Most museums provide a range of information services to the public, but the nature of these services and the way in which enquiries are handled will vary according to a range of factors such as the size and range of the collections, the resources and facilities of the institution, and the availability of computerised records. For example in some institutions there is a single point for enquiries, in others enquiries about collections are directed to individual departments.
Some institutions have extensive research facilities, others none at all.
It should be possible to get an idea of the sort of information that will be available for a particular work or collection by telephoning a general enquiry line. Each museum, gallery or library may hold a wide range of material relevant to an enquiry about the provenance of a specific work of art. The exact nature of the information held and the form it is in may vary greatly from one institution to another, or even from one type of collection to another within an institution. For example, the records and documentation held in respect of a collection of pictures will look very different from those relating to archaeological material. The following set out the different types of information and documentation which many museums may hold.