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5856 results in Facet Publishing

Page 106 of 293

  • 4 - Reading Club: a case study from Finland

    • By Mervi Heikkilä, Mervi Heikkilä is Director of Libraries in SeinHeikkiläjoki, Finland, Sara Tuisku, Sara Tuisku is a Finnish-language, culture and communication professional
  • Edited by Joy Court
  • Book:
    Reading by Right
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 51-66

  • Summary

    Introduction and background

    Finland tops the World's Most Literate Nations (www.ccsu.edu/wmln) rankings, which judge not their populace's ability to read but, rather, literate behaviours and their supporting resources. Even so, we feel that there is still more that we can do for those children who have negative views of reading or who are struggling with their reading skills, and we believe that the lessons we have learnt about how to engage the most reluctant readers with stories will be universally applicable.

    In Finland, all libraries are free and open to everybody and we have a cultural history of library use. Up to 80% of the population uses the libraries and the total annual lending in 2015 was 16.4 items per citizen. Seinäjoki public library is the provincial library for the region of South Ostrobothnia. The region is about 13,999 square kilometres in area and has fewer than 200,000 inhabitants, of whom around 60,000 live in the city of Seinäjoki itself. The public library comprises a main central library, three branch libraries and two mobile libraries and has a staff of 55. The total annual lending in Seinäjoki library is comparatively high: 20.9 items per citizen in 2015. Of the total items lent, 78.7% were books, most being physical books, as the e-book collections are still very small.

    Seinäjoki schools do not have large school libraries and there is a culture of Seinäjoki public library support for schools. The library has a contract with schools for co-operation and regular meetings with teachers. For example, library staff will give book talks, arrange author visits to schools, teach information retrieval skills and attend parents’ meetings to talk about reading, media skills and libraries.

    Mervi says:

    As the director of libraries in Seinäjoki, I have always been very interested in children's development as readers and in the relationship between schools and libraries. Fortunately my managers have always also understood the importance of these matters, and I have been given opportunities to work on these things. I'm also a writer and I write mainly for children and young adults. But I'm a mother too, and I have seen at close hand that learning to read can be very difficult for some children.

  • Introduction

    • By Joy Court, Joy Court is Reviews Editor for The School Librarian and Chair of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals
  • Edited by Joy Court
  • Book:
    Reading by Right
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp xix-xxxviii

  • Summary

    ‘There's not much you can do if you can't read well, is there?’

    This piece of wisdom from a 7-year-old boy in the North East of England is quoted in the 2015 Kids and Family Reading Report from Scholastic (2015). It encapsulates the purpose behind this book, which is to explore how we can, as library and education professionals, ensure that no child is left behind. Because reading is so fundamental to an individual's life and universal literacy is of such benefit to society as a whole it is hereby defined as a right.

    But of course literacy has actually been recognised as a human right for over 50 years in several international declarations and initiatives. Since its creation, UNESCO has promoted literacy as a right: in the 1975 Persepolis Declaration, the 1997 Hamburg Declaration and the 2006–2015 Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE). In March 2016 ELINET (the European Literacy Policy Network) published A Declaration of European Citizens’ Right to Literacy (Valtin et al., 2016). ‘Everyone in Europe has the right to acquire literacy. European Union Member, candidate and associate States should ensure that people of all ages, regardless of social class, religion, ethnicity and gender, are provided with the necessary resources and opportunities to develop sufficient and sustainable literacy skills and knowledge.’ This was published just three months before the UK voted to leave the EU. One can only hope that, whatever form the exit from Europe eventually takes, the UK government will in any case recognise its ongoing responsibility to develop literate citizens.

    Every child has a right to read and we have a social responsibility, as parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, booksellers, campaigners and policy makers to ensure that they are able to exercise that right. Sadly, it is not quite so simple to achieve that outcome as to state it! This introduction will examine the current state of reading in the UK and internationally and what the latest research tells us about children who are failing to read. Inevitably it will also examine the context in which schools and libraries are struggling to provide the support that potential readers need.

