Complete OFS statement to establish a museum management program 

that provides ongoing support for the program, including funds for 

outside institutions housing museum collections. 

44 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Issue C — 

Museum Collections 

Issue Statement 

Improved access, management, and use of park collections will 

provide necessary products and services for park and public 

programs. 

Background 

The original Collection Management Plan for Channel Islands National 

Park was completed for the park in 1995. At the time that plan was 

completed, the in-park museum collections and records were managed by 

an archeological technician; however, there were deficiencies noted in 

older records. Since that plan was developed, the park has had no 

curatorial staff to address the issues referenced in it. As a result, little was 

accomplished in the way of accessioning incoming collections or 

improving museum collections conditions. Progress has been made, 

however, in the organizing and storage of archives. 

Museum collections from CHIS are currently spread out among several 

designated repositories with some collections being stored on-site at 

several relatively inaccessible locations. Most of the identified external 

repositories have documentation and storage facilities to adequately care 

for museum collections. But the park does not have the required 

accessions and records information available to make management or 

conservation based efforts (see Issue B). Collections stored on-site, 

particularly those in the Bally building, do not meet the NPS standards for 

museum protection and preservation. With the absence of a designated 

curator, no collections management or use protocols have been developed 

or implemented to manage CHIS museum collections or provide direction 

for the museum program. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 45 
Numerous regulations, such as the park authorizing legislation and the 

NPS Museum Handbook, require the park to maintain documentation of 

research occurring within and/or relating to the park. For this to occur in 

an orderly and timely manner, communication needs to flow freely among 

park staff, researchers, designated repositories, and park museum 

management. Park staff need to understand how the collections relate to 

research efforts in their area of expertise. A curator would support these 

research efforts by providing information available in the collections and 

showing how research might improve or add to collections. Museum and 

resource management staff involved with research need to work together 

to ensure that the documentation of park resources is preserved, protected, 

and accessible for future research. Furthermore, a curator needs to set 

protocols and priorities for the acquisition of museum collections to 

further the park’s goals. 

Staff members have stated they would use the collections more if they 

were more accessible. Centralization of on-site museum collections to an 

easily accessible facility with adequate environmental controls allows for 

greater usage of the collections by park staff. For full advantage of 

research and education opportunities, park staff as well as outside 

researchers should use the museum collections. One avenue to make 

collections information available outside of physical access is through a 

web-based museum collections catalog. 

Discussion 

The lack of a museum / collections management program at CHIS has the 

following consequences: 

 Cultural and natural history specimens are not being used to their full 

potential. 

 The park does not know what is contained within the park collections 

or in outside repositories. 

 Researchers have no way of knowing about and understanding past 

projects or using the collections that resulted from them. 

46 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 Researchers are not required to communicate with the collection 

manager at the beginning and end of a project so proper 

documentation of collections and archival material is lost 

(see Issue D). 

It would be advisable to form a collections committee to oversee the 

development and direction of a museum program at CHIS. The committee 

should logically be made up of subject matter experts within the park and 

curatorial staff from the numerous repositories where park collections are 

stored. The collections committee would set protocols and an acquisition 

policy to further develop and guide the growth of the museum collections. 

The park representatives of this committee must maintain communication 

with other park program areas (Administration, Protection, Maintenance, 

Resources Management, and Interpretation/Education) to ensure they are 

aware of the museum management program and understand how museum 

collections can better support their programs. The committee would also 

be instrumental in the development of collections-related plans such as the 

Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM), Housekeeping Plan, and the 

periodic updates of the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and the Scope 

of Collection Statement (SOCS). 

The committee and collection manager must be made aware of research 

projects within the park. The committee can then evaluate research 

permits on a case-by-case basis to ensure all museum program 

requirements are addressed and met. 

The park’s collection should be considered as a repository for voucher 

specimens for research conducted within or related to the park. Voucher 

specimens in the park collection are especially useful in fields where 

research is anticipated to be ongoing, such as in monitoring programs for 

archeological sites and flora and fauna studies. Storage requirements and 

conservation issues may limit types of specimens and/or amounts of 

material that can be housed in the collection. Before collections are made, 

the park should determine that space is available either in-park or at the 

appropriate repository for long-term storage. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 47 
Protocols need to be developed for documenting the collection of natural 

science specimens from the park. Currently no protocols or guidance 

exists for researchers (park staff or outside researchers) conducting 

permitted or otherwise authorized projects in the park. As a result, no 

long-term preservation of specimens or information results from these 

efforts. The only way the park can gather and maintain this type of 

information for the benefit of future research is to include it in the 

museum collections and archives. The protocols necessary for 

documenting these activities would be best developed in a cooperative 

manner between the principle resource managers (natural and cultural) and 

the park collection manager. 

The park should also formalize access, use, and management policies for 

the collections as a whole. These protocols define who has access to the 

collections (both staff and public); what types of use are possible and the 

conditions imposed; and how the collections are to be managed. 

Management policies of outside repositories may also affect accessibility. 

A Memorandum of Understanding or other agreement may need to be 

developed between the park and these repositories defining these 

protocols. If physical access cannot be attained or is unfeasible, collections 

can be made available to both internal and external inquiries using a webbased catalog such as ReDiscovery software (ANCS+), the cataloging 

program used by the National Park Service. Funding may be available to 

make the park’s collections in outside repositories accessible through the 

web. 

The use of outside repositories is necessary, as the park does not have 

curatorial staff or adequate facilities to store all of its collections. Outside 

repositories are preferable as long as proper documentation, 

accountability, preservation, and security criteria are met. Basic 

information concerning these collections needs to exist at the park so that 

the full range of park resources that are available for study is known. 

Knowing what exists currently will assist in defining what type and 

quantity of specific collections are needed, and how they might be 

acquired. At the very least having this type of information available will 

48 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
help prevent unnecessary collecting within the park that may be 

detrimental to the resources. 

Park biological, paleontological, and cultural collections exist in various 

universities and museums. Park staff have also indicated that the total 

number of repositories storing CHIS collections is currently unknown. All 

these repositories need to be identified, for a centralization of external 

repositories will limit the confusion and extra work that can arise with 

collections spread over so many institutions. Santa Barbara Museum of 

Natural History is a nearby museum that already is a designated repository 

for CHIS; perhaps other outside collections could be stored at this facility. 

Recent issues have arisen throughout the NPS and other land management 

agencies relating to the ownership of collections resulting from bioprospecting. The concept of bio-prospecting is relatively new to the NPS 

but concerns have arisen at Yellowstone National Park. An Environmental 

Impact Statement is being conducted to address this issue but is not yet 

complete. It may be necessary to contact the University of California 

Berkeley, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), or other 

suitable entity regarding policies related to bio-prospecting. Protocols 

should then be developed and integrated into collection management 

documents. 

Planning 

The park needs to plan for curation and preservation of museum 

collections and archives. Initiatives such as the Inventory and Monitoring 

(I&M) Program may increase research activity in the park, thus increasing 

involvement with the museum program. Monitoring of the numerous 

archeological and paleontological sites will contribute specimens, and also 

will result in data and reports. The care of historic structures and 

associated artifacts will also add data and reports to the museum 

collection. All this information must be preserved in the collections and 

archives to make it available for future research and management 

decisions. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 49 
Funding

Annual funding for the museum program should reflect the continual 

addition of material to the collections as well as the development of 

collection use. Numerous funding sources can be used for various museum 

projects. NPS Backlog Catalog funding can be used to hire seasonal 

technicians to curate backlog specimens, associated data, and archives, as 

well as accession park collections stored in outside repositories. 

Preservation-related funding sources such as MCPPP could be utilized to 

conserve objects, upgrade storage and/or media, and develop catalog 

records or finding aids for collections both within the park and outside. 

MCPPP funds can also be used to develop management documents 

relating to collections such as the EOP, SOCS, IPM, and Housekeeping 

plans. Outside funding sources are also a possibility. 

Staffing

A designated collection manager or curator-of-record, with the aid of a 

collections committee, should set priorities, provide direction for the 

museum program, and act as a liaison for repositories managing park 

museum collections. Seasonal employees should be encouraged to work in 

their area of expertise to stay current with changes in taxonomy, 

preservation criteria, and storage conditions. 

Outreach

The case for maintaining and upgrading the museum collections needs to 

be continually made with park management. New material and significant 

changes in the collection should be shared with park staff. Ways to 

enhance access and use of the collections should be considered as the 

budget allows. The museum should be considered part of the scientific 

community and be available as such to outside scientists. The museum 

also should be available to the general public with scientific or personal 

interests in the park. The collection manager can be an advocate for the 

collections by participating in park and local community activities to 

better understand their needs. The Network has a newly developed 

learning center for which the parks’ collections can be used for public 

outreach and to promote research and education. 

50 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Recommendations 

 Survey the park and outside institutions for all museum collections. 

and accession all materials that are considered park property. 

 Complete loan agreements for all materials located in outside 

repositories once identification and accessioning has been completed. 

 Develop a collections committee of staff from various park divisions 

and partner institutions to set standards, guidelines, and priorities for 

museum collections. 

 Formally define the role and function of museum collections and 

archives, and develop an access policy. 

 Centralize park collections, both internally and those in outside 

repositories, to provide easier access and management. Given the 

level of expertise and diversity of the collections stored there, the 

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History would make a suitable 

option for the latter. 

 Request funds to upgrade storage facilities to meet NPS standards and 

provide conservation treatment for collections. 

 Create and maintain relationships between the museum program and 

other park programs encouraging accessibility and usage of park 

collections and archives. Inform new staff, seasonal technicians, and 

VIPs about the museum program and available sources of 

information, either physically or through a web-based catalog. 

 Consult with an NPS natural resource curator about developing 

collecting protocols for, and the eventual disposition of, natural 

resource specimens. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 51 
Figure 3 Channel Islands National Park archives 

52 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Issue D — 

Park Archives and 

Records Management

Issue Statement 

The diverse park archival resources require adequate 

documentation, improved access, and professional management for 

maximum preservation and efficient use by park staff and the 

general public. 

Background 

This issue explores the need for Channel Islands National Park to gain 

control of and provide access to archives and park records, and to develop 

policy and protocols for the use, creation and addition of new archival 

collections. Regardless of format or location, within or outside the park, 

the information contained in park administrative and management records, 

manuscripts, and data sets play a key role in documenting park resources, 

recording park history, supporting current park operations, and preparing 

for the future information needs of the unit. 

While museum and specimen collections grow with project and research 

activities, all divisions generate potential park archives regularly, as the 

park’s activities are cyclically managed on an annual basis. At the end of 

their active life cycle many park documents become the permanent record 

of resource management activities and should be accessioned into the 

archives. The role of a records manager, archivist, or curator is to appraise 

the record sets using NPS-19 Records Disposition Schedule and assess the 

needs of park staff and other users to determine permanent retention. 

With the pertinacity of Curator Stephanie Stephens from the Alaska 

Regional Office and Archivist Lynn Marie Mitchell from the Western 

Archeological Conservation Center (WACC), substantial progress has 

been made since the Channel Islands Collection Management Plan (1995) 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 53 
pointed to resolving the serious deficiencies of past accessioning and 

cataloging practices. With Museum Management Backlog Catalog funds, 

WACC has gone forward with the identification, processing, and 

cataloging a majority of the park archival holdings and the creation of 

finding aids for those collections. While no archives had been cataloged as 

of FY2000, the FY2003 Collection Management Report documented 

16,974 archives cataloged, including manuscripts, park records, and 

photographs returned to CHIS with finding aids. However, that does not 

reflect the current year during which an additional 59 linear feet (94,400 

items) of aerial photographs were completed along with natural and 

cultural resource records, log books, reports, and photographs. 

Using contract employees hired through the University of Arizona 

(Arizona State Museum), the remaining park collections identified by that 

initial survey of materials are scheduled to be processed at WACC through 

FY06 using funds that have already been committed. Within the scope of 

this project, there are yet to be cataloged and returned to CHIS 

approximately 22 linear feet of administrative records, maps, and 

drawings currently at WACC. 

In 2002 the park relocated archives from the resource management trailer 

and moved the park library into an office building at 1559 Spinnaker 

Drive, Suite 101. The archival material located in the park presently 

includes administrative and resource management records, historical 

research, photographs, drawings, maps, blueprints, ephemera, reports, 

legal records, and a variety of media including microfiche, videos, albums, 

and cassette tapes. 

In the nearby Resource Management Annex, in a secured first floor room 

awaiting disposition, are additional museum collections and records, 

including 11 map cases, nearly 24 linear feet of seabird studies dating 

back to 1977 and other resource records and videotapes. Presently, the 

backlog of 279,470 uncataloged archives and the cataloged archives 

together represent the largest component of the museum collections. 

