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MIM u s e u m o f A SApplied Arts& Sciences

4

Collection Logistics Plan for the New Museum 27

January 2017

las Fine ArtLogistics CLAYTON ASSOCL4TES tp Root Projects

Australia

Declaration and Terms

Copyright, Confidentiality and CirculationThis document is the copyright of Root Projects Australia Pty Ltd. It is not to be copied in any form without the written permission of Root Projects Australia Pty Ltd and MAAS.

This document is confidential. It is not to be used for any purpose other than that intended by the issuing party. It is intended to be read as a whole and is not to be edited, partially copied or incorporated into any other document by any other party without the written permission of Root Projects Australia Pty Ltd.

This document is subject to controlled circulation. It is not to be circulated to any person or organisation other than the person it has been issued to without the written permission of Root Projects Australia Pty Ltd.

Limitations StatementIn preparing this document, Root Projects Australia has relied upon and presumed accurate certain information (or the absence thereof) provided by government officials and authorities, MAAS, and others identified herein. Except as otherwise stated in this document, Root Projects Australia has used its best endeavours to verify the accuracy or completeness of any such information. To the extent that such information has proved inconsistent with MAAS previously stated position, MAAS has been advised. No warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied, is made with respect to the data reported or to the findings, observations and conclusions expressed in this document.

This document has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of MAAS and is subject to and issued in connection with the provisions of the contract between Root Projects Australia and MAAS. Root Projects Australia accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party.

Document Control

Revision Date Purpose Prepared Reviewed

1 21/10/16 Initial Draft FL PR

2 17/11/16 Client comments FL PR



5 27/01/17 Client comments - Final

FL PR

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MAAS 'Collection Logistics Plan for the New Museum

ContentsInde x

Glossary.......................................................................................................................................................1

Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................5

1. Introduction........................................................................................................................................14

2. Collection Management Relocation Plan..............................................................................................21

3. Storage Analysis ...............................................................................................................................27

4. Relocation Analysis, Strategy Er Plan.................................................................................................33

5. Collection Planning Logistics Capital & Project Operating Expenditure Assessment...........................40

6. Collection Logistics Procurement Plan................................................................................................49

7. New Museum Project Program............................................................................................................53

8. Collection Logistics Plan Project Risk Assessment..............................................................................60

Appendix 1- ICS - Collection Management Relocation Plan.......................................................................62

Appendix 2 - Clayton Associates - Storage Analysis .................................................................................63

Appendix 3 - IAS - Relocation Analysis, Strategy & Plan............................................................................64

Appendix 4 - New Museum Master Program..............................................................................................65

Appendix 5 - Collection Relocation Plan Program......................................................................................66

Appendix 6 - Information provided by MAAS.............................................................................................67

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Glossary

1.1 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Facilities (MAAS)

For the purpose of this report, the Museum is referred to by its official name: The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS).MAAS has three distinct facilities:

· Ultimo - containing the Powerhouse Museum and the Harwood Building;· Castle Hill - containing a series of storage facilities - A, E G, F, H and I Stores and· Sydney Observatory

Ultimo and Castle Hill are the subject of this report and plans of the facilities are shown below.POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

Figure 1: Ultimo Facilities

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Figure 2: Castle Hill Facilities

1.2 Key Definitions

MAAS' Object Movement Guidelines (2009) provides the following definitions for the scalability of objects in its collection.

Small Objects:· Classified by being of a scale that an individual can move, through good manual handling.· Any object up to approximately 15kgs and/or the size of a tub and/or that is not awkward or

unstable for one person to move is classified as small

Medium Objects:· More than one person is required to move the object· Movement is undertaken by either good manual handling, or use of specialised equipment e.g.

pallet mover, dolly or forklift or other specialised equipment

Large Objects:

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· Too large to be moved by pallet jack and requires the use of a forklift/crane or other specialised large object movement

· May be an object move that falls outside our scope, resources or in-house skills requiring the service of a specialised contractor

· Can be defined by either weight, height or volume not necessarily just its size.An additional object description has been created for this CLP:

Very Large object (VLO):

· An object requiring specialist movement plans and equipment including cranes and trailer trucks.

Specific Collection Categories:

The following definitions have been used in this report in relation to MAAS specific collection categories:· Category A Objects: Objects that are irreplaceable and deemed by their intrinsic value, historic

association or cultural significance to be national or international treasures. A collection of Objects can be identified as 'A' even when individual objects within that collection are not of great national or international significance.

· Category B Objects: Objects that are likely to be very difficult or expensive to replace and deemed by their intrinsic value, historic association, cultural significance or rarity to be of importance in a state, national or international context. A collection of objects can be identified as 'B' even when individual objects are not of great cultural significance.

· Category C Objects: Objects that have considerable cultural or social significance. They may be replaceable but are still deemed to be of importance because of their intrinsic value, historic association, scientific, artistic and cultural significance or rarity. Most acquisitions will fall within this category.

· Category S Objects: Objects of particular significance to the State of NSW. These are Objects that are deemed excellent examples of the movable heritage of the State because of their association with historic or contemporary events, people, regions or sites. These can also be A or B Objects.

· High Significance: Objects categorised as either Category A or Category B.

Assessment:Objects will be assessed to understand the requirements arising from their relocation. The assessment will involve ensuring each item has a correct record in the MAAS Collection Management System (KE EMu), a barcode, a decision on how it will be digitised and what, if any, conservation treatment or rehousing is required.

Stabilisation and Conservation:Conservation, in the context of this report, is undertaken to facilitate the safe handling, digitisation andmovement of the collection. Conservation will be considered for items moving to Castle Hill to be stored,and for any items planned to be displayed at the proposed New Museum at Parramatta.Therefore the only items that will be considered for conservation are:

· A and B significance items· Items that will go on display storage at the New Museum· Items too fragile to withstand movement/relocation· Items with a known/suspected biological hazard issue (i.e. requires pest/mould conservation)

Items that qualify for conservation can undergo one of the following methods of conservation:· Minimal surface clean prior to digitisation· Minor cleaning/repairs/stabilisation· Significant treatment/preparation required for digitisation and/or relocation· Pest treatment

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Digitisation:

The term 'digitisation' refers to the process of converting museum objects and documents into digital form. Digitisation includes 3D scanning through to single and multiple shot high resolution photography. Standard forms of digitisation used in museums are listed in Section 1.2.5 of Appendix 1- ICS Report.

Packing and Crating:Packing refers to the packaging of objects in secure and protective containers and crates ready for transportation for digitisation, insitu storage at Ultimo for their transportation and storage at Castle Hill, the New Museum or interim Large Object Store. Some items may be transported and crated either individually or as a collection of items. During the assessment and stabilisation process objects will be assessed for their packing and crating requirements. Existing storage containers will be assessed for their suitability for providing adequate protection for the relocation process however new packing and crating will be required for the majority of the Collection.

