Good afternoon Michael,
RE: Re: Bob Mesibov 'Basketry' slides
Thank you for your email and notably so since it's sent after breakfast on a Sunday! The situation set out is pretty much as I know it. Also, I've been "banging on" for what seems to be eons in regard to the inadequacy of the QVMAGs 'collection policy'. Specifically, that it has nothing in it, or nowhere near enough, to mitigate this kind of outcome.
When management self-directs, self-regulates and ultimately self-assesses I put it to you that's where you'll find the box with a ticking noise inside – almost inevitably.
Basically, albeit speculatively and from experience on my part, the collection policy fails because it is designed by management in isolation from governance and funding sources:
- For the purposes of convenient and sometimes discretionary administrative processing;
- To allow for elastic and discretionary interpretation of 'purposefulness' by management;
- To afford governance the opportunities to assure itself of its appropriateness without critical review; and
- To, in its elasticity, be a tool to avoid serious/meaningful critical review; and
- Despite the provisions of SECTION 65 of the Tasmanian Local Govt. Act which all by itself it has worrying discretionary implications.
All this said, there is no implied or suggested malevolence in regard to 'staff et al' albeit that the opportunities need to be recognised and considered but as a 2nd/3rd/ /4th order concern.
In a public 'musingplace' its collections policy is the cornerstone upon which it's credibility is built and around which its 'accountability' is determined – functionally – in order that 'trust' can be invested in it. This should always be front of mind when framing and reviewing strategic directions and policies. Trusteeship demands 'trustworthiness' and elections by design, and in all kinds of circumstances just do not, arguably cannot, deliver 'trust by deeming'.
An 'audit' in this situation, as you suggest, will be a very good starting point but the audit needs to be independent, forensic and importantly transparent – I'm assuming it will be. It needs to be so in order that the 'trust' in the QVMAG's governance and management can be restored – and in all too many cases, won.
Currently, the institutions governance and management has become fundamentally blurred and arguably in ways that compromise it status as an 'public musingplace' in receipt of 'public monies'.
The missing 'Whiteley WAVE V', the 'Mesibov slides' and the apparent lack of documentation across some/many/various collections, and quite probably a number of other issues relative to the 'collections' policies' sound a timely alert. Whatever, in the end collection policies is a matter for 'governance' –trustees/aldermen/governors – and I look forward with interest as to where your suggested audit ultimately leads.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter and your response and your commitment.
Regards,
Ray
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From: Michael Stretton <Michael.Stretton@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Date: Sunday, 23 September 2018 at 10:37 am
To: Ray Norman <raynorman7250@bigpond.com>
Cc: Eve Gibbons <Eve.Gibbons@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Subject: Bob Mesibov 'Basketry' slides
Hello Ray,
Please find attached a summary of the current status of the Bob Mesibov 'Basketry' slides for your information. This information was provided to me by QVMAG staff. I can only really add that my commitment to a full audit of the QVMAG collection willreduece further such instances in future.
'…Report on the search for the Bob Mesibov 'Basketry' slides
· In March 2018 Mr Norman emailed QVMAG Director Richard Mulvaney enquiring as to the location of a set of basketry slides given to QVMAG by Bob Mesibov years earlier during the time when Visual Arts and Design (VAD) had its own manager.
· There were two components: a set of notes on basket making, and a set of slides.
· QVMAG staff found that the material had been deposited with the Visual Arts and Design Department. However, it is unclear why QVMAG accepted this material, as this subject matter does not relate to any focus of the VAD collection, or any other QVMAG collection. There notes are supporting information for research files and as such have no requirement for registration as part of the Museum's main collection. This is standard practice in all museums.
· In an attempt to expedite a result, the Collections and Research Manager spent some time on 13 and 14 April 2018 on an initial search for the slides himself, to no avail. It was noted that there was a very large collection of slides.
· A VAD collection officer was instructed to continue the search as a matter of urgency. This was done over the following two weeks, and a further search was subsequently performed by a VAD Honorary Research Associate around mid-May, still to no avail.
· It has been ascertained is that there is no catalogue record of the notes or the slides. Because of this, QVMAG is confident that they were not formally accessed into the collection.
· The current status is that the slides have still not been found, although this does not necessarily mean that they will not eventually be located. …'
Regards
Michael
Michael Stretton I General Manager I City of Launceston
T | 6323 3104 | www.launceston.tas.gov.au
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