However, this number may be modified in the future as issues with the 

accuracy of accession and catalog records are adjusted because of past 

errors. 

54 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
CHIS Resource Data Manager Linda Dye, Katie Chess (contracted to the 

US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division), and Network Data 

Manager Lena Lee have also greatly contributed to improved electronic 

record organization and access through several initiatives. These include 

populating and maintaining the NPSpecies and NatureBib data structures 

for the Mediterranean Network, initiating digital imaging projects, getting 

the library cataloged into NPS Voyager and storing archival backup data 

tapes. However, the need to resolve hardware migration problems, server 

space, and a reliable backup for real time data have become pressing 

issues to prevent data loss and ensure electronic records permanence. 

Some of the problems and the needs of creators and users of digital data 

are park-wide and service-wide and will only be addressed to the point of 

identification in this report. 

NPS and the scientific research community’s affiliation with Channel 

Islands archaeology, biology, and paleontology investigations led to the 

bulk of the park’s collections being cooperatively placed in a number of 

other area repositories. Yet it is unclear which, if any, of these collections 

and their associated records are documented in the park’s accession book 

or have been assigned ANCS+ catalog numbers. Park management is 

aware that documentation of all permanent collections leaving the park are 

required to be accessioned and cataloged under Code of Federal 

Regulations (36 CR Section 2.5g) and National Park Service Management 

Policies, but the park has not had the staff or funds available to undertake 

this documentation for legacy collections and records. 

In an initial survey of NPS collection objects and related archives housed 

outside the park, the CHIS cultural resources chief and the MMP team 

visited a number of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara museums and 

universities in July 2004. Meeting with collection officials at the 

institutions, NPS collections were surveyed as to scope and preservation 

conditions. Among the repositories a substantial body of records, 

including field notes associated with these collections, were identified. 

Photographs as well as correspondence and reports that provide the critical 

documentation supporting the provenience, identification, authentication, 

and analysis of specimens were also identified. These institutions are at 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 55 
various stages of organizing, preserving, and making available through 

catalogs the related collection records and did not express ownership 

issues over the records as government property under their care. Although 

easily located with in-house arrangement schemes, there was little 

evidence that the NPS specimens and records had ever been assigned a 

correlating ANCS+ property number. 

Channel Islands National Park is currently 24 years old, and in one sense 

is just mature enough to have developed a sense of institutional history as 

a park. As staff turnover occurs, no systematic approach to archive 

documentation from past projects is in place. Individual staff members 

carefully protect much of the information, as they know and understand 

the value of the contents. Still, such information is at great risk. The 

organic order may be disturbed as individual employees relocate, dispose 

of, cull, or remove the physical documents. More importantly, the link to 

electronic data associated with the physical record may be broken, as lack 

of documentation (metadata) occurs, computers become obsolete, 

upgrades occur, data disks are lost or corrupted. These occurrences 

contribute to the fragmentation and loss of the park’s information 

resources. 

The lack of a full time curator or archivist position within the park means 

that procedures for documentation, collection, and protection of these 

records fall upon the records manager of the central files and the Cultural 

Resources Division. Neither has the time or professional background to 

deal with the preservation of or access to the materials. Resource 

information management staff has stepped up to help with some of the 

access issues because of their related work and close proximity to the 

archives storage building. However, this should not be seen as a 

permanent solution to information access. 

Keeping user groups in mind, park management should assess the 

potential growth and appropriateness of the physical location of the 

archives. In addition, solutions to the shortage of personnel for both the 

immediate future and long-term should be addressed in OFS requests and 

brought into the GMP discussion. 

56 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Discussion 

Archives and Library Collection Access and Use 

The most immediate improvement to collection access, as identified by 

33-43% in the Museum Management Survey (see Appendix A), would be 

the distribution of paper copies of finding aids to staff. The second 

improvement would be the availability of finding aids and databases 

online or by remote access. The archives and library collections 

information is held in several databases. The current park library has been 

cataloged in Voyager, the NPS web Library Catalog. NatureBib is 

available through InsideNPS and holds bibliographic information about 

Channel Islands research and park documents. Finding aids for archives 

generated in ANCS+ or other programs can easily be copied and 

distributed to staff. Providing staff with a short introduction to navigating 

and searching these databases may increase access and use. Archival 

collections such as the aerial photographs now stored on shelves in the 

Resource Annex should be moved into the archives, and a finding aid 

distributed to staff. 

A major part of the museum function is to provide both intellectual and 

physical access to the collections and associated information. However, 

access comes at a price. This is measured in staff time necessary to 

register users and record demographics of collection use, supervise access, 

and to monitor and assess physical risks to the preservation of the 

collection materials. One short-term option for help in creating improved 

access would be to solicit a qualified VIP or perhaps an intern through a 

graduate library or museum studies programs. There is both space and 

opportunity to set up a reference workstation and collection-user table in 

the lobby of Suite 101 to provide more dependable hours of library and 

archives access. Also, a dedicated phone line or e-mail address for 

requests and information could be available to support library and archives 

project work during staffed hours. Appendix C includes suggested 

guidelines for collection access policies. 

The survey found that the majority of respondents are heavier-thanaverage users of the park collections in the course of their jobs. All but 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 57 
one of the 44 respondents are permanent employees. In addition, 63% of 

library and archive users are also seeking reference information outside 

the park. Improved services and hours could be factors in filling their 

information needs within the park. The team suggests a simple one-page 

survey would be helpful in determining why the staff might seek outside 

resources for reference. Respondents to the survey also identified 

photographs as the most heavily requested collection type (88% user rate) 

followed by natural resource records, maps, administrative and historical 

records.

Documentary Records Management Within the Park 

The initial survey of park records by WACC took place over four years 

ago, and since that time additional material has been discovered and 

created that should be appraised for inclusion into the park archives. The 

MMP team noted approximately 26 linear feet (1,600 items equal 1 linear 

foot) of potential archival materials and 11 map cases stored on the ground 

floor of the National Resource Management Annex at Ventura Harbor. In 

addition, files and maps in the Annex, Facilities Management, and 

Interpretation Division need to be re-surveyed. Other permanent records in 

central files or offices that need to be re-surveyed are land acquisition 

records, park planning documents, and those documents pertaining to the 

history, administration, and interpretation of the park. 

Park-generated records and project files are resources that should be 

monitored by record managers and archivists who track their life cycle. 

The NPS-19 Records Disposition Schedule is a guide (currently in draft 

revision) to records that have legal or other enduring values for which they 

must be retained in the archives. Currently no systematic approach to 

permanently archive this information has been developed for Channel 

Islands National Park’s many natural and cultural resource management 

projects and programs. Guidelines for creators of systematic methods of 

documenting these resource project materials can be found in Appendix D, 

Archiving Resource Management Field Records. 

Ideally, the park should secure the services of a professional archivist to 

educate the staff in their records responsibilities, and to institute and 

58 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
monitor these processes. Records management training is also available in 

the Pacific West Region and the park should consider sending crossdivisional staff members to the training or bringing an instructor to the 

park for a staff-wide training. Persons who have records and data 

management responsibilities within the park should represent the park 

records management issues on the Museum Collections Committee. 

Guidelines for park records management are provided in Appendix F. 

Options exist for permanent retention of these records outside the park. 

One option requires several incremental steps. These include reformatting 

the records onto microfilm, a stable archival medium, and processing and 

arranging the records to National Archives standards. Cultural Cyclic 

Maintenance funds may be requested for reformatting projects associated 

with preservation of the originals. The critical step would be establishment 

of an agreement with the Federal Records Center (FRC) at Laguna Niguel 

to hold the records. This option would require working closely and 

carefully with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 

on an agreement to fully understand the park’s options concerning 

NARA’s system of classifying records and archives, and decisions of 

ownership status. 

If desired, another more viable option is to transfer park archives under 

formal agreement to another research institution in the area. Park 

management needs to be aware that responsibility for collections will not 

end if most or all of the archives are moved to alternative repositories. The 

park must continue to ensure that all collections are preserved, protected, 

and available for use. Movement of the archives and library to an 

acceptable off-site location may save the park some development costs for 

acceptable storage areas, but it will be less convenient to park use and will 

not save the park much of the staff time required to administer these 

collections. 

A more desirable future alternative would be a centralized NPS building 

serving the needs of the Mediterranean Network parks. Hiring or 

appointment of a GS-1015-11/12 curator-of-record and a GS-1420-11 

archivist-of-record for the Network would ease the pressures of 

understaffing at the park levels and consolidate collection management. A 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 59 
centralized location may not be as convenient for staff, but would broaden 

the access and services for collection preservation and use. 

Collection Records in Outside Institutions 

Site visits to assess the archives were made by the team to the Santa 

Barbara Museum of Natural History, University of California Santa 

Barbara, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, the Santa Barbara 

Botanic Garden, and UCLA. A brief survey indicated the need to support 

the ongoing collection management partnerships with these institutions to 

preserve the voluminous CHIS-associated collections and archives Other 

site visits should include Cabrillo National Monument and the University 

of Oregon where archives have not been surveyed. An investigation into 

the CHIS holdings in the Federal Records Center and National Archives at 

Laguna Niguel and in Washington DC should also be included in the 

survey. 

The park should request funds to hire a professional archivist to survey, 

quantify, and assess the preservation needs of these public archives as 

related to NPS collections. Recommendations to consolidate some of these 

collections would be prudent. Backlog Catalog funds may then be 

requested for the park or the institution to place qualified graduate 

students, park archivists, or contract archivists to accession, catalog, and 

preserve the NPS archives within the institutions. Additional MCPPP 

funds should also be requested for any necessary processing supplies and 

cabinetry. For many of the collections, a data manager’s assistance may be 

necessary to import records already cataloged in the repositories databases 

into ANCS+. Some of the software programs observed in use were 

Specify, Access, Excel, Filemaker Pro, and Thumbs Plus. Documentation 

into ANCS+ of these collection records is vital to achieve the goal of 

access, preservation, and control over future collection decisions. 

Once these goals are achieved, the archivist should create a Standard 

Operating Procedure (SOP) for archives management specific to the 

collections of Channel Islands, creating guidelines for ongoing 

management and development for collections both inside and outside of 

60 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
the park. If no system is developed, the collections added to repositories 

and the park archives will create an additional backlog. 

Electronic Data Management 

The ability to provide “one-stop-shopping” for collections data, expressed 

by management and requested by 33-40% of survey respondents, is not 

only a park but a service-wide issue being addressed by WASO in the 

creation of an NPS digital library, NPS Focus. This web-based digital 

library and research station intends to provide a solution to searching 

across databases with search terms to find information by and about the 

NPS. Two components make up the site to date: digital collections and 

websites (www.focus.inside.nps.gov) and bibliographic databases. The 

digital library launches the new NPS image server and a small but growing 

collection of digital content including photos, reports, drawings, maps and 

GIS images. Currently in development by Kass Evans and accessed 

through InsideNPS, the web version is upcoming within a year. 

At present this data includes: Civil War Heritage Collection, Facilities 

Management Asset Images, Fire and Aviation Collection, HABS/HAER 

Historic Building Collection, Spanish Indian Mission Records, Natural 

Resources Image Collection, Submerged Resources Center Collection, 

GIS, geospatial datasets and imagery, and ParkNet & Inside NPS 

websites. Bibliographic databases search: Directory-NPS Collections 

(ANCS+), CR Bib (testbed), DSC/TIC info center (testbed), Journal 

Indexes (Courier), NatureBib (testbed), and Voyager Library Catalog. 

Parks have an urgent need to manage digital data as it grows 

exponentially. Preservation standards are in place to protect its viability 

but they are few and untested. Computer crashes, data corruption, theft, 

unreliable backup, and viruses are high probability factors that increase 

the vulnerability of digital data. I & M Network Data Manager Lena Lee is 

in the beginning stages of implementing the Digital Photograph 

Management Strategy for the Alaska I & M Program, a set of standards 

and guidelines to manage metadata and storage of digital images related to 

I & M data. In addition, the park is using this guideline for digitizing and 

managing the extensive slide collection currently held by resources 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 61 
management. When it is successfully implemented, Channel Islands, as a 

prototype park for digital information management, might consider the 

option of having the data manager participate in uploading records and 

images to populate the Focus site. 

The park might immediately address wider issues of digital data 

management by putting into place metadata requirements and investing in 

a real-time data backup system to prevent potential data loss. 