DecantingTo remove Collection items, once packed and crated, for point to point road transport from one location, transport directly and deliver to one of 3 nominated destinations including; Castle Hill, the New Museum or the temporary large objects store.

UnpackingOne of several end-point solutions including:

· break-bulk unpacking of palletised packed containers to storage locations;· placement of palletised Collection including stillages directly to storage locations including

destination staging areas;· placement of Crated Collection objects directly to storage locations including destination staging areas;

or on display.

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Executive Summary

For the purposes of this report, the Museum is referred to by its official name: The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS).Background

MAAS is Australia's contemporary museum for excellence and innovation in applied arts and sciences. Established in 1879, venues include the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Observatory and Museums Discovery Centre at Castle Hill.MAAS was established under the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Act 1945 (MAAS Act). Aspects of the Museum's management and governance are also covered under the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Regulation 2012. The Museum was established following the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition which was its genesis.

The MAAS Act requires the Museum to "effectively minister to the needs and demands of the community in any or all branches of applied science and art and the development of industry by:(i) the display of selected objects arranged to illustrate the industrial advance of civilisation and the development of inventions and manufactures,(ii) the promotion of craftsmanship and artistic taste by illustrating the history and development of the applied arts,(iii) lectures, broadcasts, films, publications and other educational means,(iv) scientific research, or(v)any other means necessary or desirable for the development of the natural resources and manufacturing industries of New South Wales."

'The MAAS Board of Trustees has stewardship of MAAS and exercise the powers conferred by the MAASAct. The Board of Trustees has been guided by two primary objectives in relation to the New Museum project and as custodians of the collection.

The first is a commitment to deliver, a world class museum, enabled by adequate capital and operational funding. This represents a unique challenge, to reimagine a museum of applied arts and sciences that responds to the changing technologies, learning environments and lifestyle trends of the twenty first century.

The second is a commitment to maintain and enhance the MAAS Collection. The hybrid nature of this collection, spanning the applied arts and sciences and making connections between sciences and materials technologies on the one hand, and design and innovation on the other, is unique amongst Australian collecting institutions. Museums are defined by their collections, rather than their buildings, and the Board of Trustees is committed to enhancing a collection which tells a story of human creativity, ingenuity and innovation." 1

Museums as public institutions are charged with both looking after their collections and making them publicly accessible. The international peak body on museums, ICCROM, meeting in Brussels in September

1 M M S

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2016 urged all heritage professionals to "take all measures at their disposal to ensure that, throughout the world, collections in storage be given the best possible conditions to serve the mission of the museum for the education and enjoyment of present and future public"2.

ScopeMAAS has prepared a Final Business Case to support the relocation of the museum from Ultimo to a new location at Parramatta, known as the Riverbank site. During the development of the Final Business Case MAAS commissioned a report to provide specialist analysis and planning advice in the preparation of this Collection Logistics Plan (CLP) that will provide the key planning directions for the preparation, documentation, planning and logistical arrangements for the relocation of the MAAS Collection. This CLP will form part of the overall museum transition process as MAAS manages the existing operations at the Powerhouse while the planning for the New Museum.This report provides specialist analysis and planning advice in the areas of collection assessment, management, digitisation, storage and decanting. Built on this analysis, programming, procurement, capital and project operating cost estimates and risk assessments have been prepared to cover the safe transition process for the collection and to meet the MAAS Collection objectives for full collection digitisation. The report has been informed by a number of discrete planning modules;

1. The Collection Management Relocation Plan;2. The Collection Storage Analysis; and

The Relocation Analysis, Strategy and Plan.3.

Each of these plans are provided in the Appendices of this report.The report focuses on the process for the assessment, treatment, digitisation and relocation for the MAAS collection currently in storage or on display at Ultimo. All other aspects of the transition process for MAAS, such as the relocation of staff, equipment, non-collection items (showcases, replicas) and files have been excluded from this analysis and planning. A review of the collection storage requirements at Castle Hill has been taken into account, however collection items at Sydney Observatory have been excluded from analysis.The assessment of the MAAS Collection undertaken for this report has reinforced the fundamental truth that this is an extraordinary resource both in breadth and depth. MAAS has worked successfully over a number of years to implement appropriate storage conditions and the results are impressive, with the latest I-Store at the Museums Discovery Centre at Castle Hill, a truly world class facility.

With the relocation process "the new museum will showcase more of the Powerhouse's exhibits - the size of the collection on display is set to increase by at least 40%" 3 To achieve this ambition MAAS will require a collection management database that will support substantial increase in the movement and display of objects. Providing increased access for education audiences, regional stakeholders, local and international visitors relies fundamentally on having accurate and reliable metadata about the collections, as indeed does the museum's ability to plan in detail for their relocation. Whilst the romance of unopened boxes lying in the museum basement may be a good media story, the reality is that the Museum's public expects to have access in some form to the majority of the collection whether physical or digital.

2 International RE-ORG Seminar Brussels, 28-29 September 2016 which was organised jointly by ICCROM and UNESCO

3Media Release: 'New home chosen for the Powerhouse Museum', Premier Baird and Deputy Premier Grant,

11 April 2016

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It is very hard to plan for locating and moving an object when there is only a cursory 70 year old record description and no photo, which is the situation with over 12% of the collection. This is reality for most large, long-established collections. This situation has meant that the collection is underutilised through lack of accurate information. Improved documentation and digitisation will enable increased collection accessibility and maximise the utilisation of the collection.

This report identifies that Collections Logistic Planning is critical for the move to the New Museum providing MAAS with the opportunity to optimise the value of the physical move by identifying, cataloguing and digitising its entire collection and thus maximising the collection's potential to inform, educate and entertain not only the people of NSW but also the New Museum's national and international visitors.

Collection Management Relocation PlanThe development of the Collection Management Relocation Plan (CMRP), addresses how the MAASCollection will be assessed, tracked, stabilised, documented, digitised and prepared for relocation.

MAAS estimates that it's holdings across all three sites consist of approximately 500,000 individual items, approximately 400,000 have at least a basic record in MAAS' KE EMu collection database. This figure of 400,000 has been used as the basis of the analysis undertaken in this report.

Presently, the level of documentation against each item in the collection varies considerably. Many items only have an identifier assigned, a handwritten tag attached to the item, and basic registration of key details. Some items have a barcoded tag, with more detail catalogued in the database. Others have low-resolution black and white photographs or extensive cataloguing information; images, photography and a handful have three-dimensional scans of the objects.

The term 'digitisation' refers to the process of converting museum objects and documents into digital form primarily through photography, as well as 2D and 3D scanning. Digitisation has become an increasingly important part of museum work, both as part of collections management and to support a wide range of audience engagement. The digitisation of museum collections is now considered worldwide as best practice and essential for effective, efficient and relevant museum operations in the 21' Century. MAAS has been working on the requirements for digitising its collection for some time. The relocation of the entire collection from Ultimo provides MAAS with an unprecedented opportunity to capitalise on the object by object assessment required for relocation by implementing a parallel digitisation program.