  • 5 - Alternatives to insurance

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 85-98

  • Summary

    Introduction

    In some organisations insurance is mandatory, while in others there is a choice of what to insure and when. Insurance can give a feeling of security and there may be concerns that anything less than full cover could be disastrous should anything go wrong. Even if the collection is not insured in situ, full cover is generally thought to be essential when an object is on the move.

    However, this is not necessarily the case. Just as home or travel insurance are matters of choice, insurance for your cultural collection can take many forms and may even be dispensed with under certain circumstances. Don't presume that you need insurance, or at least that you need full-value, nailto- nail insurance, at all times and under all circumstances. There is often little guidance on what to insure or whether to insure and without direction, museums often choose maximum cover, if they can. There is often a reluctance to seek alternatives to full market value and all-risks cover.

    Insurance companies may count on the anxieties of their customers when promoting their products. By warning of the consequences of being underinsured, they could be seen to be encouraging clients to take out more insurance than they may actually need. But it may not make financial sense for a homeowner to take out flood protection if there are no rivers in the vicinity. In the same way, the need for insurance for cultural items should be considered carefully.

    Government Indemnity

    The best alternative to commercial insurance in the UK is Government Indemnity (GI). Objects covered by GI are insured, as the Government bears the risk for any loss or damage. It is applicable to objects in exhibitions open to the public and to eligible organisations. All transactions must meet the highest standards in order to keep risks to a minimum and there are terms and conditions.

    If you are organising an exhibition, borrowing objects or taking them into your premises for a short period of time, you may be expected to provide insurance or indemnity for the period when the objects are in your care. If the value is low, it might be simpler to insure the items commercially. The items may also be below the threshold for GI cover.

  • Case studies: valuing different types of objects

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 155-182

  • Summary

    Anthropology and ethnography

    In a museum context, financial assessment of objects is only undertaken to establish the object's insurance value when it goes on loan. When assessing the value of ethnographic items, a wide array of questions and aspects should be considered. History, provenance, and marketability all have to be taken into account when trying to establish value and, according to individual cases, other aspects may be involved. When assessing insurance value, questions around the history of the object, its ‘pedigree’, and provenance are important; how well documented it is; how long it has been in the collection and whether it has been published. The use of the object may also affect value, for example, is the item considered to have been functional or decorative, art, craft or design? Other criteria would be the rarity of the item, if anything similar exists in another museum, whether there are any precious stones or materials and, most importantly, if there is a market for this type of item at the time of assessment.

    There are ethical considerations, such as illegally sourced or exported items or anything that infringes CITES or UNESCO guidelines. If items do not fall within the law, they may have no market and consequently no financial value. For acquisitions, museums have to be sensitive to ethical issues and consider how the item is going to be cared for, used and displayed and therefore what potential it has for use.

    Physical condition can be a factor in value, but not always. Many items are made from organic materials and are therefore intrinsically fragile. Ethnographic collec - tions tend to include nearly every imaginable material that exists in the world. Many are complex, composite and made up of tiny components such as beads, seeds, or shells.

    Some types of objects never appear on the market and so in the absence of current prices the value assigned is calculated on the cost of replacement. Some might think items can generally be replaced as long as they are still being produced but most objects are irreplaceable, as their pedigree is unique. When objects travel, however, insurance value must be established: monetary compensation would be sought if an item was lost or damaged so that it could be restored, or an alternative found to complete the collections if possible.

  • 3 - Law and ethics

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 39-60

  • Summary

    Introduction

    There is no such thing as ‘art law’ but there are several laws that apply to owning and transacting in cultural heritage. The number of variables in valuation make it an inexact science and it may be difficult to apply the certainties that the law requires. Another difficulty is that, unlike property, many cultural objects are moveable; histories may be lost and misunder - standings may occur.

    Many activities in museums, galleries, archives and libraries, such as loans, commissions or exhibitions, require agreements between two parties and as such, involve the law of contract. Other relevant legislation includes government statutes, laws of property and of transacting in cultural goods.