Research Permits 

The switch to a web-based online application system for obtaining 

Specimen Collecting Permits over the past several years has provided 

ways of reviewing and sharing potential collecting information 

simultaneously across park divisions. Curatorial participation in review of 

permit applications is critical. This review of existing collections will 

assist other project managers in filling holes in voucher collections and 

avoid the expense of duplication. Curatorial review also ensures that the 

project scope and intentions of the collector are known, and any 

permanent or voucher collections and associated records are curated to 

NPS standards and placed in an appropriate repository under cooperative 

or loan agreement. 

Park staff should also be required to register for permits as a method of 

tracking all park projects as well. However, permit renewal is problematic, 

for when multi-year research is underway it seems impractical to deny 

subsequent year permits based on the fact that no Investigators Annual 

Report (IAR) has been filed. This seems to be a service-wide problem 

with the system and requires someone under the supervision of the permit 

coordinator, curator, archivist, or data manager to follow up on receiving 

the IARs, final reports, and publications generated by the investigation. 

Under supervisory guidance, student hires, volunteers, and interns can 

handle the task of contacting permit holders, entering their literature into 

NatureBib, and making sure it is added to the library collection. 

62 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Library 

The park library, consisting primarily of reprints and reports, has been 

moved several times. In 2001 the library was relocated into a secured 

room next to the archives in Suite 101, which improved its security, 

environmental controls, and fire protection. During the creation stages of 

NRBib (now NatureBib), Data Manager Marilyn Ostergren visited the 

Channel Islands library and entered numerous bibliographic records of 

holdings into a ProCite database. A copy of this database was sent to 

Nancy Hori at the North Cascades Regional Library in Seattle for 

cataloging into web-based Voyager Library Catalog. 

The MMP team recognized that a survey of the library should be 

conducted by an archivist to extract any original archival documents or 

materials. After being cataloged and housed in the archives, they would 

receive a higher degree of security and protection. Copies should be made 

of any frequently requested reports or documents for the library. 

Cultural and Natural Resource Management Division staff has been 

providing access to the library on an as-requested basis. No user statistics 

are available as no regular staff or protocols for library use are in place. 

Appendix E—Suggested Library Operating Policy provides guidelines for 

library management and use. In this appendix, the section titled ‘Archives 

and Library Collection Access and Use’ gives suggestions on staffing and 

performing routine library tasks. 

Preservation Issues 

While the archives and library are currently in a fairly secure location, 

monitoring environmental controls, possible pests, and seismic safety are 

required to comply with long-term protection of the materials. MCPPP 

funding has been requested through PMIS, and plans for Museum 

Preventive Maintenance, Integrated Pest Management, and an Emergency 

Operations Plan are in the system to assess conditions and action plans. 

Until these plans are completed, the NPS Museum Handbook, ConserveO-Grams, and literature cited in the bibliography should be used to 

monitor basic conditions and to prepare an SOP for emergencies 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 63 
addressing any urgent issues not addressed for collection within the parklevel EOP. 

Learning Center Outreach 

A cooperative, research-based arm of park sciences, The California 

Mediterranean Research Learning Center, has the potential to integrate its 

services with collection management and use in Channel Islands and other 

network parks. The curator-of-record or other qualified park staff would 

benefit from developing closer ties between the Learning Center and its 

partners by attending planning meetings and exploring ways in which the 

archives and library collections will benefit the Learning Center and the 

Network Initiative’s need for information. 

Staffing / Workload 

To fulfill the Mission of NPS and be accountable for the information 

resources it creates, the park should recognize the workload requirements 

of planning, management, and operations of an active and growing archive 

and library. The Natural Resources Challenge has added many new 

dimensions and responsibilities to archival curation, including updating 

and adding inventory and databases, permitting and report literature, and a 

substantial increase in resource management records. The team thinks the 

best option for achieving collection management goals is an OFS request 

for an FTE journeyman GS-1420-11 archivist to be hired at a networklevel position in tandem with a curator-of-record in the museum 

management program. These specialists can analyze and prioritize the 

overall archival needs of parks in the Network and oversee the efficient 

use of MMP project funds for staffing and other critical needs. 

Recommendations 

 Until CHIS is able to provide the necessary professional registration 

and preservation services for the archives management at the park, 

secure these services under a curator-of-record agreement with 

another park unit. Long-term, the Network needs to hire a journeyman 

GS-1420-11 archivist to oversee the archives and records planning 

and management of the network parks. 

64 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 Provide collections access information and finding aids to staff.

 Recruit qualified graduate students, volunteers, or interns to staff 

Suite 101, providing regular hours and services for the 

library/archives.

 Obtain funding to have an archivist re-survey in-park records for 

additional materials in Natural and Cultural Resource Management, 

Interpretation, Administration, and Facilities Management. 

 Obtain funding to survey records related to specimen and artifact 

collections in outside repositories. Then work jointly with institution 

staff to assign NPS accession and catalog numbers to these records 

and add them to the NPS database. 

 Provide records management training to all park staff. 

 Work with the permit coordinator to review requests that create 

collections. Require staff to file permits when they are collecting to 

track activities and additions to collections. 

 Consider participation in the NPS Focus website for cross platform 

bibliographic control and searching, and a method to ease the issue of 

data storage costs for images. 

 Incorporate archives and records issues into collections committee 

work. 

 Develop and implement methods of making collections-related 

information available to staff and general public. This may take the 

form of interactive databases available via Internet access, image 

reproductions, and printed and/or electronic distribution of finding 

aids. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 65 
Figure 4 Pygmy mammoth tusks and teeth, Los Angeles County 

Museum of Natural History 

66 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Appendix A – 

Archives, Library, and 

Museum Collections 

Survey Results 

This appendix details the results of the survey relating to the archives and 

collections management program at Channel Islands National Park. The 

survey was conducted in advance of the Museum Management Plan in an 

effort to identify and quantify staff needs relating to the park archives, 

museum collections, and library programs. 

Survey Objectives 

The primary objectives of the survey were to determine the following: 

 Percentage of the staff using the park library and museum collections 

 Percentage of the staff using non-park information resources 

 Primary areas (categories) of information use, and the reasons for use 

of those specific collections 

 Primary reasons the staff do not use these information resources, and 

what actions may be necessary to promote resource availability and 

use 

In addition, limited demographic information was collected to develop a 

length of service and experience profile, and to demonstrate equitable 

response from each park administrative unit. 

Survey Methodology 

The target universe of the survey was the permanent and temporary staff 

of CHIS. The survey was distributed to 65 staff members under a cover 

memorandum in June, 2004, requesting that the survey be completed and 

returned to the administrative assistant for resources management. A total 

of 30 responses were returned, representing a 46% response rate. A 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 67 
response rate of 12% is required for this type of survey to be considered 

statistically valid, so the CHIS response should be considered excellent, 

with a very high degree of confidence in the results. Responses were not 

as well distributed across park work units as could be hoped (33% of the 

response was from the Resources Management staff), or by employment 

type (97% of the respondents were permanent staff). However, these 

factors alone most likely do not have a negative effect on the results. 

The primary method used for information gathering was a checklist, with 

some additional supporting data gathered by filling in blanks with 

quantitative information. 

Respondents were also given limited opportunities to add written 

comment. Write-in responses are generally not used in surveys of this 

type, as they often fail to elicit a statistically valid response, and the 

response that is generated is often difficult to quantify. This proved to be 

the case with this particular survey, where most of the written responses 

were anecdotal in nature, and tended to reinforce information already 

recorded by the respondents in the checklist sections. 

Since the response to the survey in general (46%) was more than sufficient 

to be considered statistically valid, the results will be considered 

representative to the survey population as a whole. Percentages have been 

rounded up to equal numbers when 0.5 or more, and rounded down when 

less than 0.5. 

Demographics 

Demographic information can assist with understanding motivation and 

needs of the respondents, in addition to documenting an adequate 

distribution of response across administrative division and employment 

status. Information collected from this survey included length of service, 

distribution by administrative unit, and employment status. One 

respondent did not complete this section. 

68 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Length of service 

Total Average 

Years of service 449 15 

Years at CHIS 336 11 

Years in current position 115 4 

Distribution by administrative unit 

Administration 4 

Interpretation 5 

Maintenance 4 

Law Enforcement 1 

Resource Management 12 

Unknown 0 

Employment status 

Temporary / Seasonal 1 

Permanent 29 

Non NPS Employees 0 

Survey Summaries 

When reviewing survey results it is important to remember that a response 

rate of 12% is considered necessary for the results of the survey as a whole 

to be considered as valid. Within the survey, a 10% response to any given 

section or question is necessary for the response to be considered 

significant. Naturally this significance increases with the number of 

responses to the section or question. For these reasons the results provided 

below are phrased in terms of percentages of the respondents to any given 

section or question. 

Percentage of use the collections receive by park staff responding (44 

responses): 

 46% used the library an average of 13 times last year. 

 53% used the archives and museum collections an average of 10 times 

last year. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 69 
 63% used non-service archives, library, or museum collections an 

average of 18 times last year. 

The majority of the staff uses the library and a significant percentage of 

the staff uses the archival and museum collections in some aspects of their 

jobs. In addition 63% of the staff is using archival, museum, and library 

resources located out side the park. It might be interesting to determine 

what services are not being offered by the park that requires this number 

of the staff to use outside sources for needed reference. This could be 

accomplished by a one-sheet survey to all employees requesting specific 

information for improving services (title/subject suggestions for 

books/periodicals, hours of operation, etc.). 

A total of 16 respondents (53% of the total response universe) indicated 

they used the archives and museum collections. The top five types of 

collections indicated as being used by this group are as follows: 

 88% - Photographs and images 

 69% - Natural records, maps, images, reports 

 56% - Park administrative records 

 50% - Historic archives and records 

 31% - Archeological artifacts and materials 

The same 16 respondents as above (the universe of those respondents 

reporting collections use) indicated the following as the primary reasons 

for using the collections: 

 56% - Address internal NPS information needs 

 44% - Resource management research 

 38% - Personal learning 

 31% - Information for planning/compliance 

These results document that the primary resources used are the archival 

collections, and that the primary reasons for use are an interesting mixture 

that includes both personal and vocational motivations. 

Section II of the survey considered reasons staff may not use the resources 

and suggestions for improvement in the way these resources are managed 

and made available for use. The full universe of the 44 park staff 

70 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
responding was considered, and respondents were allowed as many 

statements as they felt applied. The results were as follows: 

 43% - Provide listing and finding aids to collections. 

 40% - Improve electronic access to collections. 

 33% - Provide on-line or remote access to databases. 

 27% - Provide additional staff to work on collections. 

 23% - Reorganize collections to facilitate use. 

 23% - Provide data access and a computer workstation. 

 23% - Staff the collection with at least one professional position. 

 20% - Relocate collections to a more accessible location 

 16% - Provide additional staff to assist with access 

 16% - Provide a work area for use. 

Through the responses in this section the park staff have identified what 

they consider to be the major detractors to the current museum 

management operation, and identified actions they would see as positive 

improvements. 

In addition, the staff supports expending staff time and funding for the 

management of park archives, collections, and libraries (an aggregate of 

50% indicating that staffing was required for management and access). 

General Conclusions 

The park libraries and museum collections receive a much higher than 

normal incidence of use when compared to that of other parks. Park staff 

indicated a need for the resources and information that well defined and 

administered collections can provide. 

As a result, the park should be looking at ways to facilitate use through the 

production of finding aids; the joint housing of archives, collections, and 

library resources; providing adequate specimen preparation and work 

areas at point of use; and providing several methods of intellectual access 

to the park specific resources. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 71 
A general informational finding aid should be produced for distribution to 

the park staff at the earliest opportunity. Some of the specialized features 

of the ANCS+ program should help with this. This should be followed by 

subject matter specific finding aids as they are able to be produced. 

The survey format provided the park staff with the opportunity to offer 

individual impressions of the archives, museum collections, and library 

program operations in a candid manner, as well as providing a venue for 

staff suggestions for changes and improvement. The survey results provide 

park management with firm background data that should be useful in 

developing specific programs to manage these unique park resources. 

72 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Appendix B— 

Suggested 

Workload Analysis 

This appendix provides an example of a system for analyzing the museum 

management program work elements for Channel Islands National Park. 

By completing this chart the total staffing needs will be documented. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 73 
Core Work Elements Current 

(Hours) 

Current 

(FTE) 

Needed 

(Hours) 

Needed 

(FTE) 

NonPers. $ 

Acquisition of Collections 

Plan strategy for acquisition 

Identify sources of collections 

Survey for inclusion in park collections 

Appraisal and evaluation of proposed 

acquisitions 

 

Manage acquisition committee 

Manage park records 

Acquire rights and permission 

Subtotal 

 

Documentation of collections 

Accession new acquisitions within two (2) 

weeks 

 

Process archival collections including 

completion of ANCS+ catalog records 

 

Catalog museum objects 

Catalog library materials 

Photograph museum collections 

Maintain museum documentation 

Manage databases/knowledge systems 

Maintain documentation of treatment, use, 

etc. 

