abandoned property—Personal property to which the owner has intentionally relinquished all rights (e.g., property that an owner fails to claim within a reasonable length of time).
accession (n)—One or more objects acquired at the same time from a single source constituting a single addition to the permanent collection.
accession (v)—The formal process of taking possession of and recording of one or more objects for inclusion in the collection.
accession number—A unique control number used to identify the object(s) in an accession.
accession register—A paper or electronic record of accession information; a document that includes the accession number, date, and nature of acquisition (bequest, donation, fieldwork, gift, purchase, etc.), source, brief identification and description, condition, provenance, value, and name of staff member recording the information.
accreditation—Recognition of conformance to established professional standards.
acetone—Dimethyl ketone, a colorless, volatile liquid with a low boiling point, soluble in water and many other organic liquids, used as a solvent for adhesives.
acid migration—The transfer of an acid from one material to another, typically from an acidic material in direct contact with a nonacidic material.
acid free—A term generally used for materials that are neutral to alkaline (pH 6 to 11).
acidic—A substance with a pH of 7.0 or less.
acquisition—An object acquired by a museum that may later be accessioned.
adverse possession—A method of acquiring title to property by possession under certain conditions, including that the possession must be adverse to the owner, actual, continuous, and exclusive.
agent of deterioration—Something that causes damage to collection objects; the agents of deterioration are grouped into ten categories: (i) direct physical forces; (ii) thieves and vandals; (iii) dissociation; (iv) fire; (v) water; (vi) pests; (vii) contaminants; (viii) radiation; (ix) inappropriate temperature; and (x) inappropriate relative humidity.
airbill—See air waybill
air waybill—The basic shipping document used in air-freight that serves as both the contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier and the receipt for the shipment.
alkaline—Having a pH of 7.0 or higher.
all-cargo aircraft—An aircraft that is able to accommodate cargo but does not carry passengers except by special arrangement.
all-risk—An insurance policy that covers damage from all perils except those specifically excluded in the policy.
anoxic—Having very little or no oxygen.
appraisal—A judgment of what something is worth; an expert or official valuation, as for taxation; the process of determining the monetary value of something.
archival quality—Materials that are inert and, therefore, help extend the useful life of collection objects and records by protecting them from agents of deterioration.
archival value—The value of documentary materials preserved in an archival institution.
archive—The non-current records of an organization or institution that are preserved for the future; the institution housing archival records.
arrangement—The archival process of organizing documentary materials in accordance with archival principles.
artists rights—Rights which tie the artist, the artist’s reputation, and a work of art together, as defined in the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA).
backup—A durable copy of electronic data saved to restore the system in case of failure.
bailee—The party who receives loaned property; the borrower.
bailment—A legal relationship created between a lender and borrower of property whereby the borrower keeps the property until the lender reclaims it.
bailor—The party who lends property; the lender.
barcode—Data presented in machine-readable strips of varying widths that can be read with an optical scanner.
bargain sale—An arrangement in which a percentage of an object is purchased and the remainder of the object is donated to the museum.
batting—Nonwoven mass of natural or synthetic fiber used for stuffing or padding.
bequest—The transfer of property to an institution under the terms of a deceased person’s will.
bill of lading—The basic document used in terrestrial or ocean shipping that serves as both the contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier and the receipt for the shipment.
blanket insurance policy—An insurance contract that covers multiple classes of property at one or more locations.
boom—The arm of a crane that can be extended to the object to be moved.
born digital—An image or document that originated electronically.
brace pack—A packing style that holds three-dimensional objects in place with simple wooden braces secured to crate.
buffer—A chemical substance that resists change when a base or acid is added to it. Solutions can be buffered to an acidic or an alkaline pH (e.g., some acid-free materials contain an alkaline buffer).
caliper—A measuring device consisting of a pair of movable legs typically used to measure the distance between opposite sides of an object.
cargo close-out—The deadline for shipments to be checked in so an aircraft can be properly loaded.
