Here, There, and Everywhere: International Collections Care

ID: WMA2026_597

Track:

Travel the globe with us! Our panel will present case studies on international collaborations: a collections transfer to Sweden, a collections return to Mexico, and maintaining a satellite repository in New Zealand. We will present the nuts and bolts of engaging with oversea partners, examine ethical stewardship, and have an open discussion with participants on navigating similar projects and dynamics.

Session Information

Format: Regular session/panel (roundtable, single speaker, etc.)

Uniqueness: The session will highlight the joys of international collaboration, while discussing how to navigate unfamiliar regulations and professional norms, often in an unfamiliar language.

Objectives:

International collaborations can appear rare or not feasible, yet the majority of museums steward collections and material from all over the world. Sometimes this is due to a legacy of parachute science and colonialism, sometimes this is based in the history of the institution’s founders, and sometimes this is a reflection of a global economy and goods transfer, or all three. 

Objectives of the panel discussion will include sharing  the process of identifying collections provenance and source community, while also determining if the situation allows for international collaboration. Once there is evidence, how to proceed in connecting with international organizations or sites. And lastly, navigating the complexities of language, laws, regulations, and transportation.

The goal is to have folks leave our session inspired and empowered to engage in international cooperative endeavors. We will provide a handout on how to start or refine the process of cultural international engagement.

Note: The panel includes representation from a government institution, a natural history museum, and a faith-history museum. We are open to more representation, particularly from an institution that has received international returns.

Engagement: Panel participants will present compelling content with the intention of sparking curiosity about international collaborations. The moderator will be prepared with questions and to facilitate dialog with the audience.

Relationship to Theme:

Audience

Audiences: Curators/Scientists/Historians Other Registrars, Collections Managers 

Professional Level: All levels 

Scalability: From small to large institutions, there is a high chance the collections include material from somewhere outside the current United States. Institutions choose how to interpret and engage with that material and one lens is collaboration from international partners, either from the source community or institutions better capable of championing the collections.

Participants