In creating the CMRP a number of different scenarios were considered based on the differing extent of digitisation that was included. Ultimately the over whelming case for taking the opportunity afforded by the relocation to undertake full digitisation of the collection was agreed upon and selected as the scenario to be developed and costed.

This project is therefore predicated on the following full digitisation scenario summarised below· Full Collection Digitisation involves assessing and digitising all items at Ultimo and Castle Hill (i.e.

all MAAS Collection objects except those at Observatory Hill and those on loan) 400,000 objects excluding the library and archive collections, then moving items at Ultimo to Castle Hill, Parramatta and/or a new off-site store.

This scenario provides MAAS with significantly enhanced access to its collections for research, exhibitions, exhibition planning and the public. It places digitisation as a key driver in the overall relocation workflowprocess for the collection movement from Ultimo to the New Museum. Conservation, access, and other collection management aspects will be driven by the opportunity to digitise, and then undertake packing and crating ready for the relocation of the collection.

The collection relocation workflow is a four-step process:

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1. Assessment - including collection barcoding and a "triage point" where objects are assessed to be either treated (cleaned, repaired or stabilised) or sent directly to be documented;

2. Conservation - only items requiring treatment or conservation for relocation or to enable digitisation will be undertaken;

3. Digitisation - onsite or off-site with a range of digitisation options from 2D to 3D scanning; and

4. Handling and Packing - preparation and handling for conservation and digitisation through to packing and crating ready for relocation.

This report proposes to retain the majority of this work flow process onsite at Ultimo and Castle Hill respectively so the various collections remain in-situ. This ensures that the collections will be in secure and climatically stable environments and minimises the risk of unnecessary transport and handling. Some modification of the Harwood workshop facilities at Ultimo will be required to accommodate this work flow process, with a portion of the Powerhouse permanent galleries also used as staging areas for the transition process.

Collection Storage Analysis

The analysis of the overall MAAS Collection storage requirements considers the current storage availability and addresses the implications of relocating the Collection to Parramatta.

Castle Hill - the Museums Discovery Centre, has been the core large and medium object storage facility for MAAS, with a number of different storage facilities onsite. This includes the provision of visible collection displays for a full range of objects - small, medium and large. Analysis of the current facilities confirms that these stores are now essentially at full capacity for the storage of large objects, with little opportunity for further optimisation by MAAS. While it is acknowledged that some further small spatial efficiencies may be gained at Castle Hill through the reallocation of the collections, the outcome of this work has been excluded from this report as it forms part of an ongoing museum process of continual storage assessment.

The recently opened I-Store at Castle Hill provides storage capacity for small to medium sized objects with a net gain of 3,065m2. The New Museum has a total storage allocation of 4,200 m2, with 600m2 of this allocated to visible collection display. This report demonstrates that there is sufficient storage capacity for small to medium objects, inclusive of collection growth requirements in these size categories based on a ten-year growth cycle commencing in 2016.

MAAS has provided a preliminary large object list for display at the New Museum. While it is acknowledged that the objects may change as exhibition content develops, MAAS has confirmed that the list is representative of the quantum of large objects from the existing collection that will be on display in the New Museum. The assessed footprint of the preliminary large objects display list for Parramatta is 1,028m 2 out of a total of some 1,622m2 of large objects which are on display at Ultimo.

When these very large objects are taken off display they are dismantled with each major section stored separately, often requiring a larger storage footprint that was previously required when on display. The remaining large items with a footprint of 594m2 that will be stored will require 2,376m2 of storage and handling space when decanted from Ultimo into storage.

MAAS have confirmed that no large or very large objects are intended for storage at the New Museum at Parramatta given the scale of the objects and onerous building specification requirements in relation to floor loading capacities, ceiling heights and access corridors, therefore only small to medium objects will be stored at this location. As a result, there is a requirement to provide offsite large object storage to accommodate the Powerhouse large objects that will not be displayed at New Museum (in the order of 2,376m2).

There are two options considered in this report for solving the large object storage issue:

Option 1: short-term leasing of a facility (Interim Large Object Store) to accommodate the 2,376m2 of collection not on display at the New Museum - followed by the planning and construction of a permanent

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large storage facility at a later date. Depending on the timing of the availability of this store, 150m2 of space should be allowed for each year from 2016 to account for collection growth.

Option 2: construction of a purpose built new large storage facility that will be sized to accommodate the large object collection as a result of the relocation to Parramatta and collection growth (from 2016 - 2026 equating to 1,500m2), along with the identified large objects from the Powerhouse (2,376m 2) requiring approximately a total of 3,876m2 of storage space, inclusive of handling area.

Option 1 has been selected for this report with the leasing of an Interim Large Object Store to commence from October 2021 and required until 2025. It is understood that Option 2 as a permanent storage solution will most likely require its own Business Case and may be developed with other cultural institutions or heritage organisations.

Relocation Analysis, Strategy and Plan

The Relocation Analysis, Strategy and Plan (RASP) has been heavily informed by the Collection Management Relocation Plan. The RASP takes into consideration the transition drivers particular to the New Museum project - the collection digitisation strategy, requirements for ongoing public engagement, and existing storage constraints and programming for the construction of the New Museum at Parramatta.

The RASP scopes the essential logistics for the collection decanting process from Ultimo - housed in two locations - the Harwood Building and the Powerhouse Museum. The basement of the Harwood building is the onsite Ultimo collection storage facility and houses the most valuable, fragile, specialised and high significance collections including numismatics, philately, jewellery, ceramics and firearms. The (collected and institutional) archive collection along with key research collections is also stored in the basement. It is recommended that these specialist collections transition from secure storage at MAAS Ultimo directly to the New Museum, the designated site for secure objects.

The Powerhouse Museum houses a large number of MAAS icon collection objects. MAAS has identified 37 Very Large Objects (VLO) at the Ultimo site requiring individual movement plans with the majority of these objects currently on display at the Powerhouse.

The RASP transition process includes staging, decanting, storage, transport and unpacking. The sequencing of any object or collection to packing and crating will largely be prescribed by key transition drivers within the Collection Management Relocation Plan for the digitisation process. The staging areas used for the collection digitisation process are also utilised for the relocation and decanting process, with these work streams having highly interdependent and at times concurrent programming requirements. The following Powerhouse galleries -the Boiler House, Turbine Hall, Wran and the Switch House will all become staging posts at some stage during the transition process requiring a progressive closure of the permanent galleries. It is noted that the use of existing Powerhouse areas creates workflow efficiencies and mitigates the requirement for supplementary transition facilities onsite at Ultimo or in off-site locations.

The relocation of objects will require demolition of some non-heritage building fabric, temporary strengthening of floors in some areas of the existing museum and an assortment of cranes, elevated work platforms, forklifts, trucks and semi-trailers. Day and night moves will be undertaken with road closures and police escorts required at times.