cargo terminal—The building in which shipments are housed or loaded onto pallets or into containers in preparation for shipment.
case—Strong, closed, waterproof box to protect objects during shipment or storage; a crate.
catalog (n)—The list of the contents of a collection.
catalog (v)—To organize the information about accessioned collection objects into categories; the creation of a record of information specific to an object.
catalog number—A number assigned to an individual object during the cataloging process.
cause of action—Facts that give a person the right to bring a claim to court.
cavity pack—Rigid packing material that has a space cut out to conform to the shape of an object.
center of gravity—The point of balance of an object.
certificate of insurance—A document that attests that insurance is in force at the time of issuance.
Certified Cargo Screening Standard Security Program (CCSSSP)—A program implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to screen cargo prior to loading.
chain of custody—A chronological documented trail that records the sequence of custody of an object. For shipments, refers to the control of cargo from screening until its release to the carrier.
chain fall—A reduction gear hoisting device that uses a continuous chain to raise or lower heavy objects.
claim—In insurance, a formal, written demand by the insured for payment for a loss coming under the terms of the insurance contract.
climate control—The ability to regulate the temperature and relative humidity of a space.
climate-controlled van—A shipping vehicle with climate control for the cargo area.
CMS—See collections management system.
coinsurance clause—The requirement that a policy holder carry insurance equal to a specified percentage of the property’s value.
collection care—The activities undertaken to safeguard the integrity of collection objects and their associated information for the future.
collection management—The activities involved in the administration and stewardship of collections, including planning, development, care, conservation, and documentation; caring for a collection and making it available for use.
collection management policy—A written document, approved by the institution’s governing authority, that specifies how objects will be acquired, accessioned, documented, stored, used, cared for, and disposed of.
collection storage array—The physical order in which objects are arranged in the collection storage area.
collections management system (CMS)—A database or other software that supports the internal workflows of a museum collection.
combination flight—An aircraft that carries both cargo and passengers. Also called a combi flight.
commercial invoice—An international shipping document that states the object name, date, country of origin, materials, value, owner, and whether or not the object will be returned.
commercial use—Use of a collection object or its associated information for sale, purchase, trade, barter, or transfer for gain or profit.
common law—Legal principles derived from practice, precedent, and court decisions rather than statutes.
compactor storage—High-density storage system consisting of movable carriages on rails.
condition—A contract provision or stipulation.
condition report—An accurate, informative descriptive report of an object’s or document’s state of preservation at a particular moment in time.
conditional gift—See restricted gift.
conservation—Maximizing the endurance or minimizing the deterioration of an object through time, with as little change to that object as possible.
conservator—A trained conservation professional.
constructive notice—The assumption that a reasonable person should have known something even if they did not have actual knowledge of it.
continuous custody—The archival principle that material should be retained by the creating organization or transferred directly to an archival institution to guarantee its integrity; the principle that noncurrent records must be retained by the creating organization or its successor in function to be considered archival.
contour bracing—Braces made the same size as the crate’s interior. Also called guillotines or yokes.
copyright—Legal recognition of special intellectual property rights, distinct from the right of possession, that a creator may have for a work, including reproduction, derivative works, distribution, public performance, and public display. The rights may be given or sold to a third party by the copyright owner. Copyright protection exists for the author’s lifetime plus seventy years. Copyright notice and markings are not required for copyright protection.
copyright law—The body of legislation that governs the exploitation of literary, musical, artistic, and related works. In the United States, this is contained in Title 17 of the US Code, in combination with the regulations of the Copyright Office and the cases that have interpreted Title 17 and those regulations.
country of export—The last country from which an object, animal, or plant was exported before importation into the United States.
country of origin—The country where an object was created or an animal or plant was taken from the wild, or the country of natal origin of an animal.
courier—An individual who travels with an object to ensure its proper care and safe arrival.