    Laws that may affect transacting in cultural goods

    Many of the laws, in the UK, that affect cultural goods are not aimed specifically at heritage collections. They may however, influence value, either because they add an element of risk to the purchase or because they may increase market price by requiring certification or incurring additional costs.

    Artist's resale rights

    These are the rights of an artist to gain a share of the sales price of their work when sold on the secondary market, subject to certain terms and conditions. Since they are based on a percentage of the sales price, the higher the value, the more the artist will receive. Artist's resale rights are paid by the seller so may increase the purchase price and affect value.

    Charity law

    Many collections are governed by charity law and bound by certain constraints. These may include providing values for the ‘assets’ or not being permitted to dispose of them.

    Contract

    The law of contract covers many transactions relating to cultural property. Copyright

    There is financial value in the copyright of a work of art or design apart from the value of the item itself. Owning the copyright as well as the object allows full control over its use and reproduction. Not owning the copyright may adversely affect the value of the object. The copyright may be sold separately from the object, or may be transferred with the object without payment.

  • Preface

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp xiii-xiv

  • Summary

    Assigning values to items in their collection is one of the many tasks of the curator, whether they work in a gallery, museum, archive or library, yet it is a role for which few have had any training and that many approach with a lack of confidence. Even if there is profound knowledge of the subject matter, there may be insufficient experience in the market for cultural objects. Besides, valuation is not an exact science and it is easy to get it wrong.

    Items in public collections are often under-valued or not valued at all. Valuation often takes place only for insurance purposes but there is the dilemma of whether to insure or not, making sure that objects are fully insured while at the same time trying to avoid high premiums and keeping costs low. In the UK, Government Indemnity can remove or reduce the cost of commercial insurance but does not remove the difficulty of determining values.

    This book will examine the issues around valuing objects in cultural collections. It will look at the difference between value and worth and at how cultural value can be translated into monetary terms. It will outline the arguments over whether financial values should be assigned at all, since many items will never be for sale and assigning a monetary value may lead to unforeseen consequences.

    The book will focus on fine art collections but will draw on a range of examples from high-value fine art to low- or no-value objects such as massproduced or everyday items. Examples describe current practice in museums, libraries and archives and advice is given on how to assign values.

    This book is aimed at the non-specialist who is required to assign values for a variety of reasons. Practical guidance is given on how to approach a valuation by making comparisons and by using a step-by-step process. There are some helpful templates listing the types of question to ask. Overall, the book is designed to give confidence in decision making.

    A study (by the author) commissioned by the European Union, placed valuation as one of the key issues in exchanging cultural collections. It is hoped that this book will address the issues and offer some solutions.

  • 7 - Valuing an entire collection

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 119-138

  • Summary

    Introduction

    As well as providing a value for individual items, there may be times when an entire collection has to be valued. If the collection already has a global value, it may be fairly simple to update the figures, depending on how much you think values have increased (or decreased) since the last valuation. Increases in value may vary for different areas of the collection, depending on what has happened in the market since the last assessment. Specific key items may have increased significantly.

    Most heritage collections are not listed as assets in the organisation's accounts and are seen as separate from operational assets such as buildings, furniture and computers. Even commercial organisations often list their art and cultural collections as ‘non-realisable assets’ and ring-fence them from the rest of the company. Libraries or archives may be impossible to value because of the large number of items and so an approximate global figure must be reached. Even key objects may amount to tens of thousands of items in a large collection.

    Semi-public institutions such as universities, learned societies and charities generally do not list cultural collections in monetary terms. There is often an unwritten rule that cultural collections form part of the heritage of an organisation and as such, should not be considered in financial terms. Archives and libraries are valued for their research potential rather than financial benefit. Keeping heritage collections off the balance sheet may also help prevent their potential sale to finance other parts of the organisation.

    Some organisations, however, are required to produce a total value for accounting purposes or simply for information. Producing a global value may happen once or might be required at regular intervals, such as in an annual statement of assets.