The following diagram provides a summary of the key activities required for the collection relocation process noted in the sections above and the broad timelines for these tasks to be completed and aligned with the opening of the New Museum in December 2022.

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Figure 3: CLP Process Diagram

Capital and Operating Cost Assessment

The following cost/resource estimates for the assessment, conservation, digitisation and relocation of the collection are based on the work flows and processes set out in this report. In addition, MAAS has advised that the assessment of costs and associated resourcing requirements are to be based on new resources with no reallocation of existing MAAS staff, all of whom will be occupied in business as usual operations, and the development for opening exhibitions and collection development needs for the New Museum. MAAS has advised that all resource staffing costs will be classified as project operating costs. The table below sets out the overall cost summary for works included in the Collection Logistics Plan. There has been no escalation added - all costs are base dated 2016 dollars. Full exclusions and assumptions are included in Section 5 of this report.

Item Resource Cost Comments

Collection Assessment

November 2017 to November 2020

$17,584,000 For all collection objects excluding Sydney Observatory.

Barcoding and assessment of objects to determine conservation requirements for each object prior to digitisation and relocation.

Inclusive of 10% contingency

Collection Conservation

March 2018 to October 2021

$4,871,000 For all collection objects excluding Sydney Observatory.

Conservation of collection items as required.

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Inclusive of 10% contingencyItem Resource Cost CommentsCollection DigitisationFull DigitisationJuly 2018 to December 2022

$12,657,000 For all collection objects excluding Sydney Observatory.Documentation and digitisation of the collection with 3D scanning for objects nominated for display at the New Museum

Decanting LogisticsJanuary 2021 to August 2022

$17,450,000 Resource and equipment costs.Planning and programming for the decanting. Packing and movement to New Museum, Castle Hill or the large object store.

Inclusive of tooling and

engineering provisional

"'CLP SUB--TOTAL ‘-''' .' $52,562,000

Interim Large Object Store Lease costs

$9,315,000 Lease period from 2021 to 2025 Climate controlled facility

Client Contingency Not included

TOTAL PROJECT OPEX ' $61,877,000 All costs excluding GST

$847,000 Digitisation equipment costs.$2,626,000 Ultimo building modifications

TOTAL PROJECT CAPEX •$3,473,000 All costs excluding GST

COMBINED OPEX/CAPEX $65,350,000 All costs excluding GST*Amounts have been rounded to the nearest $10,000Table 1: CLP Cost Summary

Procurement Plan

The Collection Logistics procurement plan will ultimately be integrated into the overall procurement plan for the New Museum. The Collection Logistics Plan procurement requirements can be defined as two major work streams:

· Collections assessment, conservation and digitisation; and· Decanting and logistics.

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Each work stream has different resourcing requirements and requires particular expertise. MAAS has advised that its existing in house resources will not be available for this project and that all resource requirements will be procured specifically for the duration of this project to enable business as usual operations to continue while the New Museum project is underway.

The overall FTE requirements for the collections assessment, conservation and digitisation streams have resources increasing from late 2018 and peaking in Quarter 3 of 2019, and decreasing down Quarter 4 2019 and then plateauing through 2020 at a relatively high resource level. The overall FTE requirements are for 1276 for the duration of the project.

The overall FTE requirements for decanting and logistics streams are as follows with resources peaking in Quarter 2 and 4 of 2021 and again in Quarter 1 in 2022. The overall FTE requirements are 375 for the duration of the project.

The optimised procurement option for MAAS is to have some selected direct appointments to MAAS. The remainder of the workforce to be contracted externally by a service provider. This allows for a maximum level of flexibility as the project cycles through resource peaks and troughs.

The procurement for these specialised work streams should be co-ordinated with New Museum project so that key interface points such as when the collections are being relocated prior to practical completion of the New Museum can be included in contract documentation to articulate the Main Contractors responsibilities and mitigate risks to the collection.

Collection Logistics Plan Program

MAAS has advised that its interim funding is limited to the designated Government funding provided for business planning that includes the Preliminary and Final Business Cases and associated activities, and there will be no other funds available to progress the development of the New Museum before the anticipated full project commencement in July 2017. This date has been adopted as a principle constraint for the commencement of works associated with the Collection Logistics Planning aspects of the project.

MAAS has provided the Project Master Program for the New Museum and key dates relating to the completion of the new Museum and access timeframes for the decanting of the MAAS Collection for display or onsite storage have been used as constraint dates for the Collection Logistics Planning Program.

The Collection Logistics Planning Program provides for an overall timeframe from funding being made available to completion of the New Museum and the decanting of the collection from Ultimo covering a period of six years - from July 2017 to December 2022. Durations adopted for the collection logistics planning master program are considered typical for a project of this nature and complexity.

· MAAS Collection assessment and preparation - November 2017 to November 2020· MAAS Collection conservation/stabilisation for relocation and digitisation - March 2018 to October

2021· MAAS Collection digitisation - July 2018 to December 2022· Decanting collection from Ultimo to the New Museum- January 2021 to August 2022· Decanting large objects from Ultimo to Interim Large Object Store - October 2021 to March 2022· Decanting collection from Ultimo to Castle Hill I-Store - January 2021 to August 2022

The durations for these works streams have been informed by the unique nature of the Collection and the prevailing conditions at the Ultimo site. As the New Museum is yet to be designed, optimal access has been assumed.

Based on the program above, the large objects decanting to the New Museum will commence in April 2021 and by the end of August 2022 the entire collection will have been decanted from Ultimo. This process is based on constrained museum operations commencing from January 2020 with certain permanent galleries converted to staging areas and stores for the collection digitisation and decanting process to occur. The last areas to be decanted will be the Wran Galleries and the Switch House enabling

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MAAS to continue hosting temporary exhibitions in the Wran touring galleries and maintain public and educational programming for as long as possible. The completion of digitisation and decanting of Ultimo can be achieved before MAAS is due to vacate the site in December 2022 if this program is adopted.

Risk Assessment

The transportation of collections presents a high level of risk due to the nature of the objects and their value. The relocation of almost an entire museum collection is rare. The relocation risks have been categorised in the following manner:

· Business and reputational risks relating to the financial status of the Museum.

· Operational risks relating to the existing daily operations for the Museum.

· Transition risks relating to all processes and work flows required to relocate the Powerhouse and Harwood collections to the New Museum and Castle Hill.

In some instances, the risk profile of these categories will overlap.The following list captures the key risks across these categories:

Business RisksFunding for the New Museum is limited and staff resourcing and funding is required to be diverted

·from existing programs to achieve the New Museum programming objectives and time frames.

· Potential for reputational damage as the collection is relocated and the Powerhouse moves into constrained operations.

Operational Risks

· Security risks for the collection while constrained operations and relocations processes are underway and the collection is dispersed across the site for assessment, conservation and digitisation.