 

Maintain NAGPRA information 

Subtotal 

 

74 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Preservation and protection of collections 

Maintain facility 

Provide for physical and operation security 

Ensure fire protection 

Monitor environment 

Monitor pests 

Ensure disaster preparedness 

Conduct housekeeping 

Ensure proper storage, including 

organization, equipment, and housing 

 

Conduct conservation program by assessing 

collection condition 

 

Treat items in need 

Subtotal 

 

Access and use of collections 

Provide for public and park access including 

reference services 

 

Develop and maintain exhibits 

Participate in curriculum-based education 

programs 

 

Conduct public program 

Produce publications 

Conduct research and obtain legal rights and 

permissions 

 

Loan collections for appropriate use by other 

institutions 

 

Develop and maintain internet/intranet access 

and website(s) 

 

Participate in NPS planning and compliance 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 75 
Conduct research 

Support appropriate reproduction of 

collections 

 

Subtotal 

 

Program administration and management 

Maintain up-to-date Scope of Collection 

Statement 

 

Complete annual reporting: Collection 

Management Report; Annual Inventory; 

ANCS+ Database 

 

Manage annual budget 

Provide for future programming: PMIS and 

OFS 

 

Supervise paid and unpaid staff 

Develop and maintain up-to-date museum 

plans and policies 

 

Manage contracts 

Maintain information technology/management 

Provide administrative support 

Participate in park management and 

administrative issues 

 

Subtotal 

 

Total 

76 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Appendix C — 

 Collections Access Policies 

It is National Park Service policy that park-specific cultural and natural 

collections be available for educational and scholarly purposes. The 

Service is also charged to manage these resources for optimum 

preservation. To minimize the potential impact on the archives and 

museum collections and to ensure basic security and preservation 

conditions, access must be documented, restricted, and monitored. The 

guidelines in this appendix are followed at [name of park] in order to 

provide supervised management of park-specific resources. 

Levels of Access to the Archives and Museum Collections 

All serious research—regardless of educational level—is encouraged. 

Providing different levels of access to collections is a standard curatorial 

philosophy underlying the policies of most major museums. Based on the 

information provided on the research application (included in this 

appendix), individuals will be provided access to different types of 

collections information or material depending on their needs and available 

staff time. 

Conditions for Access 

The research application must be completed; it will be used as a basis for 

determining the level of access necessary, and to maintain a record of use 

for statistical purposes. 

Level of access will be determined by the chief of natural and cultural 

resource management and/or the collections manager(s). Prior to allowing 

direct access to the archives and collections, alternatives such as access to 

exhibits, publications, photographs, and catalog data will be considered. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 77 
Access will be made with the assistance of the curatorial staff, during 

regular staff working hours. A fee to cover the cost of staff overtime may 

be required for access outside of the normal working hours. 

Individuals provided access to archives and collections in nonpublic areas 

are required to sign in and out using the guest register. 

The guidelines for the use of archival and museum collections will be 

followed by all individuals with access to the collections. 

While no user fee will be required for access to the archives or museum 

collections, the chief of natural and cultural resource management and the 

curatorial staff will determine what services may be reasonably offered 

and what charges may be required for services such as staff overtime, 

photography of specimens, or reproduction of documents. 

All photography of specimens and duplication of documents will take 

place on-site using the guidelines for photography of museum collections 

and duplication of historic documents. 

A limited amount of space is available for researcher use of archives and 

museum collections. Researchers are required to check in all collections 

and remove all personal possessions each evening. 

[Name of park] reserves the right to request copies of notes made by 

researchers, and requires copies of research papers or publications 

resulting in whole or part from use of the collections. 

There may be legal considerations (such as the Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Act, 1991) which allow or limit access to part 

of the archives and museum collections. 

Access Policy Administration 

This statement of policies and procedures is public information, and is 

available upon request from the following: 

Superintendent 

[Name of park] 

National Park Service 

[Address of park] 

Implementation of these policies and procedures has been delegated to the 

collections manager(s); however, the chief of natural and cultural 

78 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
resources management, has the final authority to grant access to the 

archives and museum collections. 

The evaluation of requests should consider the motives of the researcher, 

the projected length of the project, the demands upon the available space, 

staff, and collections, and the possible benefits of the research project. 

Access may be denied if thought not to be in the best interests of the 

resources, the park, or the National Park Service. It is expected that the 

chief of natural and cultural resources management will make these 

decisions in consultation with the collections manager(s). 

With increased attention and use, the archives and collections will require 

increased monitoring to provide security, to detect developing 

preservation problems, and to facilitate prompt treatment. Regular 

inventory of the most heavily used portions of the archives and museum 

collections will be required to ascertain object location and condition. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 79 
Research Application for Museum Collections and 

Historic Documents 

[Name of Park]

Name ___________________________ Telephone Number (_______)________________ 

Institution/Organization ______________________________________________________ 

Address __________________________________________________________________ 

Date you wish to visit _______________________________________________________ 

(An alternate date might be necessary due to staffing limitations.) 

Have you previously conducted research in the park’s museum collection? Yes No_____ 

Research topic and materials you wish to see 

__________________________________________________________________________ 

Indicate which activities you wish to do 

ο Consult catalog cards ο Consult archeological records 

ο View objects in storage ο Study objects in storage 

ο Draw objects ο Consult historic documents 

ο Other __________________________________________________________________ 

Purpose of your research 

ο Book ο Article 

ο Lecture/conference paper ο Term paper 

ο Thesis ο Dissertation 

ο Exhibit ο Project 

ο Identify/compare with other material 

ο Other commercial use or distribution __________________________________________ 

ο Other __________________________________________________________________ 

I have read the Museum Collection Access and Use/Research Policies and Procedures and 

agree to abide by it and all rules and regulations of [name of park]. I agree to exercise all due 

care in handling any object in the museum collection and assume full responsibility for any 

damage, accidental or otherwise, which I might inflict upon any museum property. Violation 

of National Park Service rules and regulations may forfeit research privileges. 

Signature _________________________________________________________________ 

Date _____________________________________________________________________ 

Please return to: Curator, [Name of park], National Park Service, [Address of park] 

80 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
(reverse side: Research Application) 

 Park Service Use Only 

Identification (provide at least one)

Institutional ID _________________________________ 

Driver’s License Number _________________________ 

Research Topic 

___________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________ 

Location of Research (check one) 

ο Curatorial Office 

ο Storage 

ο Exhibit Area 

ο Others ___________________________________________________ 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 81 
Museum Objects Reviewed by the Researcher 

[Name of Park] 

Park Catalog Object Name Location Accession Acronym Number

Approved by: 

Name _____________________________________ 

Title ______________________________________ 

Date ______________________________________ 

82 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Museum Collections and Archives Register 

[Name of Park] 

Date Time In/Out Name/Address Purpose 

of Visit 

Items Looked At Accompanied by 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 83 
Guidelines for the Use of Archival and Museum 

Collections 

[NAME OF PARK] 

The guidelines provided here are followed at [name of park] regarding use 

of the park's museum collections and archives. It should be noted that 

these resources are separate from the park's library, which is managed by 

the Interpretation Division. 

It is the policy of the National Park Service that its museum collections 

and archival resources be available for educational and scholarly purposes. 

The Service is also charged with managing these resources for optimum 

preservation. To minimize impact on these collections, it is necessary to 

regulate access to the materials. 

Copies of the research application and the full text of the Guidelines for 

the Use of Archival and Museum Collections are available to the public, 

upon request from: 

Superintendent, 

[Name of park] 

[Address of park] 

Availability 

The museum collections and archives are open Monday through Friday, 

from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Park staff should contact the park collections 

manager(s) for assistance with access. The museum collections and 

archives are "non-lending," and the materials will remain in the building. 

Non-staff users must complete a research application (included in this 

appendix) prior to accessing information or materials to ensure that 

assistance is available upon arrival. Access will not normally be granted 

on weekends. All materials must stay within the study areas provided 

within the collection management facility. The size and location of these 

areas may vary according to the time of year, requests from other 

84 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
researchers, and staff available. The researcher may bring only those 

materials needed for research into the assigned study area. 

Registration 

The guest register, used to record access to museum and archival 

collections, must be signed when the collections are used by staff or nonstaff members. Non-staff researchers are required to complete a research 

application (included with this policy). These forms will be retained 

indefinitely for statistical analysis and as a permanent record of collections 

use. A new application is required for each research project, and must be 

renewed each calendar year. 

As part of the registration process, the researcher will be given a copy of 

these procedures to review and sign, thereby indicating his/her agreement 

to abide by them. 

Use of Archival Records and Manuscripts 

Many of the park administrative records, archeological records, and other 

historic reference material have been copied onto microfiche. A 

reader/printer is available for limited research use by the public. Where 

microfiche is available, it will be used for research requests. Only in the 

most extraordinary circumstances will original documents be used when 

microfiche is available. 

When microfiche is not available, the archives user should follow these 

procedures to ensure careful handling of all materials: 

Remove only one folder from a box at a time. Do not remove or alter the 

arrangement of materials in the folders. 

Maintain the exact order of materials in a folder, as well as folders within 

a box. If a mistake in arrangement is discovered, please bring it to the 

attention of museum staff. Do not rearrange material yourself. 

Do not erase existing marks on documents and do not add any additional 

marks. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 85 
Do not lean on, write on, trace, fold, or handle materials in any way that 

may damage them. 

Use only pencils for note-taking. The use of pens of any kind is 

prohibited. Typewriters and computers may be used for note-taking if 

provided by the researcher. 

Duplication 

The park will consider requests for limited reproduction of materials when 

it can be done without injury to the records and when it does not violate 

donor agreements or copyright restrictions. Depending on the number of 

copies requested, there may be a charge for photocopying. Fragile 

documents and bound volumes will not be photocopied. All photocopying 

of archival material is to be done by the museum staff. 

Copyrights and Citations 

The revised copyright law, which took effect in 1978, provides protection 

for unpublished material for the life of the author, plus 70 years. In 

addition, all unpublished material created prior to 1978, except that in the 

public domain, is protected at least through the year 2002. Permission to 

duplicate does not constitute permission to publish. The researcher accepts 

full legal responsibility for observing the copyright law, as well as the 

laws of defamation, privacy, and publicity rights. 

Information obtained from the park museum collections and archives must 

be properly cited, in both publications and unpublished papers. The 

citation should read: 

“(Object name and catalog #) in the collection of [name of park]. Photograph 

courtesy of the National Park Service." 

Restrictions on Use 

The use of certain materials may be restricted by statute, by the creator, or 

by the donor. For the protection of its collections, the park also reserves 

the right to restrict access to material that is not fully processed, or is 

exceptionally valuable or fragile, and to information that may be restricted 

or confidential in nature. 

86 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Responding to Off-Site Reference Inquiries 

It is the responsibility of the park curatorial staff to attempt to answer 

inquiries received by letter or telephone within at least 20 days from the 

date of receipt. Clearly, the extent to which this reference service is 

undertaken will depend upon availability of staff time and the nature of the 

question. The receipt of written inquiries will be acknowledged by 

telephone if a full response cannot be provided promptly. The staff must 

set time limits for answering research questions, so researchers are 

encouraged to use the collections in person. 

A record of all research inquiries will be maintained. Such a record is 

useful for security and for compiling statistics on research use of the 

collection. Use of the collections by park staff will be included in these 

statistics. 

Guidelines for Handling Museum Collections 

Handling museum collections may be hazardous. Follow the 

guidelines provided here to ensure safe handling. 

Archeological collections can contain broken glass and rusty metal objects 

with sharp edges. Historic material may retain chemical or biological 

contamination. Natural history collections contain chemical preservatives 

and possible biological contamination. Archival collections may be 

contaminated with mold, insects, and vermin droppings, or may contain 

asbestos or cellulose nitrate film. 

Use caution in handling collections; wear gloves when requested to do so. 

Curatorial personnel will retrieve and replace material for anyone using 

the collections. Direct access to material may be restricted if the object is 

very fragile. 

Do not remove materials from storage packaging without the permission 

and assistance of the curatorial staff. The packaging is necessary to 

prevent damage and deterioration of the specimen, and to protect the 

researcher from potential injury. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 87 
Always handle objects with clean hands. Use white cotton gloves when 

handling metal, photographs, paper, and leather objects; washed white 

duck gardener's gloves may be required for heavy objects. 

Do not use white cotton gloves when handling glass or other objects with 

slippery surfaces, very heavy objects, or items with friable or brittle 

surfaces. 

Do not pick up anything before you have a place to put it down and your 

path to this place is clear. 