covered object—Any object created before 1946 and acquired by a museum after 1932, that underwent a change of ownership between 1932 and 1946, and that was or might reasonably be thought to have been in continental Europe between those dates (see AAM Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects During the Nazi Era).
crane—A mobile unit equipped with a boom, cable, and draw works, capable of 360-degree rotation around a center pin.
crate markings—Symbols, numbers, and letters stenciled on the outside of a crate indicating proper handling, size, weight, or identification.
cross-docking—The transfer of a load from one truck to another before arrival at the final destination.
cultural property—Objects that for religious or secular reasons are designated by the state as important for archaeology, art, history, literature, prehistory, or science.
culturally sensitive object—An object that requires special handling or use restrictions because of its importance to a particular culture.
curation agreement—A contract between two parties detailing the curation of a collection, including a description of the state of the collection when transferred from the custody of one party to the other, responsibilities to the collection for both parties, costs, ownership, and access and use of the collection.
custody—Temporary or permanent possession of an object.
customs broker—A representative who arranges customs clearance of objects traveling between countries.
customs seal—A tag or label affixed to a shipping box by a customs official at the original port of entry to guarantee that the contents have not been tampered with.
DAMS—See Digital Asset Management System.
database—A structured, organized collection of information that can be accessed, managed, and edited.
datalogger—An electronic device that records temperature and relative humidity.
deaccession—The formal removal of an accessioned object from the collection.
deed of gift—A contract that transfers ownership of an object to an institution.
deferred donation—A donation in which the donor retains ownership of an object for a specific period of time (a synonym is promised gift).
desiccation—Removal of moisture.
digital art—Art works that are made or presented using digital technology.
Digital Asset Management System (DAMS)—A system used to control and access digital assets.
digital image—An image in electronic format composed of pixels.
digital negative (DNG)—Adobe’s archival RAW format.
disposal—The act of physically removing a deaccessioned object from a museum collection.
dolly—A low, four-wheeled platform used to move objects.
domestic shipment—The shipment of objects within a country.
double-crating—The use of one box or case inside another.
DNG—See digital negative.
drawer case—A sideways slot-style case in which individual boxes slide into the case like drawers.
due diligence—The steps taken by an individual to meet a legal obligation, particularly in reference to a purchase or donation of an object.
endorsement—In insurance, a form attached to the basic insurance contract that alters certain provisions in the policy.
ephemera—Objects made of materials that were intended to have only short-term use.
escort—Security personnel who protect a shipment during transit.
ethics—A set of principles or values to govern the conduct of individuals.
exchange—A form of purchase in which objects of equal value are traded between two institutions.
export license—Permission to ship an object out of a country.
export shipment—The movement of an object out of a country.
extended loan—A loan that is continued beyond its original termination date by mutual agreement of both lender and borrower.
fair market value—The selling price of an object on the open market.
fair use—Use of a copyrighted work for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research.
FIC—See found in collection.
fiduciary obligation—The responsibility of a museum to the collections it holds in trust, for the public.
flat-pack—Horizontal packing of objects.
foam core—A plastic foam that is laminated with a paper-based material.
follow car—A vehicle carrying an escort and sometimes a courier that follows the vehicle containing an object in transit.
foxing—A discoloration of paper caused by the action of mold on iron salts.
found in collection (FIC)—Undocumented objects that remain without status after all attempts to reconcile them to existing records of permanent collection and loan objects are completed.
fractional gift—A donation for which the museum does not receive full title but rather partial title.
freight forwarding agent—A representative who organizes shipments.
friable—Easily crumbled.
gantry—A hoist mounted on a horizontal beam that is supported by vertical sides.
