A collections management policy is a set of policies that address various aspects of collections
management. This policy defines the scope of a museum’s collection and how the museum cares for and
makes collections available to the public. A collections management policy also explains the roles of the
parties responsible for managing the museum’s collections.
Institutions with living collections may use different terminology for the policy and processes that govern
the management of their plants or animals. Museums that do not own collections but borrow and use
objects owned by others should have policies in place regarding borrowing items.