    There are many examples of recent valuation of an unvalued or partially valued collection leading to a sale. This may have caused some reluctance in disclosing values or in undertaking valuation at all. While this threat may never go away, responsible institutions will be open and transparent about their reasons for seeking a global valuation and will keep staff informed. If there is any intention of disposal, it should be done ethically, after all possibilities have been investigated and according to a policy or in accordance with guidelines such as the UK Museums Association's Deaccession and Disposal guidelines.

  • 1 - Introduction

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 1-16

  • Summary

    Background

    In 2011 the European Commission, as part of the Workplan for Culture, asked the author to undertake a study of valuing works of art in museums. The reason behind the request was that in earlier studies, the high cost of insurance had been cited as a major barrier to sharing museum collections across the continent. The survey, undertaken with Dr Cornelia Dümke, a German museum economist, examined the practice of assigning values to cultural items in public collections. The study consisted of devising and issuing a questionnaire and interviewing curators and collections managers in each EU country. The results of the survey, including some comments and concerns from those interviewed, were published.

    It became apparent that many of the people who were required to assign values felt unqualified to do so and had had little or no training. The report therefore came up with some suggestions on how to address concerns and produced guidance on how to undertake a valuation. In particular, it was decided to create a process to help curators to determine values. Several templates were produced which could take curators through a number of questions to ask when deciding on a value.

    The study generated a great deal of interest both within and outside the UK and led to a desire to share experiences and to examine the subject in a more open manner. There was particular interest in looking at alternatives to full-value, nail-to-nail insurance (see Chapter 4, p. 74) and a desire to learn more about how to assign a value. This book grew out of ongoing discussions on the subject.

    The idea of holding an entire conference on valuation was developed at the Natural History Museum, where the huge variety of different types of object presents considerable challenges in terms of valuation. The conference, covering all types of cultural collections, took place in April 2016.2 This book was already under way, but the ideas and expertise of the conference speakers as well as the ensuing debate, have been drawn upon to add up-to-date information and to give practical examples.

  • 8 - Assigning a value

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 139-154

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Assigning a value is often one of the responsibilities of the curator and with knowledge, training and confidence, it should be done well. It is important to work in consultation with colleagues and not to feel solely responsible for making the decision. A well reasoned and justified valuation depends on having good resources.

    On many occasions, sales price at auction far exceeds the guide price. Sometimes the sales price does not meet the reserve and the sale is withdrawn. This shows that even experienced, professional valuers often get the estimate wrong – but in fact there is no ‘wrong’ estimate. Selling an item at exactly the estimated value, such as the manuscript score of Mahler's Second Symphony, valued at £4.5 million, which sold for exactly that sum1, is rare and a matter of good luck as well as good judgement. Sales and auction houses therefore usually suggest a guide price or sliding scale. Museums, libraries and archives, on the other hand, generally have to set a specific sum, as valuations are usually for insurance purposes. Values in public collections can rarely be tested by putting the item on the market. This takes off some of the pressure to ‘get it right’, but as we have seen, there is no ‘right’, only an educated guess, based on the evidence.

    Background

    Anything can be given a financial value and anything can be measured. Examinations are designed to compare and rank students; job interviews rate applicants according to presentation, knowledge and suitability; competitions compare content, technique, and originality.

    In many types of application there is a tendering process listing the requirements for the position. For example, criteria such as experience, size of company, flexibility and costs can be used to compare candidates and given appropriate weightings.

    In a similar way, the various questions asked during a valuation can be weighted with percentages attached. For example, if the signature makes a particular manuscript important, this would have the highest rating of perhaps 50%, with other factors such as the rarity, condition, or relevance of the manuscript itself coming lower. Each type of item will have its own criteria for value. Assigning a value to a walrus tusk will require a different understanding from valuing a Bernini sculpture. The factors that affect the final decision will be different every time.