General Facility Report—A publication of the American Alliance of Museums that compiles information necessary to demonstrate that a museum has suitable facilities to receive a loan of objects from another institution; formerly called the Standard Facility Report.
gift—The voluntary transfer of ownership of property completely free of restrictions.
glassine—A dense, slick-surfaced translucent paper that is resistant to the passage of air and dirt; used as a wrapping material or as separation sheets.
gross weight—The combined weight of a packed object, packing materials, and crate or box.
guillotines—See contour bracing.
hand-carry—A packed object that is carried aboard an airplane by one person, and travels under a seat or in an overhead bin.
hand signals—Standardized hand gestures to insure proper procedures in rigging an object or maneuvering a vehicle without verbal communication.
herbarium—A collection of dried plant specimens, usually mounted and systematically arranged for reference.
hitch—A method of temporarily connecting a lifting device such as a crane or gantry to an object by means of a loop, hook, or noose.
hoist—A device used to lift and or lower an object by means of ropes or chains and pulleys.
HVAC—Acronym for a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.
hygroscopic material—A material capable of absorbing moisture.
hygrothermograph—An instrument that records temperature and relative humidity on a paper chart.
import shipment—The movement of an object into a country.
impounded shipment—A shipment that is seized by customs officials at a port of entry.
incoming loan—An object sent from another institution for a specified length of time without transfer of ownership.
indefinite loan—A loan that does not have a set duration or termination date.
inert material—Stable material that is not chemically reactive.
insurance claim—A formal, written demand to an insurance company for reimbursement for loss of or damage to an insured object.
integrated pest management (IPM)—The coordinated use of biological and environmental information with selected control measures to prevent, reduce, or eliminate pest damage; a holistic approach to pest management, taking advantage of all appropriate pest management options.
intellectual property—Unique products of human intelligence that have real or potential commercial value (e.g., designs, inventions, literary works, unique names, and industrial processes).
intellectual property rights—Property rights related to creative processes; nonphysical (intangible) rights to an object or record that exists independently from ownership of the physical item. Intellectual property rights include copyright, patent rights, and trademark rights.
inventory (n)—An itemized listing of objects in a collection, often including current location.
inventory (v)—The process of physically locating and recording the presence of objects in a collection.
IPM—See integrated pest management.
J-Bar—A lifting tool composed of a long handle with an angled or bent steel plate on one end.
JPEG—An acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group; a file format used for distribution but not for archival storage of images.
laches—An unreasonable delay that makes it inequitable to give the relief sought by a party in court.
lacquer—A varnish coating.
load line—A line that bears the weight of a lift.
loan—A bailment; the temporary transfer of an object from a lender to a borrower; a loan does not involve change in ownership.
loan agreement—A contract between a lender and a borrower specifying the object, loan conditions, and the responsibilities of each party.
loss limit—The maximum amount an insurance policy will pay for a single loss.
lost in inventory—An object that is noted as lost following a careful check of all areas where the object might reasonably be.
lossless—A class of data compression algorithms that allows the exact original data to be reconstructed from the compressed data.
lossy—A file compression technique that does not permit the decompression of data back to 100 percent of the original.
marine mammal—A mammal that morphologically adapted to the marine environment.
metadata—Data about data.
microenvironment—A small, enclosed space around an object that in which the climate can be controlled.
MOV—A file format for digital video.
MSDS—See Safety Data Sheet.
Nazi era—The time period of 1933–1945 when the Nazi Party was in power in Germany, also referred to as the Holocaust era.
net weight—The weight of the object exclusive of the weight of the box or packing materials.
nitrile—An organic compound with a C≡N functional group used to make flexible, synthetic gloves that are resistant to many chemical compounds.
nomenclature—A system of names for things.
off-gassing—The release of volatile substances from a material (usually refers to the release of acids).
off-site storage—Collection storage at a site that is physically separated from the museum.
old loans—Expired loans or loans of unlimited duration that have been left unclaimed by lenders at the museum.
one-time crate—A simple crate intended to be used for one shipment only; also called a one-way crate.
original order—The archival principle that records should be maintained in the order in which they were placed by their creator.
outgoing loan—An object that is sent to another institution for a specific length of time without transfer of ownership.
ownership—The legal right of possession of title (to something); proprietorship.
pallet—A low, portable platform on which a heavy or bulky object is placed for storage or transport.
partial gift—See fractional gift.
patrimony laws—Legislation claiming ownership of all objects defined as part of the nation’s patrimony.
