Kokoelmatyö

Kokoelmatyö is a Finnish term that refers to the systematic management of collections within libraries, museums, archives, and similar cultural heritage institutions. It encompasses both physical and digital holdings and aims to ensure long-term preservation, accessibility, and use of the material. The scope includes a wide range of items such as books, manuscripts, art, artifacts, photographs, and digital objects, and it covers the entire lifecycle from acquisition to deaccession.

Core activities of kokoelmatyö include planning and policy development, acquisition and accessioning, cataloging and metadata creation, and the arrangement, housing, and storage of items. It also involves ongoing preservation and conservation, condition reporting, inventories and surveys, rights and access management, and the planning and execution of digitization projects. Provenance documentation and the management of disposal or deaccessioning according to policy are also part of the practice.

The work is typically performed by professionals such as registrars, librarians, curators, conservators, and records managers, often in collaboration with IT and digital services staff. It relies on metadata standards and cataloging practices to ensure interoperability and discoverability, using systems like collection databases, integrated library systems, or museum information systems. Establishing and implementing collection policies, access strategies, and risk management plans are also key components.

Challenges in kokoelmatyö include handling heterogeneous collections, ensuring long-term digital preservation, balancing access with intellectual property rights, and securing resources. Emerging trends emphasize metadata interoperability, scalable digitization, and proactive planning for evolving user needs and technological changes.