Transition Risks

· Changed external environment around the Powerhouse since opening and complications for the relocation of the collection — access and egress.

· Collection damage during transition and once installed in the New Museum while the building is being completed.

· Patron and staff safety as the Powerhouse moves into constrained operations.

It is evident that there are still areas of risk that can only be mitigated through further research and the development of detailed scopes of work for key collection items such as individual movement plans and engineering advice. The risk matrix will need to be updated regularly as the project progresses. This will provide greater detail around risks and mitigation strategies associated with the existing access and egress requirements at Ultimo, the design of the New Museum, the extent of conservation required for the collection and the digitisation scope and program for delivery.

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1. Introduction

1.1 The Consultant Team

This report has been prepared by Root Projects Australia (RPA), International Conservation Services (ICS), International Art Services (IAS) and Clayton Associates (CA).

1 .2 Context

The New Museum Project was first announced by the NSW Premier in 2015, with MAAS to relocate from Ultimo to a purpose-built facility in Parramatta. Following the completion of the Preliminary Business Case for the New Museum Project in early 2016, the River Bank site located on the old David Jones carpark adjacent to the Parramatta River was selected as the location for the New Museum.

The Final Business Case commenced in July 2016 with the Collection Logistics Plan (CLP) procured separately. The CLP comprises of a number of work streams requiring specialist museum input. These have included collection management, registration, storage and relocation analysis required to define the transition of the MAAS Collection from its existing location at Ultimo to new locations.

It is important to note that the Preliminary Business Case defined the collection digitisation process as being undertaken in three stages — stocktake, conservation assessment and barcoding; front-of-house documentation and digitisation and a final stage of back-of-house documentation and digitisation. This CLP has been based on a program of full digitisation of the entire MAAS Collection as outlined in the request for tender documentation for the CLP.

This report focuses on the process for the assessment, conservation, digitisation and relocation of the MAAS Collection. All other aspects of the transition process for MAAS, such as the relocation of staff, equipment and files have been excluded from this analysis and planning, along with the relocation of non-collection items (exhibit showcases, props, replicas etc.) and Collections held at the Sydney Observatory.

1.3 The Collection

The decanting of the MAAS Collection constitutes a substantial sub- project within the overall New Museum Project. This undertaking will be amplified by the scale and quantum of the collection that requires decanting from the Powerhouse Museum and Harwood Building at Ultimo. MAAS states that its collection spans history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. It is also home to the material heritage and stories of Australian culture, history and lifestyle, providing a comprehensive insight into this rich and diverse country. There is estimated to be well over 400,000 objects comprising of 500,000 separate parts in the MAAS Collection. While the focus is on Australian made and provenanced material, the collection is international in breadth. Object ages range from circa 2000BC to the present.

MAAS has provided the following chronicle of the collection:

*Much of the early collection comes from Europe and included decorative ceramics and metalwork, reproductions of ancient and modern artworks, hand tools, machinery and manufactured products, educational and scientific apparatus, coins, clocks and arms. There was a particular emphasis on acquiring

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raw materials which had potential economic value, hence the large early collections of botanical, geological and zoological specimens from Australia and overseas"4.In the 1920s and 1930s the collections were expanded by donations and bequests of several important private collections of decorative arts, which established the museum's present collection strengths in pottery, porcelain, glassware and local crafts. During the 1930s the collecting of scientific and technological materials continued, with acquisitions of new inventions such as neon tubes, photoelectric cells, synthetic fibres, plastics and picture transmission by telephone. Machines and working models were collected for exhibits on manufacturing processes such as printing, package making and the pressing of gramophone records.During the 1950s to the 1970s, substantial donations from private collections, including costume, musical instruments, clocks, Australiana and stamps, strengthened existing collections. The appointment of specialist curators in transport and engineering, electronics, technology and applied arts in the 1960s is reflected in the development of the collection in those areas.The 1980s were a period of great expansion for the museum, with its new venues influencing collection development. The Sydney Mint building provided a permanent display area and an impetus for strengthening the holdings of Australian decorative arts, philately and numismatics. The Hyde Park Barracks gave the museum the opportunity to develop its collection of social history material. The inclusion of the Sydney Observatory as a part the museum meant that the museum acquired a significant collection of astronomical and timekeeping instruments.From 1984 collecting priorities were determined principally by the themes chosen for the Powerhouse exhibitions (opened in 1988) which revolved around the overall theme of the interrelationships of science, art and people in an Australian context. Significant acquisitions were made in the areas of transport, communications, space and power technologies, scientific, medical and computing instruments, Australian inventions, domestic appliances and furnishings, European decorative art (including lace, costume and furniture), toys, prints, drawings, musical instruments and recent Australian crafts. Significant acquisitions were also made in several new collecting areas — Australian product design, materials recording working life at home and in industry and materials recording life in various ethnic and Aboriginal communities.The MAAS 2020 Vision released in 2014 places the Museum's Collection central to its strategic vision. The Vision identifies the following disciplines for the Museum's focus into the future:· Technologies· Health and medicine· Physical sciences· Engineering· Architecture and the built environment· Design and decorative arts· Fashion· Contemporary cultureThis collection is divided between two facilities at Ultimo — items that are on long-term and temporary display within the Powerhouse Museum and items that are in storage at the Harwood building, adjacent to the Powerhouse. It is estimated by MAAS that approximately 333,000 items are currently stored in the

4 MAAS

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Harwood building. The remainder of the collection is either on display at the Powerhouse Museum, the Sydney Observatory, the Museums Discovery Centre, Castle Hill or stored at Castle Hill. The new storage facility I-Store at Castle Hill will accommodate the majority of the small to medium collection items housed at the Harwood Building with the remaining collection items to be decanted and transported to the New Museum and the Interim Large Store.

Seventy-two collection items are identified by MAAS as being large or very large objects items on display at the Powerhouse Museum. The majority of these are engineering objects, weighing several tonnes each, with complex moving parts and mechanisms that may require disassembly and conservation treatment prior relocation. These include the Boulton and Watt steam engine and the Catalina seaplane. The collection status of these items is regarded as stable. Individual assessment of each object will be required prior to any decanting process with an accompanying relocation plan developed. The removal of these large display items will require careful sequencing and there may be some double handling as objects are repositioned within spaces to enable other objects to be moved. Many of these objects will be moved by cranes requiring access through the facades of the Powerhouse buildings - the same way they were installed over thirty years ago - whilst maintaining acceptable security and environmental conditions.

1.4 Process and Methodology

The methodology for this Collection Logistics Plan is to actively progress work across three separate, but integrated fronts:

1. Collection Relocation Management Plan

2. Storage analysis

3. Relocation Analysis, Strategy and Plan

These three work streams have been brought together and integrated into an overall strategy and program for the transition of the collection from Ultimo to the New Museum and other locations as determined.

