RE-ORG: Canada program description

RE-ORG: Canada (2014–2019) was a storage reorganization training initiative organized by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) in collaboration with the Museums Assistance Program (MAP). The goals of the initiative were to help museums regain access to their collections in storage and to inspire the next generation of leaders in storage reorganization.

Background

Dealing with collection storage is an important challenge for most museums in Canada and around the world, as noted in the 2011 ICCROM-UNESCO International Storage Survey (PDF format). When storage is disorganized, collections cannot be accessed by staff or used to develop activities that reinvigorate communities and encourage their involvement. Smaller institutions with limited access to resources or to outside expertise are particularly vulnerable. The RE-ORG method for reorganizing storage, the main learning resource used in this program, was developed in 2011 by ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) and UNESCO. Over a period of five years, 27 RE-ORG projects were successfully implemented by participating museums across five regions in Canada: Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic, West, and Prairies and North. Over 60 professionals benefited from the training.

© Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI 129389-0006

© Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI 126415-0003

Training description

With RE-ORG: Canada, CCI sought to build professional and institutional capacity in storage reorganization. Storage reorganization focuses on improving existing storage areas, not on planning and building new facilities. This program was for directors, curators, conservators, collections managers, collection technicians, registrars, archivists or collection volunteers working in small to medium-sized museums, galleries or archives.

For each of the five regional editions of the program (one per year), a year-long course was organized. The course focused mainly on distance learning and individual work, using the RE-ORG method, but also included a face-to-face practical training workshop that incorporated the reorganization of a real storage area in a host museum as well as various online networking opportunities (videoconferences, webinars, etc.). For each edition, up to six museums (two participants per museum) prepared a storage condition report to identify the key issues that affected access to and the overall preservation of their collection. Then, they prepared a reorganization project and implemented it. Selected institutions received ongoing support from CCI and were in contact with the other participating museums throughout the program.

CCI partnered with ICCROM to provide the didactic tools for this training. RE-ORG: Canada was one of several national and regional programs taking place in various parts of the world (Belgium, Chile, Nigeria and Southeast Europe).

Objectives

After the training, participating museums were able to:

Participating institutions

Ontario region

© Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI 126415-0001

Atlantic region

© Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI 128843-0001

Quebec region

© Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI 129389-0022

West region

© Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI 130398-0017

Prairies and North region

© Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute. CCI 131020-0020

Core program partners

Implementation partners

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