Look over an artifact before lifting it to see how it is stored and to observe 

any peculiarities of its construction, fragility, etc. If an object is made in 

separable sections, take it apart before moving it. Do not attempt to carry 

heavy or awkward objects alone. Never carry more than one object at a 

time, and be particularly careful with long objects. 

Except for small items, always grasp an object with two hands, and grasp 

the largest part or body of the object. Slide one hand under fragile items as 

you lift them. 

If an artifact has a weak or damaged area, place or store it with that area 

visible. 

Special Objects 

Mounted herbarium specimens should be laid on a flat surface and the 

folder cover and specimens handled gently, taking care not to bend the 

sheets or touch the actual specimen. 

Pinned insect specimens should be handled as little as possible, and then 

handled by the pin. Avoid bumping and strong drafts when handling these 

specimens. 

Skulls and skeletons should be kept in their jars or containers while 

examining. 

Ceramics and baskets should be supported from the bottom, never lifted 

by the rim or handles. 

Photographs, transparencies, and negatives should be handled by the 

edges, and should remain in protective Mylar sleeves whenever possible. 

White gloves should always be used when handling photographs. 

88 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Unrolled textiles should be broadly supported from underneath rather than 

by holding from the edge. 

Reporting Damage 

Please report any damage you observe or cause to specimens. 

Behavior 

Food, beverages, smoking, and pets are not allowed in the storage or study 

areas. 

Staff members are responsible for the behavior of any person 

accompanying them into the collections. 

Children under six years of age must be accompanied by an adult and 

physically controlled at all times. Other minors must be under the direct 

supervision of an accompanying adult at all times. 

I have read and understand the above policy. 

Name ______________________________________________________ 

Date ______________________________________________________ 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 89 
Guidelines for Photography of Collections and 

Duplication of Historic Documents 

[NAME OF PARK] 

This policy documents appropriate procedures for providing photographs 

of [name of park] museum collections, and for duplicating original historic 

photographs and documents. The policy is intended to prevent damage or 

loss through mishandling or exposure to detrimental environmental 

conditions. 

Duplicate Photographs of Museum Collections 

There are many possible uses for photographs of the items in museum 

collections, the most common being exhibits, publication, and research. It 

is the policy of the National Park Service to encourage the use of Service 

collections in these legitimate ventures and to make photographs of 

museum collections available within reasonable limitations. 

Photography involves exposing often fragile museum objects to potential 

damage or loss from handling and exposure to heat and light. The Service 

minimizes this potential damage by photographing items as few times as 

possible. To accomplish this, the park will develop a reference collection 

of object photographs that will be available for public use. A minimal fee 

may be required for copies of the photographs. 

In order to provide this service, and to build the necessary reference 

collection, the following procedures will be followed: 

Requests for photographs of items in the museum collections will be 

submitted to the park curator, who will establish any necessary priority for 

the work. Requests should be made on copies of the attached form. 

Requested items that do not have copy negatives will be photographed 

based on these priorities. A cost recovery charge for photography and 

processing may be required. 

90 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Photography will be done at the park, under park control, to preclude the 

possibility of artifact damage or loss. The resulting photographic negatives 

and their copyrights belong to the National Park Service. 

Once an object has been photographed, the negative will be maintained at 

the park to fill future requests for photographs of that objects. A minimal 

cost recovery charge through the Park association maybe required for 

prints. 

Duplication of Historic Photographs and 

Documents 

There is a wide variety of historic photographic processes and document 

types, but they all are subject to rapid deterioration from exposure to 

visible light and are very susceptible to damage from handling. Handling 

is often disastrous to these materials and causes damage such as tears, 

cracks, abrasions, fingerprints and stains. Handling also subjects historic 

photographs and documents to frequent fluctuations in temperature and 

humidity. 

To prevent further deterioration, copies will be made of all historic 

photographs and documents, with the copy replacing the originals as the 

primary item for research and use. The original material will remain in 

storage, for the most part, as primary source material. 

With increased requests for access to and copies of historic photographs 

and documents, the following procedures are necessary to establish 

priorities for the duplication work: 

Requests for duplicate historic photographs and documents are submitted 

to the park collections manager who will establish any necessary priority 

for copy work. 

Requested items that do not presently have copy negatives will be 

duplicated based on these priorities. The originals must be accessioned 

and cataloged into the park collection. A cost recovery charge for 

duplication may be requested. 

Duplication will be done at the park, or under park control, to preclude 

possibilities of loss or damage of the originals. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 91 
Once the photographs have been duplicated, copy prints and modern 

negatives of the originals will be maintained and used for intellectual 

access and for further duplication. Microfiche copies of historic 

documents will also be maintained and will be available for use. A cost 

recovery charge may be required for copy prints. 

The park will provide the sufficient quality duplication necessary to fulfill 

all the normal requirements for suitable reproduction. Outside individuals 

or organizations that request use of the images will be required to use only 

those copies provided by the park; and they will be obligated to 

acknowledge NPS credit if the photographs are published or exhibited to 

the public. By law, users must also credit the photographer, if known. 

 

 

92 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Request for Photographs of Items from the 

Museum Collections

[NAME OF PARK] 

Catalog # Object Name B&W/Color Size Finish

The undersigned agrees to provide the following credit statement for all 

publication use: 

"(object name and catalog #) in the collection of [name of park]. Photograph 

courtesy of the National Park Service." 

Signature ___________________________________________________ 

Date ________________________________________________________ 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 93 
Figure 5 Chumash olivella shell beads from Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands 

National Park collection 

94 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Appendix D — 

 Archiving Resource 

Management Field Records 

The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to aid park 

staff in accomplishing their responsibilities according to NPS-77 Natural 

Resources Management Guidelines, DO#28: Cultural Resources 

Management Guidelines, DM-411: DOI Property Management 

Regulations, DO#19: Records Management Guidelines, 36 CFR 2.9, and 

legislation associated with archiving resource management records. 

The history of incorporating archival materials into the park museum 

collection is documented in the annual park collection management report. 

In addition, the NPS Museum Handbook, Part II, Appendix D, documents 

the need for guidelines for the management of archival material. 

Directions are included for the retention of reports concerning both 

cultural and natural scientific research conducted within and for the park. 

The park’s archives include many unique information resources that need 

professional organization and arrangement to promote their most efficient 

use. 

Park resource management staff generates records on a daily basis that 

should be considered for inclusion in the park archives. Staff creates data 

sets, photographs, maps, and field notebooks that future generations will 

need to access to research the history of cultural and natural resource 

projects at the park. 

Park staff is involved in capturing fire monitoring data, plant collections, 

air quality research, and a host of ethnographic and archeological research. 

Preserving the corporate knowledge of each of these individual activities 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 95 
depends ultimately upon the archival process. The organizing thread 

should be the project itself. 

These guidelines are provided so future materials can be processed and 

included in the collection in a systematic fashion. Staff may also use this 

procedure for materials already in their possession in preparation for the 

materials being accessioned or registered by the archivist under the park 

museum collection accountability system, the National Park Service 

Automated National Cataloging System (ANCS+). Accessioning is the 

preliminary step in identifying collections that will later be cataloged and 

processed into the archives. Eventually, finding aids are created to enable 

staff and researchers to easily access information in the collection 

archives. 

Staff cooperation in carrying out this SOP will greatly accelerate the rate 

at which materials are processed. Subject matter specialists involved in the 

creation of these materials carry the greater knowledge about these 

collections. The quality of the final product will depend upon the quality 

of staff involvement in the process of identifying the exact nature of 

archival materials. 

Archiving Resource Management Field Records 

Attachments A and B show, respectively, the several steps involved in 

archival processing of resource management materials and an example of 

an archival survey. Further details about the archival process are found in 

NPS Museum Handbook, Part II, Appendix D. A copy is available for 

review from the park archivist. An example of a park archival collection 

finding aid is also available upon request. 

Checklist for Preparing Field Documentation: 

1) Obtain an accession number from the park curator at the 

commencement of all new field projects. 

2) Label all materials with the project accession number. Use a soft lead 

pencil for marking documents or files and a Mylar marking pen for Mylar 

enclosures such as slide, print, or negative sleeves. 

96 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
3) Arrange material by material type, such as field notes, reports, maps, 

correspondence, and photographs. Each group of materials should be 

stored in individual folders or acceptable archival enclosures. 

4) Resource management staff is responsible for turning over all project 

documentation to the archivist upon completion of a project. In the interest 

of preserving institutional knowledge, collections should remain in their 

original order, that is, the organization system created by the originator of 

a document collection. Resist the urge to take important documents from 

these collections. If something is needed for future use, copy it or request 

that the curator make a copy. After copying, replace the document or 

photo where it was found. Much information about past projects has been 

lost because collections have been picked apart. Remember these materials 

will always be available. That is the intent behind establishing archives. 

5) When the archival documentation is transferred to the archivist, the 

form below would be provided. This form includes the project title, 

principal investigator, date of project, and a history of the project. The 

name of the individual who obtained the accession number should also be 

listed. The type and quantity of documentation would be included as well, 

such as maps (13), field notes (4 notebooks), correspondence (three files), 

and so on. 

Use one copy of the attached Project Identification Sheet for each project. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 97 
Project Identification Sheet 

Archiving Resource Management Field Records 

Accession Number: _______________ (Assigned only by park archivist) 

Your name _______________________ 

Project Title___________________________________________________________ 

 

Principle Investigator and position at the park during project. Please list staff who might have 

aided in the project implementation. 

________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________ 

Researcher's office location and extension or current address, occupation, and employer or 

contact number. 

________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________ 

Type and quantity of materials in collection(s) (specimens, papers, files, reports, data, maps, 

photo prints/negatives/slides, computer media -format/software?) Condition. (i.e. infested, torn, 

broken, good) Attach additional paper if necessary. 

________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________ 

Scope of Project: 

Is this collection part of an ongoing project to be updated annually? Yes ____ No____ 

Research goals or project purpose, published or in-house reports to which collection relates 

________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________ 

Abstract of collection content. Keywords referring to geographical locations, processes, data 

types, associated projects. Indicate whether specimens were collected. Attach additional paper if 

necessary. 

98 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Five Phases to Managing Archival Collections 

 

(From “Museum Archives and Manuscript Collections,” NPS 

Museum Handbook, Part II, Appendix D) 

Phase 1 

Gain Preliminary Control Over the Park Records

Survey and describe collections; identify official/non-official records; 

appraise collections and check them against the scope of collection 

statement; accession collections; order supplies 

Phase 2 

Preserve the Park Collections

Conduct the collection condition survey; write treatment or reformatting 

recommendations; contract to conserve or reformat; re-house; prepare 

storage, work, and reading room spaces 

Phase 3 

Arrange and Describe the Park Collections

Arrange collections; create folder lists; edit and index folder lists; update 

collection-level survey description; produce finding aids; catalog 

collections into the Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+) 

Phase 4 

Refine the Archival Processing

Locate resources; prepare processing plan and documentation strategy; 

develop a guide to collections; publicize collections 

Phase 5 

Provide Access to Park Collections

Review restrictions; write access and usage policies; provide reference 

service 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 99 
Sample Archival and Manuscript Collections 

Survey Form 

(From “Museum Archives and Manuscript Collections,” NPS 

Museum Handbook, Part II, Appendix D)

US Department of the Interior 

National Park Service 

COLLECTION TITLE (Creator / Format / Alternate Names/ 

Accession / Catalog #s): 

 Asa Thomas Papers DRTO-00008 

DATES (Inclusive & Bulk): 1850-1925; bulk 1860-69 

PROVENIENCE (Creator / Function / Ownership and Usage history / 

Related collections / Language): 

Asa Thomas (1830-1930) an American engineer, inventor, and explorer 

specializing in hydraulics created this collection as a record of his life, 

family, and employment history. Captions on some photos are in 

Spanish. Note: Must locate a biography of Thomas for the CollectionLevel Survey Description. Check the Who's Who in Science. This 

collection was given by Thomas's third wife, Eva Bebbernicht Thomas to 

their son, Martin Thomas in 1930. Martin Thomas left it to his only 

daughter Susan Brabb, who gave it to the park in 1976. 