The methodology employed to bring these works streams together includes the development of 75 Object Category Dashboards, creation of a digitisation work flow, decanting and staging modelling and the modelling of collection storage and display. Each of these work streams has provided a basis for understanding the interface and integration requirements for the relocation of the MAAS Collection from Ultimo.

As part of the scope for this report the digitisation of the collection has been benchmarked by ICS against leading international digitisation programs to ensure that durations and key processes are accommodated within both the programming, workflows and high level resourcing cost estimates.

1.4.1 75 OBJECT CATEGORY DASHBOARDSICS has explored MAAS's eight collection disciplines and moved into a high level of granularity of the collection through the development of 75 object category collection dashboards that cover the prescribed sub-collection categories for the circa 400,000 objects recorded within the MAAS Collection. This process has allowed ICS to 'peel back' the layers of the collection to establish an overall status of the collection and start to define storage, decanting and conservation requirements from a sub-collection perspective.

The digitisation of the entire MAAS Collection is a complex project that will provide unparalleled opportunities for MAAS, its diverse stakeholders and general public. It will require detailed sequencing to ensure objects are safely and appropriately digitised. Three overarching steps will be required to complete the process: assessment, conservation (where required) and digitisation. The diagram below provides a high-level outline of this process

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8 DISCIPLINES· Technologies • Architecture and the Built Environment· Health and Medicine • Design and Decorative Arts· Physical Sciences • Fashion· Engineering • Contemporary Culture

75 OBJECT CATEGORY DASHBOARDS

COLLECTION STATUS

400,000 objects

400,000 Unknown no. Unknown no.

DIGITISATION DOCUMENTATION TR TOWIr

SCOPE SCOPE SCOPE

Figure 4: Collection Analysis Process

Based on the principles of best practice collection management being able to value, document, locate and identify collection items, three core principles were established with MAAS relating to the digitisation method:

· Everything not documented needs to be documented. The definition of documentation commences with barcoding and data entry. The delivery of this work stream will enable MAAS to complete its collection database.

· Only those items that need conservation for relocation or digitisation will be treated. This principle ensures that fragile objects will be identified and treated accordingly. Any minor conservation or treatment work will be undertaken to ensure that the digitised outcome is of a high quality.

· Everything not digitised to a suitable standard needs to be digitised. All objects across the collection, excluding Sydney Observatory will be digitised. Objects will be digitised to a suitable standard based on their format, significance and display, educational and research value. Objects will be broadly allocated to categories that provide a full 3D digitisation process, high resolution multiple image capture, or single shot high resolution image capture. This will provide MAAS with an enviable digitised collection and will support new content for the New Museum and enhanced visitor experience opportunities.

The object category dashboards filter has been applied to all sites to meet the full digitisation condition set by MAAS. All objects, excluding Sydney Observatory, will pass through this filter and ultimately be re-distributed based on MAAS' preference to new locations. The redistribution of the collection at the end destinations is noted in the diagram below.

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Unknown no. :TREATMENT

400,000 INGITISA7ION

Unknown no.

0

904000

0.1 0.1

82.86

% = Percentage of

1.2

42.52

4.5

OBSERVATO OBSERVATO

P

HARWO

utatmosit

I-

CASTLE

2.7

•

PARRAMA

PARRAMA

CASTLE

15.73

I-

IS 011XCTCATEGORY DASHBOARDS

COLLECTION

Figure 5: Existing Collection Redistribution

1.4.2 COLLECTION DIGITISATION WORKFLOWUsing the 75 Object Category Dashboards as a starting point for the 400,000 collection items, a work flow process was developed in consultation with MAAS. This process follows the three core principles of assessment, conservation and digitisation refining the sequencing and tasks required at each point.

Each collection object will be assessed and documented in MAAS' KE EMu database. This is an essential step as all objects will then be barcoded and able to be tracked during the digitisation and decanting procedure. At this point MAAS will determine the conservation requirements — conservation for digitisation, conservation for stabilisation of collection items for relocation or other conservation requirements to be planned and executed as part of a future conservation program.

A 'triage point' is proposed where MAAS will nominate the digitisation stream for each object. For objects selected for the basic stream (single shot high resolution photography), it is anticipated that conservation requirements will be the exception rather than the norm. Once photographed these objects will be packed and crated ready for relocation.

Objects nominated for either full 3D digitisation, or high resolution multiple shot photography will be assessed for conservation, conserved and digitised, and then crated. In some instances, objects will be retained in situ for a period of time (packed and crated) or be decanted if required for research purposes.

The following diagram outlines the collection workflow process, identifying the key decision points and various pathways before arriving at a packed and/or crated status ready for decanting. It should be noted that through discussions with MAAS the following quantities for each digitisation stream have been assumed and adopted for the purposes of this report as has the assumption of a total of 400,000 objects requiring digitisation:

1. 3D Digitisation: 10,000 objects

2. High Resolution Multiple Shot Image Capture: 193,000 objects

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FULL 30 HIGH RES 193,0 BASIC 197,0010,0

TREATME

400,0

MULTIPLE HI RES HI RES SINGLESNOT 1 197,000* 30

CRATE/


3. High Resolution Single Shot Image Capture: 197,000 Objects

7s OBJECT CATEGORIES 1400,000

L A S S E S S E D & D O C U M E N T E D 400,000

400,000TRIAGE PROCESS?

CRATE/ DECANT REMAINS INNSITU *Excl. MAAS Institutional Archives

Figure 6: Collection Digitisation Workflow

1.4.3 DECANTING AND STAGING MODELLINGThe options for decanting and transition locations have been reviewed with MAAS as part of the modelling process. These included testing requirements for off-site transition storage and the type of facilities that would be required to meet the security and climatic conditions required for the collection. Onsite opportunities included analysis by IAS of the use of appropriate temporary structures to facilitate the digitisation work flow process. These options were discounted as the opportunities to work within the existing Powerhouse exhibition areas crystallised and constrained museum operations were explored in detail.

The exploration of using the permanent exhibition halls of the Powerhouse as transition space has been driven by the review and high level planning of how these objects will be dismantled, treated and digitised. IAS has mapped the full sequence of the relocation in 28 steps throughout the Ultimo site. This sequencing does include some double handling processes; however, it also creates sufficient space to digitise the collection and retain packed and crated objects onsite, within appropriate climatic conditions. The massing of packed and crated objects enables a more efficient and streamlined decanting process. The transition/staging space capacity at Ultimo comprises of a number of locations - the Harwood workshop area, the Boiler House and Turbine Hall. The combination of these locations and the MAAS decision to operate the museum in a constrained mode makes this option possible. This will require certain permanent

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galleries to be closed to the public prior to the closure of the Powerhouse Museum to enable the digitisation and decanting process to proceed in accordance with the New Museum Project program.

The following locations are all destination options for the decanting process. This includes a proposed new Large Object Store. (Refer Section 1.4.4 below). The final location of objects will be determined as part of the future development of exhibitions and content for New Museum. Some objects will be relocated directly from Ultimo to their final destination - this will include some large objects along with the secure collection items, vaults and safes.

