Kokoelmallisesti

Kokoelmallisesti is a Finnish adverb used to describe actions, analyses, or decisions that are made with regard to an entire collection rather than to individual items. The term is most common in museology, library and archival science, and curatorial discourse, where discussions often focus on how a collection is organized, presented, or managed as a unit.

Etymology and formation: the word is built from kokoelma meaning “collection,” with the adjectival suffix -llinen to form kokoelmallinen (“collection-based” or “collection-related”), and the adverbial suffix -sti to yield kokoelmallisesti, meaning “in a collection-related manner” or “collection-wise.”

Usage and context: kokoelmallisesti is typically encountered in formal or professional Finnish texts. It can describe the approach to curation, exhibition design, or collection management that treats the collection as the primary object of consideration. Examples include phrases such as kokoelmallisesti järjestetty näyttely (“an exhibition organized collection-wise”) or kokoelmallisesti hallinnoitu kokoelma (“a collection managed in a collection-centric manner”). The term signals a holistic, unit-focused perspective rather than item-by-item treatment.

Relation to related terms: closely linked to kokoelma (collection) and to concepts such as kokoelmapolitiikka (collection policy) and kuratointi (curation). In English-language discussions, the concept is often described as “collection-based” or “collection-wise,” though these translations do not capture all nuances of the Finnish term.

Notes: kokoelmallisesti is a specialized term and is not commonly used outside professional discourse in museology and library science.