  • 3 - Becoming a reluctant reader

    • By Prue Goodwin, Prue Goodwin is a freelance lecturer in literacy and children's books who works chiefly for schools
  • Edited by Joy Court
  • Book:
    Reading by Right
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 33-50

  • Summary

    I thought books were boring and I thought reading was too. I used to read to keep the teacher happy.

    Introduction

    No child is born a reluctant reader. Ten year old Zarenu, who wrote the statement above, had somehow become reluctant to read over his five years of schooling. Between 1992 and 1994, Zarenu and his friends helped me with a research project into why children did not like to read. Comments by others included:

    I hated getting things wrong. I wished I could read it. It made me feel a bit nervous because I might be the only one who could not read properly. (Charlotte)

    Books are boring. I felt alone – that no one could help me. (Joseph)

    Just before these remarks were made, I had started in my new post as Director of INSET for the Reading and Language Information Centre (RALIC) at the University of Reading. As part of that role I was expected to do research into literacy learning. I knew what I wanted to research; it was a phenomenon I had seen in every class I taught – reluctance to read. I was not interested in the packages of materials promoted as ‘ideal for reluctant readers’, nor did I subscribe wholeheartedly to the then current trend of blaming television and new technology for youngsters’ lack of interest in books. Some pupils seemed to have lost interest in books of all kinds. I wanted to ask them why but there was never an opportunity to do that. As a researcher I could arrange to talk in confidence to as many youngsters as were willing to do so. Zarenu and his classmates were among many other children and teenagers who contributed to a two-year project which I hoped would help me to tackle this particular professional issue.

    Teachers and librarians are always concerned about youngsters who have difficulty learning to read. In some ways, even more concerning are those students who, despite the ability to do so, are unwilling to read. These are the reluctant readers, who find no pleasure in books and thus lack any incentive to read. The concerns of ‘literacy professionals’ reflect those of society in general, as life can be very uncomfortable for anyone who cannot read.

Reading by Right
  • Successful Strategies to Ensure every Child Can Read to Succeed
  • Edited by Joy Court
  • Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017
  • This book focuses on the importance of reading for pleasure and the difference that it can make to a person's life chances, with a focus upon how libraries and librarians help reluctant and struggling readers.

  • Appendix 2 - European Report, Valuation of Works of Art for Lending and Borrowing Purposes

  • Freda Matassa
  • Book:
    Valuing Your Collection
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 June 2017, pp 207-210

  • Summary

    Background

    This study was part of the European Collections Mobility project, launched in 2004, which was designed to encourage exchange of cultural collections throughout European Union states. The project looked at the barriers to increasing loans and set up work groups to address the various issues. These included indemnity, long-term loans, networking, contracts, digitisation and common standards. The project produced two books: Lending to Europe and Encouraging Collections Mobility, as well as shorter publications, training sessions and toolkits.

    One of the major barriers to collections mobility was found to be the high cost of insurance. Many organisations said they could not borrow items from abroad as they couldn't afford the insurance premium. This led to questions about the values of items in public collections and whether anything could be done to reduce premiums for items on loan.

    The authors were commissioned by the Directorate General for Education and Culture of the European Commission to undertake a study of the experience and practice of museums in all EU countries and to produce recommendations. An initial analytical report was published in 2011 and a broader study in 2012. Although the title refers to works of art, the authors included many different types of publicly held cultural collections.

    Objectives

    The objectives were:

  • To look at how museums assign values to objects.

  • To analyse the results and look at how governments and museums can address the issue of valuation.

  • To make recommendations on valuation of museum objects in order to reduce the high cost of insurance premiums.

    • Method

    Questionnaire: an initial questionnaire was issued for the analytical report to determine the size of the problem. Results suggested the need for a more indepth questionnaire targeting curators who undertook valuations of items in their own collections. Members of the OMC Group provided the authors with contact details for at least two museums in each country. The museums had to be significant borrowers of items from abroad.

    Interviews: In order to extend the enquiry beyond museums and to gain more knowledge of the subject, 25 interviews were carried out by the authors. They spoke to insurers, valuers and key government staff as well as to curators.

Page 106 of 293