1.4.4 COLLECTION DISPLAY VERSUS STORAGE MODELLINGAt this early stage of the planning process for the New Museum project, MAAS is yet to determine the exhibition themes for the New Museum. This has a flow on effect to the amount of storage that will be required for objects not on display, in particular large objects. As an alternative approach to understand overall storage requirements the New Museum preliminary display object list was taken into account, and models to test the existing permanent display areas against storage areas were prepared.

The outcomes of the modelling demonstrated that there are no small to medium object storage issues, there is sufficient space for future collection growth given the I-Store capacity and the specified storage allowances and specification of storage spaces suitable for small to medium objects in the new museum. There is however a deficit of large storage space for Ultimo objects, most of which are currently on public display, with very limited large storage capacity available at Castle Hill. The New Museum store will not be specified to accommodate the storage of large objects and a new large object store will need to be constructed. This simple modelling used existing footprint display areas for large objects, and by analysing the quantum of storage required for the whole large object collection, the team has been able to size the requirements for a new large object store. MAAS has generated a preliminary large object display list of items that would be relocated from Ultimo front of house to the New Museum. MAAS has advised that while the objects may change the overall floor area allocated for existing large object collections (in the order of 1,028m2) at New Museum will be retained.

This modelling has also highlighted the balance between display and stored objects. Stored objects in the small to medium size range are more efficiently stored, while large objects require larger areas to accommodate handling and access requirements.

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2. Collection Management Relocation Plan

2.1 Introduction

The development of the Collection Management Relocation Plan (CMRP), led by ICS, addresses how the MAAS Collection will be assessed, tracked, stabilised, digitised and prepared for relocation to Parramatta, Castle Hill and the proposed new off-site store for large and very large items. A copy of the complete report, including attachments, is included as Appendix 1. The following is a summary of the ICS report.The crating, packing and decanting aspects of this project are covered in Section 4 - Relocation Analysis, Strategy and Plan.The scoping of this work has focused on developing a plan that can assist MAAS in identifying categories of digitisation and how to transition objects safely during this process. Work flows for each part of the CMRP process have been established to articulate individual tasks and MAAS decision making points. This has then informed the sequencing, resourcing and high level cost estimates for the program of works.The following collection statistics have informed the development of the CMRP:

· Total number of items (object records) - 398,000 (for the purposes of this report object records have been rounded to 400,000)

· Total number of parts (the total size of the collection) - 500,000· Total number of Object Categories - 75· Total items at Ultimo - 338,000 items· Items on display at Ultimo - 5,000(included in the above number)· Items at Castle Hill - 60,000· 108,862 (18,862 at Castle Hill, plus ca 91,000 of the Ultimo items are barcoded) 220,000

items without an Object Category. For the purposes of assessing the various requirements for the collections it was necessary to assign an Object Category. These were assigned across the 75 Object Categories by percentage in the dashboards with consideration given to weighting for some categories where relevant (e.g. paper-based collections).

· Number of incoming loans -1,200 (this number is included in the 398,000 items recorded in KE Emu)

· Total number of outgoing loans - 200 (20 are large objects)· Significant items - 1,500 ('A' significance: 407, 'B' significance: 1,093)· State Significant items - 278

2.2 Project Scenarios

A number of different scenarios were considered based on the differing extent of digitisation that was included. Ultimately the over whelming case for taking the opportunity afforded by the relocation to undertake full digitisation of the collection was agreed upon and selected as the scenario to be developed and costed.In developing the full digitisation scenario, each of the 75 Object Categories within MAAS has been individually assessed in consultation with MAAS staff:Full Collection Digitisation involves assessing and digitising all items at Ultimo and Castle Hill (i.e. all MAAS Collection objects except those at Observatory Hill and those on loan) 400,000 objects excluding the library and institutional archive collections, then moving items at Ultimo to Castle Hill, Parramatta and/or a new off-site store. Objects will be digitised if they do not already possess an image to the desired standard (there are only approximately 7000 objects with images to this standard).

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2.3 Collection Tracking and Assessment ProcessCollection tracking and assessment will be a key aspect of the transition process with the tracking of MAAS objects primarily undertaken utilising the existing Emu database held by MAAS. The system is functional, with a requirement for constant Wi-Fi network access to enable real-time updating. This network is in place at Ultimo and at Castle Hill, but will need to be resolved for Parramatta and/or any other temporary location facilities, alternatively an Ethernet cable would be required.

Items will be assessed to understand their requirements for relocation. The assessment will involve ensuring each item has a correct record in KE EMu, a barcode, a decision on how it will be digitised and what, if any, conservation treatment or rehousing materials for packing are required. This will include the identification of any long-term conservation programming.

Items identified as not needing conservation and can be digitised by an external provider, can be packed straight away and sent for off-site digitisation. Following digitisation, these items can be relocated directly to Castle Hill or returned to a staging store location at Ultimo if the final destination is New Museum.

2.4 Collection Access during the Transition ProcessThe collections of MAAS are in regular demand for the development of exhibitions, exhibition display and preparation, loans and research. The process of responding to these requests during relocation will inevitably be made more complex. The Museum will need to develop a protocol for this circumstance. The first component of such a protocol will be to manage expectations for curators, potential borrowers and researchers. The second will be to ensure access to objects for loan or research purposes where the Museum deems it prudent to be able to make the object available.

The Museum has an Outgoing Loans Policy (2016) and a Research and Publishing Policy (2004) that details its response to loan/research requests, which are published on the Museum's website. During the relocation it is recommended a timeline be published that identifies the likely period when limited or constrained loan/research capacity will be in place.

Where the Museum chooses to respond to loan/research requests, then the relevant object(s) will be able to be located by the barcode tracking system recorded in KE EMu.

The actual accessibility of objects cannot be predicted at this stage until the order in which objects are to assessed, treated, digitised, packed and temporarily stored is finalised. It is inevitable that with a project of this size at certain times parts of the collection will be inaccessible through being in transit or in packed storage.

A resource allowance has been included to facilitate access to the collection during this period, covering touring exhibitions and long term loans, and ongoing public access requirements.. This will ensure that MAAS curators have access to the collection while developing content for the New Museum.

2.5 Collection DigitisationThe relocation of the MAAS Collections provides an unparalleled opportunity to leverage the handling of the collection to digitise every item as it is moved. This will provide MAAS with significantly enhanced access to its collections for research, exhibitions, exhibition planning and public programs, and enhance knowledge and understanding of this valuable cultural asset. Importantly the digitisation of the collection will provide MAAS with a better, more efficient asset management tool to enable better collection management.

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Digitisation will be led significantly by the material itself (e.g. printed material on paper would generally be scanned only), but will also be motivated by identifying unique/significant/priority objects across the collections that will be greatly enhanced by a high-level (i.e. 3-D scanning) digitisation approach. Digitisation will also be driven, wherever possible, by the planned use of digital assets and preservation issues. The digitisation of this collection will ensure the content is kept and preserved, whilst also significantly enhancing the accessibility of the material.