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION (Linear feet / Item count / Processes / 

Formats / Genres): 

45 linear feet of papers including 15 diaries (1850-1925), 63 albums and 

scrapbooks, 10 lf of correspondence and 2,000 blueprints 

SUBJECTS (Personal, Group, Taxonomic, and Place Names / Eras / 

Activities / Events / Objects / Structures / Genres): 

This collection documents the life, family, inventions, instructions, and 

professional activities of Asa Thomas including engineering projects in 

the Dry Tortugas, an 1873 world tour, and hydraulic pump inventions 

ARRANGEMENT (Series / Principle of Arrangement / Finding Aid): 

Into four series by type of document: correspondence, diaries, albums 

and scrapbooks, and blueprints 

RESTRICTIONS (Check and Describe) Donor_____ 

Privacy/Publicity _____ Copyright X Libel_____ No Release 

Forms_____ Archeological, Cave, or Well Site_____ Endangered 

Species Site_____ Sensitive_____ Classified_____ Fragile _____ Health 

Hazard_____ Other_____ 

100 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
The donor, A. Thomas's son Marvin, did not donate all copyrights. The 

papers are unpublished. Some inventions are patented. 

LOCATIONS Building(s), Room(s), Wall(s), Shelf Unit(s), Position(s), 

Box(es): B6 R5 W2 S1-3, B1-40 

EVALUATION (Check and Describe Status) Official Records ___ 

Non-Official Records X Fits Park SOCS X Outside SOCS ___ 

(Rate Collection Value: 1=Low; 3=Average; 6=High) Informational 6

Artifactual 6 Associational 6 Evidential 3 Administrative 3 

Monetary 1

CONDITION (Check and Describe) Excellent_____ Good X 

Fair_____ Poor_____ Mold_____ Rodents_____ Insects_____ 

Nitrate_____ Asbestos_____ Water Damage X 

Other __________________ 

OTHER (Please Describe) 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 101 
Figure 6 Channel Islands National Park library 

102 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Appendix E — 

 Suggested Library 

Operating Policy 

Introduction 

The libraries at [name of park] are an essential resource that enables staff 

to carry out the park's mandate. The operating policies establish guidelines 

and standards for developing and operating the libraries, and provide 

stability, continuity, and efficiency in their operation. The policies are 

intended to guide and support decisions of the library manager and to 

inform park staff and other users of the library's objectives. Operating 

policies will be reviewed and updated by park staff every two years and be 

approved by the superintendent, unless policy changes require action 

sooner. 

Objective 

The primary objective of the [name of park] libraries is to select, preserve, 

and make available material that assists park staff and site-related 

researchers in their work. Primary emphasis will be the support of 

interpretive services to park visitors. 

Responsibility 

Implementation of this policy is the responsibility of the library manager. 

This person will be designated by the superintendent and will be 

responsible for compiling a list of desired acquisitions, promptly adding 

new library items to the collection, shelving materials, ensuring that 

material is returned in proper condition, accounting for the collection, and 

maintaining catalog materials in computerized and physical form. 

Scope of Collection 

The collection consists of books, periodicals, microfilm, videotape, maps, 

photographs, and a vertical research file. These materials cover [emphasis 

of the park], park mandate and development, and NPS material. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 103 
Materials in the library will pertain to the following: 

[List areas of interest to the park, including cultural and natural resource 

management, law enforcement, maintenance, administration, and 

interpretation]. 

Selection Guidelines and Procedures 

The Interpretation and Education Division and the Natural and Cultural 

Resources Division will use the following criteria in selecting materials 

for the library: 

 Importance of the subject matter to the collection 

 Authenticity and accuracy 

 Permanent value and/or historic potential 

 Author’s reputation 

 Publisher's reputation and standards 

 Readability 

 Price 

 Availability in nearby libraries 

The library manager will compile a list of desired acquisitions in August 

of each year. Input from all staff will be considered. Copies will be 

forwarded to the superintendent and team leaders for budget and reference 

purposes. 

Microfilm 

The microfilm collection will include materials unavailable or 

prohibitively expensive in their original form. 

Periodicals 

In addition to general library selection criteria, periodical selections will 

consider the following: 

 Periodicals must supplement the collection as an additional and 

current source of information. 

104 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 Periodicals must occasionally or regularly publish popular articles, or 

historic articles of use or interest to the park staff. 

Operating Guidelines 

Loan Privileges 

Borrowing privileges are extended to all NPS employees and volunteers at 

the park. There is a 30-day limit on individual loans. The 30-day loan 

period can be extended at the discretion of the park library manager. The 

library manager is responsible for reviewing the card files no less than 

once a month and contacting staff with overdue materials. No more than 

three items may be checked out at one time. 

At the discretion of the park library manager or the chief of natural and 

cultural resources management, library privileges may be extended to the 

following: 

 NPS employees from other areas. 

 Contractors conducting research in the park. 

 Researchers with valid research needs at all levels. 

 Other users who will benefit the park and not interfere with normal 

operations. 

 Non-NPS library use will be restricted to on-site use. The 

superintendent may make exceptions. Use of the library by non-park 

staff will be by appointment with the park library manager. Use will 

be supervised; users will sign in and check out. The library will 

maintain an attendance log of non-park users. 

 Returned materials are to be placed in the “Return” box. The park 

library manager is responsible for re-shelving and re-filing materials. 

No other person should re-shelve books. Materials should be reshelved at least on a biweekly basis. 

Damage and Loss Policy 

Borrowers will replace lost or seriously damaged materials and, if 

materials are not immediately available, reimburse the park with the cost 

of replacement. If materials are not replaced or compensated for within a 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 105 
period of 90 days, a bill of collection will be issued for the estimated 

market value of the materials. 

Abuse of library materials and privileges will result in the loss of library 

privileges. 

Vertical File 

The library will maintain a vertical file. This file contains information 

about the park, photocopied material not suitable for cataloging into the 

regular collection, pamphlets, articles, and personal accounts from diaries, 

journals, letters, and newspaper clippings. Materials in this file will be 

cataloged into a vertical file index, which the park library manager will 

maintain. This file will be updated yearly in January. 

Paperbacks 

Paperbacks will be acquired for the following reasons: 

 Title is not available in hardcover. 

 Substantial price difference exists. 

 Subject is estimated to be of current interest only. 

Duplicates 

Duplicate copies of heavily used materials will be acquired when needed. 

Replacement 

After all reasonable efforts have been made to recover lost or stolen 

books, replacement will be attempted if there is a demand and/or the item 

meets selection criteria. If possible, a replacement should be purchased by 

the individual to whom the lost book was loaned. 

Gifts 

Gifts of materials that meet the selection criteria may be accepted with the 

understanding that: 

 The park retains the right to keep, use, or dispose of them as deemed 

appropriate by the superintendent. 

 The materials will be integrated into the regular collection. 

106 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 Park staff will give no appraisals for tax purposes, but the park library 

manager may assist in the following ways: 

 Suggest sources of such information, such as dealers’ catalogs 

 Provide a receipt describing the donated items but not assigning a 

 value to them. 

Controlled Access Collection 

A locked cabinet will be maintained in the library with rare and fragile 

materials. Items will be considered for inclusion in this cabinet if they: 

 are virtually irreplaceable. 

 have a monetary value over seventy-five ($75.00) dollars. 

 have particular historic interest to the park. 

 have unusual attractiveness or interest. 

 are in fragile or delicate condition. 

Materials from this collection will be loaned only at the discretion of the 

superintendent. Titles will be noted in the catalog as being in the cabinet. 

A separate list of these materials will be maintained in the cabinet. 

Exhibited Materials 

The library manager will compile and maintain a list of all books, 

periodicals, and maps that are used as furnishings and are not part of the 

library. The list will be kept in the controlled access area. 

Interlibrary Loan 

Interlibrary loans will be made only through the [name of regional library 

or support office]. Loans will be made of non-sensitive materials only, and 

the concurrence of the park library manager is required. The log of loaned 

materials will be kept. 

Vertical File Policy 

Items in the vertical file may be checked out in the same manner as books 

unless they are specifically marked to the contrary. When borrowing a 

vertical file, the entire folder must be taken and all materials returned to 

the re-shelving area. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 107 
Photocopying 

Photocopying of materials is permitted except in the following situations: 

 Materials could be damaged due to flattening the binding or exposure 

to light. 

 Materials are marked “Do Not Copy.” 

Material photocopied for use outside the park must be labeled as follows: 

NOTICE: 

Copyright law found in Title 17, U.S. Code 

may protect this material.

Adding New Publications 

The Library of Congress Cataloging System (LCS) is used at [name of 

park]. The following steps will be taken when new publications are added 

to the system: 

1. The Administration Office will receive new books and attend to all 

invoice matters. 

2. The new books will then go to the library manager. 

3. The library manager will photocopy the title page and the reverse page, 

and forward the copy to the [name of regional library or support office]. 

The library staff will catalog the book, add it to the card catalog, and 

prepare labels for the book. 

4. The library manager will prepare an accession record for the book 

consisting of date received, cost, source of acquisition, and condition. 

5. While books are being added to the catalog, they will be placed in the 

controlled access area; they can be used in the library only with the 

permission of the library manager. 

6. The library manager will prepare a monthly memo for the park staff, 

listing the new additions and providing the title, author, and a short 

summary. 

108 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
7. When cataloging is completed and labels arrive, the library manager 

will affix labels, pocket, and checkout card to the publication. 

8. Books will then be shelved according to their LCS number. 

9. Every four months the library manager will update the park's 

computerized catalog with the most current copy from the [name of 

regional library or support office] library. At this time, hard copies of the 

author, title, and subject listings will be added to the library reference area. 

Excluded Publications 

With the exception of the categories listed below, all books purchased 

with NPS or cooperating association funds will be accessioned and 

cataloged into the park library in a timely manner. Excepted categories 

include the following: 

• Dictionaries, thesauruses, word finders, usage guides, or similar 

reference guides 

• Other books regularly needed by employees to carry out their day-today duties, such as safety manuals, fire codes, regulations, laws, 

museum manuals, and public health manuals 

• Annual publications, such as almanacs, price books, catalogs, and zip 

code guides 

• Publications purchased as part of an approved training program 

Books in the excepted category may be included in the collection at the 

discretion of the library manager. 

Inventories 

The library will be inventoried annually in October. An up-to-date shelf 

list will be acquired from the [name of regional library or support office]; 

the library manager will match the shelf list with current holdings and 

account for all missing books. Books that cannot be found will be listed on 

a memorandum, which will be circulated to staff for input. If this process 

produces no results, the list will be forwarded to the [name of regional 

library or support office] for deletion from the catalog. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 109 
By the end of each fiscal year, the park library manager will compile a list 

of acquisitions of the past year, noting source and cost. The list will be 

forwarded to the [name of position]. 

Binding 

Unbound or paperback material will be bound at the recommendation of 

the library manager when value, condition, or frequency of use justifies 

this step. 

Weeding 

The removal of material from the collection judged to be of no use for 

research or documentary purposes will occur on a yearly basis in October. 

Weeding will take place at the time of the annual inventory, and library 

managers will use the same criteria used in the selection of new materials. 

Items considered for de-accession should exhibit the following 

characteristics: 

 Information outside of the scope of collection 

 Outdated information 

 Inaccurate information 

 Irreparably damaged or worn materials 

All items, including those that exhibit the above characteristics, should be 

carefully considered for possible historic value. 

Weeding Procedure 

 Items are removed from the collection following the above criteria. 

 Selected material is included in a memo and circulated to park staff. 

Final approval of weeding is made by the chief of natural and cultural 

resources management. 

 A Report of Survey (DI-103) is prepared and circulated. 

 Library records will be updated. 

 Cataloged items are offered to the following: 

[Name of regional library or support office]

[Name of region] Region Units

110 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Harpers Ferry 

Department of the Interior Library 

Library of Congress 

Materials may be disposed of to other institutions at the discretion of the 

park library manager with the concurrence of the [name of position]. The 

library will be weeded in October. 

The staff at the [name of regional library or support office]may be 

contacted with questions concerning library management or operations not 

specific to the parks, at [phone number]. 

Approved by: 

Superintendent ___________________________________ Date _______ 

Team Leader: 

_______________________________________________ Date _______ 

Library Manager _________________________________ Date _______ 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 111 
Figure 7 Townsends big-eared bat specimens at the L.A. County Museum of 

Natural History 

112 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Appendix F— 

Guidelines for 

Park Records Management 

The value of well-organized park museum archives is paramount. They 

serve as a source of cultural, natural, interpretive, and planning research 

and data, reflecting past management decisions and serving as basis for 

current and future decisions. Thorough recording of past resource projects 

and retaining of park management documents prevents duplication of 

studies and provides legal protection for park staff about issues relating to 

park actions. Many issues critical to a park are revisited over time, so a 

written record of a park’s actions is vital to understanding the present and 

future forces on the park. 

NPS Records Management Programs 

At present there are three programs within the National Park Service 

concerned with the management of park records and information: the 

Library Management Program, the Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) 

Program, and the Museum Management Program. 