PCS permit—Any document designated as a permit, license, certificate, or any other document issued by the management authority or responsible agency or office to authorize, limit, or describe activity and signed by an authorized official.
PDF—An acronym for portable document format; the preferred long-term storage and distribution format for text and image files.
permanent loan—An oxymoron used in reference to a loan with no specified ending date.
pH—A logarithmic scale used to specify acidity or alkalinity of a water-based solution.
pick—The point above the center of gravity at which an object is lifted; also called a pick point.
PNG—See portable network graphics.
policy—A guideline that regulates organizational action; policies control the conduct of people and thereby the activities of systems.
portable network graphics (PNG)—A digital file format used for image compression.
powder coating—An electrostatic coating applied as a powder and then set by the application of heat.
preventive conservation—Actions taken to detect, avoid, block, ameliorate, and mitigate the agents of deterioration that affect objects in a museum collection.
precatory restriction—A restriction on a gift that is the expressed wish of the donor.
promised gift—See deferred donation.
provenance—A term describing the history of ownership of museum objects; the background and history of ownership.
provenience—In archaeology, refers to the specific geographic origin of an object.
public domain—In copyright law, the right of anyone to use literature, music, or other previously copyrighted materials after the copyright period has expired.
psychrometer—An instrument for measuring relative humidity by comparing the temperature of a dry bulb and a wet bulb thermometer.
RAW image file—Unprocessed data from a digital camera, sometimes considered to be a digital negative (DNG). Camera make and model will determine the size of a RAW file.
registration—The process of assigning an accessioned object to a unique place in a serial order list of the contents of a collection.
registration number—A number assigned to an object or specimen in an accession (sometimes used as a synonym for accession number or catalog number).
relative humidity (RH)—The amount of moisture in a volume of air relative to the amount the same volume of air could hold if saturated.
repository—A collections-oriented facility that provides long-term professional care and accountable curatorial services for a collection that it does not own.
repository agreement—A contract in which an institution provides long-term professional care and accountable curatorial services for a collection that belongs to another institution or entity (e.g., a state, federal, or foreign government) in return for mutually acceptable benefits.
restitution—The return of an object or payment of compensation to an object’s original owner or legal successor; the return of an object to the ownership of a source country or country that claims to be the source country.
restricted gift—The voluntary transfer of ownership of property with conditions or limitations placed upon that ownership.
RFID—Radio frequency identification tag, a device that uses radio waves to transmit and read data.
rigging—The use of slings and hitches to lift and move large or heavy objects; the equipment used in moving large or heavy objects.
risk—The chance of an undesirable change occurring.
risk management—A program of risk control that includes analyzing the probability of risks to collections, facilities, visitors, and staff as well as planning and implementing appropriate preventative measures and response methods.
Safety Data Sheet—An information sheet provided by the manufacturer of a chemical that includes data on volatility, flammability, toxicity, and safety related information (formerly Material Safety Data Sheets, or MSDS)
sale—Transfer of title in return for monetary compensation or other thing of value on terms agreed upon between buyer and seller.
SDS—See Safety Data Sheet
seal—A metal wire and numbered disc used on a lock or container to monitor tampering with the contents.
series—A body of file units or documents arranged in accordance with a unified filing system or maintained by the record creator as a unit because of some relationship arising out of their creation, receipt, or use.
shellac—A preparation of lac, usually dissolved in alcohol, and used chiefly as a wood finish.
shipping agent—See freight-forwarding agent.
sight line—The range of a guard’s view of objects on display in which large objects do not obscure small objects.
sight measurement—An estimated measurement of an object made when the full extremities of the piece are inaccessible.