2.6 Collection Management Relocation Workflow Process

Given the MAAS brief requirement for digitisation of all of the collection, ICS have taken the approach that the digitisation of the Collections is a key driver in the workflow process in the relocation of the Museum to Parramatta. In other words, conservation, access, and other collection management aspects will be driven by the need to digitise, and then relocate the collections. This may mean for example that some items are stabilised but do not receive a full conservation treatment as a part of the relocation process. It is expected that the bulk of the digitisation work will be carried out on-site in Ultimo, and will require a considerable increase in photography and registration staff and resources.

MAAS have advised, that for the purposes of this report, all resourcing requirements will be met by extra over resources funded through the New Museum project.— The optimal solution will be a mixture of external and in-house digitisation. It is likely that the best solution will be a mixture of external and in-house digitisation, (with funding to be resolved). The new MAAS staff brought on for this project may be considered in the operational plan for the New Museum if there is a match in the skill base and workflows requirements.

The proposed workflow involves four basic stages; assessment, conservation, digitisation and packing. These are detailed in the following sections.

1. Assessment

Items will be assessed to understand their requirements for relocation. The assessment will involve ensuring each item has a correct record in KE EMu, a barcode, a decision on how it will be digitised and what, if any, conservation treatment or rehousing is required.

Items identified as not needing conservation and can be digitised by an external provider, can be packed straight away and sent for off-site digitisation. Following digitisation, these items will be relocated directly to Castle Hill.

2. Conservation/Treatment

It is not viable to attempt to conserve all items requiring conservation as part of the relocationprocess. Conservation, in the context of this project, will be undertaken to facilitate the safe handling, digitisation and movement of the collection.

Conservation will be considered for items moving to Castle Hill to be stored, and for any items known to be planned for front of house inclusion at Parramatta.

On this basis the only items that will be considered for conservation are:

· Category A and B significance items

· State Significant items

· Items that will go on display/display storage at Parramatta

· Items too fragile to withstand movement/relocation

· Items with a known/suspected biological hazard issue (i.e. requires pest/mould treatment)

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Those items that qualify for conservation can or will undergo one of the following treatments:

· Minimal surface clean for digitisation

· Minor cleaning/repairs/stabilisation

· Significant conservation/preparation required for digitisation or relocation

· Pest treatment

3. Digitisation

Implementing the digitisation of each collection category will be determined by the most suitable methodology. This will incorporate:

· Digital photography of objects on-site prior to relocation

· Digital photography of objects off-site during relocation

· Relocation and scanning in bulk off-site by 3rd-party service providers, as part of the transition to Parramatta (or Castle Hill)

· Scanning in bulk on-site, using either existing resources (hardware and staff) or acquiring temporary resources

3-D scanning of selected key objects — either on-site, or off-site during relocation

·

The following materials have not been considered for digitisation as part of this process:

· Institutional (MAAS) Archives

· Object and Conservation files not related to Category A or B objects

· MAAS Library material

· Material held at Observatory Hill

4. Handling and Packing

Registrars will handle and prepare objects for digitisation and then once digitised, work with external parties to have items packed in transport containers (plan drawer, crate, or customised container), ready for transport and relocation.

2.7 Facilities and Equipment for Digitisation

Using the full digitisation scenario, MAAS will require a maximum of 20 digitisation 'stations' to be operating. This will start with a smaller number of stations in the order of 5 and then increasing to the 20 stations as space and resources become available (as collections are progressively assessed, digitised and packed). This will also include digitisation at Castle Hill within existing preparation and photography spaces, plus temporarily re-purposing transit and general purpose areas.

Following a review of the existing MAAS facilities, it is recommended that MAAS should look at relocating the Archives (Collection and Institutional) from the Central HB basement area of the Harwood building, to be used as a digitisation studio. This would provide an area approximately 20m x 10m which would be ideal for several independent digitisation/photographic studios. This area is also immediately adjacent to the bulk of the material that would need to be relocated to Parramatta. The ceiling height is only about 2750mm so taller objects would need to be digitised elsewhere, but this area should suffice for the majority of items currently stored in the Harwood Basement.

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Estimates of space required for digitisation/photography, conservation and assessment and preparation suggest that at least 575m2 of additional photography/preparation space will be required, assuming that there will be significant flexibility within the space(s) to cater for the differing activities as the project progresses. The workshop areas in the Harwood Building would be suitable for this purpose. In addition, the existing photographic studio and the conservation photographic studio will need to be dedicated to the digitisation project. There will no doubt be some digitisation of material at Castle Hill (especially the 3-D scanning of selected objects) - this can be undertaken at the existing photographic lab at Castle Hill, and temporarily re-purposing transit and general purpose areas.

ICS have used the Auckland Museum digitisation program as a benchmark in determining the facilities and spatial requirements, along with capex equipment budgets in the order of $847,000 to provide the following:

· High quality digital SLR cameras

· Tripods

· Automated lighting equipment

· Flatbed scanners (A3 size or larger)

· Slide/transparency scanners

· Computers

· Suitable Camera / Scanner Software

· Additional KE Emu (including MV Wise) and Fotostation licenses.

· Fabrication of moveable walls/screens to create independent photographic booths and provide flexibility.

· Appropriate 3-D scanning equipment.

2.8 Storage Impacts on the CollectionThe collection currently on display and in storage at Ultimo, is kept in secure, climate controlled conditions suitable to the specific needs dictated by each material type. The new I-Store at Castle Hill also provides appropriate climate controlled conditions, including cold stores for particular material types (Audio/Visual, Photographs).

Items will need to remain in secure, climate controlled areas within Ultimo during the assessment, conservation, digitisation and packing process. Transportation trucks will require air ride and some will need have temperature and humidity controlled environments to transport items that are currently in cold storage.

The approach of the utilisation of the Powerhouse and Harwood as staging/transition stores provides a stable climatic environment for the duration of the relocation process.

2.9 Transition Security RequirementsSecurity at MAAS is managed by an in-house Security Manager supported by four security supervisors, all of whom are on staff. Security officers below this level are all contract staff provided by a security contractor. The processes of access to the collection by security staff are carefully controlled with no contract staff allowed in the collection stores unaccompanied.

Apart from the general need for security protocols to be in place in relation to any dealings between staff/visitors/contractors and the collection, there are various high significance or value collections, which

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are currently kept in secure vaults at the Harwood building at Ultimo. These include objects from the collections of arms and armoury, silver, numismatics, jewellery, wool samples and medical collections. Protocols are already in place for any access to and movement of these collections, and these will continue to be implemented during the relocation. It should be noted that there is no 24-hour security personnel presence at Castle Hill nor a secure vault, so the collections in the Harwood store secure vault will need to remain there until a new secure vault at the New Museum has been built and can be securely used.

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