Documentation services for museums and historic houses
Stuart Holm
Heritage Documentation Projects
What will it cost?
Perhaps less than you think. The services of an expert are not cheap
but I can focus quickly and efficiently on your problems and can solve
them without wasting any time. You will often only be paying for a
few days of my expertise but this could save you weeks of inefficient
or wasted labour and will enable you or your staff to concentrate
on the things you do best.
Because each project is tailored to individual needs, it is not possible
to offer a standard scale of charges. A few examples of recent project
costs will serve as a very rough guide, but do remember that each
project is unique and yours must be costed individually.
- Site visit to assess documentation and give detailed suggestions
for improvement supported by brief written report.
£450 plus travel expenses.
- Site visit to assess documentation and give detailed suggestions
for improvement supported by detailed written report.
£700-1000 plus travel expenses.
- Setting up from scratch a complete documentation system
for a small collection of about 200 works of art, including design
of catalogue input sheet and full computerisation.
£2,200.
- Upgrading about 4,000 existing computer records, some
of which were transferred from a different database structure. Preparing
a range of indexing formats. Providing six days of coaching to ensure
that staff and volunteers could enter new records to the revised standards.
£4,300.
- Producing a gallery interactive display for disabled visitors providing a virtual tour of a small museum with illustrations and captions for about 100 objects.
£4,500.
- Producing a web site for a small museum with indexed illustrated catalogue of about 180 objects, background information about the museum, etc.
£3,000.
- Preparing and giving a one day in-house training course
for volunteers.
£350 plus travel expenses.
Generally speaking, projects lasting for a week or more can be offered
at more favourable rates. I can often offer better value than employing
staff on a short contract to undertake documentation work because
I have the right software and the expertise to develop shortcuts.
Before you commit yourself to anything else, an initial assessment
and report is recommended. For many small collections this will cost £450-600
plus expenses and can include a full estimate for further work. If
you are a member of an area museum council or equivalent museum, library and archive organisation, it is a good idea to discuss
your plans with them first. You may be able to get grant aid on projects
to upgrade your documentation.