silica gel—A granular substance that has high moisture-absorbing and emitting properties and is used as a moisture stabilizer in packing, storing, and exhibiting humidity sensitive objects.
slat case—A case made with a minimal amount of wood and without solid sides.
sliding tray case—A case with rigid trays that slide out of a side opening.
slings—The rope, cables, or woven straps used in rigging.
slot style crating—A style of packing for multiple objects that allows each object to be unpacked as needed without handling the others in the crate by having individual objects fit into their own slots.
soft packed—Packing an object without enclosing it in a hard-shell box or case using soft materials
Solander box—A ready-made box of acid-free board.
specimen—Any animal or plant, or any part, product, egg, seed, or root of any animal or plant.
Standard Facility Report—See General Facility Report.
storage environment—The conditions under which collection objects are stored, including temperature, relative humidity, and light exposure.
stowage requirements—The structure of an object that dictates which way it can be placed in a crate, how far off center it can be tipped when handled, and which plane of travel is preferable.
straight truck—A truck with body and cab connected.
subgroup—A body of related records within a record group, usually consisting of the records of a primary subordinate administrative unit or of records series related chronologically, functionally, or by subject.
substrate—The immediate surface to which a coating or adhesive material is applied.
tagged image file format (TIFF)—An electronic image file format that preserves original color information and supports embedded color profiles and metadata.
tag line—One or more control lines that are attached to an object before a lift takes place; used to control the sway, stability, and placement of the object.
tare weight—The weight of the packing box, including packing materials, without the object.
taxidermy—The process of preparing animal skins and stuffing them in a lifelike form.
taxonomy—Classification in an ordered system; division into ordered categories; the science of naming, describing, and classifying objects or organisms.
temperature—A degree of hotness or coldness. May be expressed in Centigrade or Fahrenheit scales.
TIFF—See tagged image file format.
title—The possession of rights of ownership to an object or property.
touring crate—A container that is built to stand up to a multivenue tour, usually with reusable fastening hardware on the lid.
tractor and trailer—A two-part transport vehicle consisting of a tractor (which has the engine and the cab for the driver) that is attached to the trailer (which holds the freight).
travel frame—New or replacement frame used for travel instead of the original frame; a wood collar to which an object is attached for travel to allow wrapping.
traveling—Any horizontal movement.
traveling case—A case built to withstand a multistop tour.
tray pack—Objects placed into a tray or drawer using a foam cutout to cushion the object.
TSA—Transportation Safety Administration, the federal agency responsible for the security of transportation systems for public and commercial use in the United States.
two-way crate—A shipping crate built to send an object to a destination and back but not to withstand extensive travel.
unclaimed loan—See abandoned property, old loan.
undocumented objects—Objects that have no numbers, no information in their housing or any characteristics that might connect them to documentation.
ultraviolet filter—A filter that can be placed over windows, skylights, and artificial sources to remove or reduce ultraviolet radiation.
ultraviolet radiation—Wavelengths between 40 nm and 400 nm, invisible to the human eye, but damaging to most collection objects.
unlawful appropriation—Taking objects by theft, confiscation, coercive transfer, or other methods of wrongful expropriation.
useful life—The length of time during which full information can be derived from an object.
vapor barrier—A treated paper or plastic film that is moisture resistant.
varnish—A resin dissolved in a solvent or solvent mixture.
waiver of subrogation rights clause—Endorsement to a policy whereby an insurer gives up the right to take action against a third party for a loss suffered by an insured. If a museum borrows an object and someone else provides the insurance for the loan, the borrower can require a waiver of subrogation clause in the policy.
wall-to-wall coverage—Insurance that covers an object on loan from the moment it is removed from its normal resting place, incidental to shipping, through all phases of packing, transfer, consolidation, exhibition, and repacking, until it is returned to its original resting place, or a place designated by the owner.
worksheet—An informal document used to record basic catalog information pertaining to an object.
yokes—See contour bracing.