Library Management Program 

Although there is no funded Library Management Program in the National 

Park Service, archival material (records, reports, photographs, maps, 

drawings) may often be found in a park's library. Responsibility for library 

operations in the parks is often delegated to Interpretation, but Cultural 

Resources or Natural Resources is sometimes involved. What 

programmatic guidance for library activities that currently exists may be 

found in Director's Order #16, Interpretation Guidelines, Director's 

Order #28, Cultural Resources Management Guidelines, and NPS-77, 

Natural Resources Management Guidelines. Separate programmatic 

guidance, Director's Order #84, Library Guidelines, is scheduled to be 

developed. Most parks use Procite to manage their library resources, while 

most Support Offices and Centers use Procite for inventory and Voyager 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 113 
to search and locate resources in other libraries. While most park libraries 

concentrate on published works (white literature), they often contain 

unpublished (gray literature) studies, plans, and reports that are parkspecific and are limited in number. These latter resources are more 

archival in nature, yet there is no permanent record of their existence and 

location. 

Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program 

The Natural Resources Bibliography (NRBib), an inventory of natural 

resource literature (both gray and white) developed for and by individual 

parks, has been replaced by the I&M Program. The NRBib is now called 

NatureBib. The individual park bibliographies were originally compiled in 

Procite, an automated library inventory system. The I&M program is 

working on an automated system (built on Oracle) to tie this bibliographic 

inventory to their automated NPSpecies program. Programmatic direction 

for this activity may be found in NPS-77 (the successor Director’s Order 

#77 is currently being developed). These systems are designed primarily 

for inventory and are not intended to preserve information. 

Museum Management Program 

Within the NPS, the Museum Management Program has the designated 

program lead to gather archival resources and provide the necessary 

preservation, documentation, and information retrieval services to the 

parks. Programmatic direction for these activities may be found in the 

following: Director’s Order #28, Cultural Resource Management; 

Director’s Order #19, Records Management Guidelines; and the NPS 

Museum Handbook. The documentation and information retrieval method 

is the Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+). Unlike the Procite 

and NatureBIB programs mentioned earlier, ANCS+ is a permanent 

system that can be tied to specialized data recovery systems like 

NPSpecies. ANCS+ is the designated archival system for the Service. 

The NPS philosophy and model of records management is being rethought 

in light of best practices and technological advancements that affect how 

information is gathered, preserved, and retrieved. NPS-19 and its attendant 

Records Disposition Schedule have been revised, and Director’s Order 

114 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
#19 was approved on January 17, 2001. A new file code system is on the 

horizon, designed to reflect current business practices in a more intuitive 

system. The retention/disposition instructions are under revision and are 

expected to be issued with Director’s Order #19. 

Under the new methodology in Director’s Order #19, a record’s primary 

importance is determined by the actual information it holds instead of its 

form; that is, whether it is a signed original or a copy. This philosophy 

distinguishes records as “permanent” and “temporary.” Permanent records 

have continuing value to resource management, while temporary records 

have a limited use life in the operations of a park or support office. Copies 

are to be considered just copies and not addressed. 

There is also discussion of “permanently active” records—those materials 

needed for the long-term, ongoing management of park resources for the 

NPS to fulfill its agency mandate. The criteria for permanent and 

temporary take into account the office of creation. A permanent record for 

one office (such as a regional office) may be temporary for a park because 

it is a distributed copy for general reference only. Temporary records are 

to be retained as long as indicated by the revised Records Retention 

Schedule. After an allotted retention time, temporary records may be 

disposed of by parks or retained if still needed. 

Many of the disposition timeframes outlined in NPS-19 will be retained in 

the new Director’s Order #19 retention schedule. This applies in 

particular to fiscal, routine administrative, law enforcement, forms 

covered under the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 

General Records Schedule 20, and other daily operational materials. 

Permanent records may also be retained as long as actively needed for use 

and reference. Under the new Director’s Order #19, permanent records 

are to include land acquisition records, park planning documents, 

documents pertaining to cultural and resource management decisions and 

projects, and documents pertaining to the history of the administration and 

interpretation of a park. 

The concept of resource management records has been broadened in 

Director’s Order #19, and the new, broadened concept classifies as 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 115 
permanent a wide array of documents (such as construction reports) 

previously considered temporary because the subject of the document is a 

park resource or substantially impacts a park resource. Thus, where all 

contracts were previously considered temporary, the broadened definition 

of resource management records considers contracts on cultural resources 

(such as a historic building on the National Register of Historic Places) 

permanent. Many of these types of records may also be considered 

“permanently active” if this category is approved in the new records 

retention schedule. 

Under the new NARA protocol, parks will have three avenues to choose 

from to provide accessibility to their inactive (no longer actively needed or 

in use) records before the records are permanently destroyed or retired to 

the National Archives. Parks may still send inactive records to a NARA 

FRC for public access and storage following the current procedure, but a 

fee will be charged per the Office of Management and Budget ($3.28 per 

cubic foot as of October 2000). This charge is currently being paid by the 

Washington Office for all parks. 

Parks can now arrange for storage at an off-site commercial repository, or 

retain their own records on-site. In both cases, professional archival 

parameters of preservation and access set by NARA must be met. These 

archival parameters include security, fire protection, appropriate storage 

techniques, climate-controlled environment, and widely disseminated 

collection finding aids. Parks may now elect to provide care and storage of 

their own records as long as the current NARA criteria are being met. The 

Museum Management Program is currently the only NPS program 

meeting the NARA standards. 

Once the inactive records have reached their disposition date, records are 

to be destroyed or transferred to the National Archives for permanent 

storage. These new changes in records definitions and storage procedures 

are not currently reflected in Director’s Order #28, Cultural Resources 

Management Guidelines and the NPS Museum Handbook, Part II, 

Appendix D, “Museum Archives and Manuscript Collections.” 

116 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Documentation in writing of every disposition action and filing it under 

A7227 (or its new equivalent) is strongly recommended. Information that 

needs to be recorded includes date, person, disposition action, disposition 

authority/authorities, comprehensive listing of disposed files, and the 

signature of a witness. If disposition is a regularly scheduled event, there 

is no incriminating evidence for inspection during a legal action (for 

example, due to suspicious timing). Disposition actions must be defensible 

in a court of law. 

Establishing comprehensive, stand-alone project files for resource 

management, major special events, park infrastructure, and research 

projects is also recommended. These project files should not be assigned 

NPS file codes. These files should contain copies of finalized contract 

documents, including substantive change orders and specifications, 

requisitions, “as-builts” for finished construction projects, related project 

planning documents, and all documents illustrating all decisions made and 

why. 

For research projects, project files should also include copies of all 

researcher field notes, laboratory notes and results, a copy of the final 

report and report drafts, and any other materials generated by the project. 

The park would then have a full set of documents covering an entire 

project, organized chronologically and stored in one place. It also averts 

problems when some fiscal records are filed separately from other project 

materials, thus potentially losing critical data from a project’s life history. 

Upon completion of the project, these files should then be retired to the 

park’s museum archives for long-term reference. 

This separation of routine administrative records from project records is 

recommended practice in the General Records Schedules as well. NARA 

expects that routine administrative records are temporary with short 

retention spans before destruction. Project records, on the other hand, are 

expected to have long retention periods, be permanent, and have potential 

(if not anticipated) archival value. 

Records management training is available to NPS employees, although 

often from other federal agencies. The superintendent (or designee) should 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 117 
contact the regional training officer for further assistance in locating 

appropriate training opportunities. The administrative officer should 

contact the NPS service-wide Records Officer Michael Grimes (202-208-

4333) for all the reference material needed to perform record management 

activities. 

The administrative officer should establish a records review policy. When 

reviewing all materials in the current park files for appropriate disposition, 

the administrator should involve the park resource management and 

maintenance staff and the superintendent. These staff members should 

form the nucleus of a records disposition board, to review all records 

before formal disposition by the administrative officer. This gives the park 

the opportunity to ensure the retention of important documents for park 

resource management, for the history of interpretation of the park’s 

resources, and for research projects conducted either on park lands 

(archeological) or on historical resources pertaining to the park’s mission. 

It will also ensure that ineligible records, such as personnel-related 

documents containing personal data protected under the Privacy Act, will 

not be incorporated into the park archives. 

118 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Bibliography 

Good museum management planning requires an understanding of the 

library, archives, and museum collection resources as they currently exist; 

background on how and why these resources were developed; and 

information on what is required to preserve the resources and make them 

available for use. In order to accomplish these goals effectively, planners 

must first review park-specific documentation such as reports, checklists, 

and plans, then make recommendations based on professional theory and 

techniques that are documented in the professional literature. 

This bibliography provides the references used in developing the Channel 

Island National Park Museum Management Plan. The first section gives 

references to park-specific documentation used by the team to understand 

the current status of the resources. The second section includes a list of 

recommended readings that will provide park staff with a better 

understanding of the physical and intellectual nature of these unique 

resources, and will enable them to apply professionally accepted 

techniques and standards for preservation and use. 

Park Reference List 

Architectural Resources Group. Scorpion Ranch House, East Santa Cruz 

Island, Historic Structures Report, Channel Islands National Park. 

Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, 2002. 

Architectural Resources Group. Smugglers Ranch House, East Santa 

Cruz Island, Historic Structures Report, Channel Islands National 

Park. Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, 2002. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 119 
Architectural Resources Group. Vail and Vickers Ranch House, Santa 

Rosa Island, Historic Structures Report, Channel Islands National 

Park. Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, 2002. 

Baldwin, Kathleen Phyllis. A History of Channel Islands Archaeology. 

MA Thesis, California State University, Northridge, 1996. 

Banks, E. Draft Emergency Operations Plan, Channel Islands National 

Park. Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, 2004. 

Bayless, Jonathan, Kent Bush, H. Dale Durham, Don Morris, and 

Kathleen Baldwin. Museum Collection Management Plan, 

Channel Islands National Park. San Francisco, CA: U.S. 

Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1995. 

Carey and Company, Inc. Prisoner's Harbor Warehouse, Santa Cruz 

Island, Historic Structures Report, Channel Islands National Park. 

Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, 2004. 

Livingston, D.S. (Dewey). An Ancient String of Pearls: A History of the 

Northern Channel Islands, Historic Resource Study, Channel 

Islands National Park, California, Draft II. Ventura, CA: U.S. 

Department of the Interior, National Park Service, May 2003. 

Messer, Ishmael, and Alan Fieldson. Fire Management Plan, An 

Amendment to the Natural Resource Management Plan for 

Channel Islands National Park. Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of 

the Interior, National Park Service, 1991. 

National Park Service. Draft Environmental Impact Statement and 

Development Concept Plan, Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands 

National Park. Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, 

National Park Service, n.d. 

120 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
National Park Service. Draft General Management Plan Supplement, 

Environmental Assessment, Channel Islands National Park. 

Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, April 1984. 

National Park Service. Draft Resource Management Plan, Channel 

Islands National Park. Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the 

Interior, National Park Service, 1999. 

National Park Service. General Management Plan, Volume 1: Visitor 

Use, Interpretation, General Development, Channel Islands 

National Park. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, 

National Park Service, January 1985. 

National Park Service. General Management Plan, Volume 1: Visitor 

Use, Interpretation, General Development, Channel Islands 

National Park. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, 

National Park Service, September 1980. 

National Park Service. General Management Plan, Volume 2: Natural, 

Cultural Resource Management, Channel Islands National Park. 

Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, September 1980. 

National Park Service. Statement for Management, Channel Islands 

National Park. Ventura, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, 

National Park Service, December 1991. 

Woodward, James. Maintenance Guidebook for the Anacapa Island Third 

Order Classical Fresnel Lens, Anacapa, California. Ventura, CA: 

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 2004. 

Suggested Reading List 

The skills and craft necessary to perform adequate curatorial work have 

expanded exponentially over the past three decades. Fortunately, the 

literature in the field has also expanded to meet program needs. The 

current National Park Service publications, NPS Museum Handbook, the 

Conserve O Gram series, and Tools of the Trade, all provide basic 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 121 
guidelines. They inform the reader how to perform certain tasks such as 

accessioning and cataloging, but they do not teach the neophyte when 

and/or why these tasks should be done. The proper application of the 

methodology presented in these documents requires a degree of 

intellectual preparation and practical experience that cannot be provided in 

procedural manuals or a two-week course. 

The following references represent some of the best theory and practice in 

the fields of collections management, exhibits and programs, and archival 

management available today within the professional community. The 

MMP team does not suggest that the park purchase a copy of each 

suggested reference, but it is possible to acquire copies of these volumes 

on inter-library loan. 

Park managers and supervisors are encouraged to consider familiarity with 

the recognized literature in the field when evaluating prospective 

employees or, as an indication of continued professional growth when 

doing performance evaluations. This familiarity should be a determining 

factor for employment at the GS 1015/11 level and above. It should also 

serve as an indication of job interest and commitment to professionalism 

when overall work standards are evaluated. 

