Guides
Practical guides for small museums and historical societies
Plain-language how-tos for the work every collection needs — accepting donations, cataloging, numbering, and sharing your collection with the public — and how MuseumBuild handles each step.
Museum Collection Data Export and Open Standards
How a small museum keeps its collection data its own: regular exports, open standards, clean numbering, and a calm plan for leaving any system.
How to Accept a Museum Donation Properly
The right order for accepting a donation: temporary custody receipt, formal accession, and a signed deed of gift. A step-by-step guide for small museums.
Put Your Museum Collection Online Safely
Learn how to publish your museum's objects and stories online while keeping donor details, values, and locations private, with full control over what's shared.
How to Number Museum Objects
A plain-language guide to accession numbers and the year.accession.item format, so your small museum or historical society numbers objects correctly from day one.
How to Catalog a Museum Collection Step by Step
A practical guide for small museums and historical societies: how to start cataloging, number objects, track condition and location, and keep records current.