Collection Management References 

American Association of Museums. Caring for Collections: Strategies for 

Conservation, Maintenance and Documentation. 1984. More than 60 curators, 

registrars, and conservators contributed information on how to improve 

environmental conditions, manage inventory, register objects, and augment 

public use of museum collections. 

Appelbaum, Barbara. Guide to Environmental Protection of Collections. Second 

View Press, 1991. Clarifies the various conditions that impact collections, 

how objects respond, and how to mitigate damage. Good book for the nonspecialist. 

Butcher-Younghans, Sherry. Historic House Museums: A Practical Handbook for 

Their Care, Preservation, and Management. Oxford University Press, 1996. 

This book serves as both reference and hands-on guide for all aspects of 

122 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
historic house management, including collections care, conservation, security, 

and interpretation. 

Buck, Rebecca A. & Gilmore, Jean A., eds. The New Museum Registration 

Methods. American Association of Museums, 1998. This is a very well done 

update of the classic Museum Registration Methods by Dorothy Dudley and 

Irma Wilkinson (below). Good format and easy to reference, with up-to-date 

information sections concerning copyright, NAGPRA issues, and ethics. 

Committee on Libraries, Museums, and Historic Buildings. Protection of 

Museums and Museum Collections 1980. NFPA 911, Boston: National Fire 

Protection Association, Inc., 1980. One of the best sources on fire protection 

and prevention, written specifically for museums. 

Dudley, Dorothy H., et al. Museum Registration Methods. 3rd ed. American 

Association of Museums, 1979. Accepted as the basic reference for museum 

registrars, this classic covers registration, storage, and care, as well as 

insurance, packing and shipping, and loan management. 

Edwards, Stephen R., Bruce M. Bell, and Mary Elizabeth King. Pest Control in 

Museums: A Status Report. Lawrence, Kansas: Association of Systematic 

Collections, 1980. A good guide to pesticides, their use in museums, and 

common insect pests. 

Hensley, John R. "Safeguarding Museum Collections from the Effects of 

Earthquakes." Curator, September 1987, pp. 199-205. 

Hunter, John E. "Standard Practices for Handling Museum Objects." Omaha, 

Nebraska: National Park Service, Midwest Region. North Dakota. 

 . "Standards for the Design, Installation, Testing, and Maintenance of 

Interior Intrusion Detection/Alarm System." Omaha, Nebraska: National Park 

Service, Midwest Region. 1981. 

Johnson, E. Verner and Joanne C. Horgan. Museum Collection Storage. Paris: 

UNESCO, 1979. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 123 
Knell, Susan. Care of Collections. London: Routledge, 1994. Basic book on 

preventative conservation, focusing on specific and practical guidelines for 

collections care and handling. 

Leo, Jack. "How to Secure Your Museum: A Basic Checklist." History News, 

June 1980, pp. 10-12. 

Lewis, Ralph H. Manual for Museums. Washington, DC: National Park Service, 

Department of Interior, 1976. 

MacLeish, A. Bruce. The Care of Antiques and Historical Collections. Nashville, 

Tennessee: The American Association for State and Local History, 1983. A 

reference for general museum collection care. 

Malaro, M.C., A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections. Washington, 

DC: Smithsonian Institutional Press, 1985. 

Metsger, Deborah A. & Shelia C. Byers, eds. Managing the Modern Herbarium: 

An Interdisciplinary Approach. 1999. Society for the Preservation of Natural 

History Collections. Elton-Wolfe Publishing, Vancouver, Canada. First 

significant publication in decades on herbaria that covers all aspects of 

herbaria management. 

National Park Service. Automated National Catalog System User Manual. 1998. 

 .Conserve O Gram. 1974 to present. 

 .CRM, Volume 22, no. 2, 1999 “Archives at the Millennium.” 

 .NPS Management Policies. 2001. 

 .NPS Museum Handbook, Part I: Museum Collections. 1990 (revised). 

 .NPS Museum Handbook, Part II: Museum Records. 2000. 

 .NPS Museum Handbook, Part III: Museum Collections Use. 1998. 

 .DO #19: Records Management. 2001. 

124 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
 .NPS-19: Records Management Guidebook. 1999 Appendix B (only): 

"Records Management Disposition Schedule." 

 . DO #28: Cultural Resources Management. 1998. 

 . NPS-77: Natural Resources Management Guidelines. 1991. 

 . DO #24: NPS Museum Collections Management, 2000.

 . Tools of the Trade. 1996. 

Reitherman, Robert. "Protection of Museum Contents from Earthquakes." The J. 

Paul Getty Museum Symposium on Protection of Art Objects from Damage 

by Earthquakes: What Can Be Done? 1984.

Rose, Carolyn and Amparo de Torres, eds. Storage of Natural History 

Collections: Ideas and Practical Solutions. Society for the Preservation of 

Natural History Collections, 1992. A good “idea” book containing several 

photographs and graphics detailing innovative solutions to the storage of 

various types of materials. 

 & C.A. Hawks, et al. Storage of Natural History Collections: A Preventive 

Conservation Approach. 1995. Society for the Preservation of Natural History 

Collections. 

Thomson, Garry. The Museum Environment. 2nd ed. London: Butterworths, 1986. 

An excellent source on light, humidity, and air pollution. 

Thomson, John, et al. Manual of Curatorship: A Guide to Museum Practice. 2nd

ed. London: Butterworths, 1992. Possibly the best comprehensive reference in 

print on the craft and professionalism required for curatorial work. 

Weinstein, Robert A., et al. Collection, Use and Care of Historical Photographs. 

American Association for State and Local History, 1977. One of the best basic 

references on this technical subject. 

Zycherman, Linda, ed. A Guide to Museum Pest Control. The Foundation of the 

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, and the 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 125 
Association of Systematic Collections. A good, basic reference on pest 

identification, with suggestions for methods of control. 

References for Exhibits and Programs 

American Association of Museums. "The Audience in Exhibition Development: 

Course Proceedings." Resource Report, 1992. A good guide to models of 

exhibition development; philosophy of education; learning theory; gender, 

culture, class and learning; spatial knowledge and its role in learning; 

evaluation; and visitor surveys. 

Belcher, Michael. Exhibitions in Museums. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. 

Discusses every stage of exhibit planning, design, and presentation, including 

audience research and evaluation. A good resource book. 

Dean, David. Museum Exhibition: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge, 

1994. Outlines the full range of exhibition development concerns, from 

planning and design to evaluation and administration. 

Falk, John and Lynn D. Dierking. The Museum Experience. Whalesback Books, 

1992. Provides a good introduction to what is known about why people go to 

museums, what they do there, and what they learn. Guidelines and 

recommendations are offered to help museum staff understand visitors and 

their motivation for visiting. 

Hooper-Greenhill, Eileen. Museums and Their Visitors. London: Routledge, 1994. 

The unique needs of school groups, families, and people with disabilities are 

outlined and illustrated with examples of exhibit, education, and marketing 

policies that work to provide a quality visitor experience. 

Hooper-Greenhill, Eileen, ed. The Educational Role of the Museum. London: 

Routledge, 1994. A close look at the theories of communication in museums, 

exhibition theories and case studies, and educational programs in British 

museums, this book translates well into the American experience. 

Korn, Randi and Laurie Sowd. Visitor Surveys: A User's Manual. American 

Association of Museums, 1990. A good, basic manual on how to conduct 

126 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
visitor surveys to accurately measure the effectiveness of museum exhibits 

and programs. 

McLean, Kathleen. Planning for People in Museum Exhibitions. Association of 

Science-Technology Centers, 1993. Good description of the exhibition 

process, from planning to assessment. 

New York Hall of Science. Take to the Streets: Guide to Planning Outdoor, 

Public Exhibits. 1995. Based on a series of sidewalk exhibits done in New 

York, this book contains checklists and guidelines for planning, designing, 

and implementing outdoor exhibits. 

Neil, Arminta. Help for the Small Museum. Pruett Publishing Co. 1987. The 

second edition of the classic "how to" book for the development of temporary 

exhibits on a tight budget. 

Serrell, Beverly. Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach. Altamira Press, 1996. 

Solid reference tool, including discussions of label planning, writing, design, 

and publication. Contains very good resource list, glossary, and bibliography. 

Witteborg, Lothar P. Good Show! A Practical Guide for Temporary Exhibitions. 

Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, 1991. The second 

edition of a standard reference offering practical guidance in exhibit planning, 

design, fabrication, security, conservation, and installation. 

Archives Management References 

Adela, James M. Understanding Archives and Manuscripts. Archival 

Fundamentals Series, Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1990. 

Aourada, Stephen. Archives and Manuscript Materials in Parks of the North 

Atlantic Region. National Park Service, 1992. 

Association of British Archivists, Small Archives Committee. A Manual for Small 

Archives, British Columbia: Association of British Columbia Archivists, 

1988. 

Baird, Donald and Laura M. Coles. A Manual for Small Archives. Vancouver: 

Archives Association of British Columbia, 1991. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 127 
Bellardo, Lewis and Lynn Lady Bellardo. A Glossary for Archivists, Manuscript 

Curators, and Records Managers. Archival Fundamental Series. Chicago: 

Society of American Archivists, 1992. 

Casterline, Gail F. Archives and Manuscripts: Exhibits. Chicago: Society of 

American Archivists, 1980 (Out-of-print). 

Cook, Michael. Archives Administration: A Manual for Intermediate and Small 

Organizations and for Local Government. Folkestone, England: William 

Dawson and Sons, 1977. 

Cox, Richard J. Managing Institutional Archives. New York: Greenwood Press, 

1982. 

Daniels, Maygene and Timothy Walsh, eds. A Modern Archives Reader: Basic 

Readings on Archival Theory and Practice. Washington, DC: National 

Archives Trust Fund Board, 1984. 

Eastman-Kodak. Conservation of Photographs. Rochester, NY: Kodak 

publication F-40, Rochester, NY: Eastman-Kodak Company, 1985. 

Ellis, Judith, ed. Keeping Archives. Second edition. Australia: Australian Society 

of Archivists and D.W. Thorpe, 1993. 

Finch, Elsie Freeman, ed. Advocating Archives: An Introduction to Public 

Relations for Archivists. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1994. 

Ham, Gerald F. Selecting and Appraising Archives and Manuscripts. Archival 

Fundamental Series. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1992. 

Harrison, Donald Fisher, ed. Automation in Archives. Washington, DC: MidAtlantic Regional Archives Conference, 1993. 

Hensen, Steven. Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts: A Cataloging 

Manual for Archival Repositories, Historical Societies, and Manuscript 

Libraries. 2nd ed., Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1990. 

http://www.archivists.org 

128 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 
Hunter, Greg. Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives. New York: Neal 

Schuman Publishers, 1997. 

Kesner, Richard and Lisa Weber. Automating the Archives: A Beginner's Guide. 

Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1991. 

Miller, Frederic M. Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts. 

Archival Fundamental Series. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 

1990. 

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). A NARA Evaluation: 

The Management of Audiovisual Records in Federal Agencies. A General 

Report. Washington, DC, 1991. 

MacNeil, Heather. Without Consent: The Ethics of Disclosing Personal 

Information in Public Archives. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 

1992. 

O'Toole, James M. Understanding Archives and Manuscripts. Archival 

Fundamental Series. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1990. 

Pugh, Mary Jo. Providing Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts. 

Archival Fundamental Series. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1992. 

Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn, et al. Archives and Manuscripts: Administration of 

Photographic Collections. SAA Basic Manual Series. Chicago: Society of 

American Archivists, 1984. 

Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn. Preserving Archives and Manuscripts. Archival 

Fundamental Series. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1993. 

Silverman, Cetyl and Nancy J. Perezo. Preserving the Anthropological Record. 

New York: Wanner-Green Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc., 

1992. 

Swartzburg, Susan. Preserving Library Materials: A Manual. 2nd ed. Metuchen, 

NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995. 

Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan 129 
Van Bogart, Dr. John W.C. Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling: A Guide for 

Libraries and Archives. Washington, DC: The Commission on Preservation 

and Access, 1995. 

Warren, Susan. "Introduction to Archival Organization and Description: Access to 

Cultural Heritage." Getty Information Institute: San Marino, CA, 1998. Onthe-Web primer includes a tutorial at 

http://www.schistory.org/getty/index.html 

Wilted, Thomas and William Note. Managing Archival and Manuscript 

Repositories. Archival Fundamental Series. Chicago: Society of American 

Archivists, 1991. 

Yakel, Elizabeth. Starting an Archives. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 

1994. 

130 Channel Islands National Park Museum Management Plan