De-accessioning Of Collections

This thesis is a study of the De-accessioning of Collections in the Glenbow Museum in Canada. Based on the study, both the reasons for success and the disadvantage of that could be found. And it is a useful reference for improving the conceptions, theories, practices of the collection de-accessioning in Chinese museums.Part One. It defines the conceptions, and summarizes the researches and laws on the de-accessioning collections in China. The conceptions defines is ensure from the comparison of the conceptions in China and abroad. The collections disposal, not only de-accessioning, are included in the study summarizing, because the studies of de-accessioning are so limited before. Then it is necessary to begin the study of de-accessioning collections when the problems and reasons of them were found. Concretely, the theories and practices of the collections washing out is laggard to the developing of museums in China, because the problems of capital and ownership. And the developing of government's attitudes and the laws of collections disposal rests with the developing government's cognition. The faultiness of the laws of de-accessioning collections results from the history, conceptions and situations of our country, and puzzles the museum operations. But, the researches of collection disposal is urgent because the hard problems of overstock in most museums in China.Part Two. It introduces of the history of the Glenbow Museum and the research on the successful de-accessioning of collections in it. The history of Glenbow Museum lays particular stress on the reasons why there so many disordered collections with low using efficiency. The introductions of the analyses and studies of de-accessioning of collections show the whole process and background, and afford the bases of the analyses in Part Three.Part Three. Finding out the reasons for the success of the collection de-accessioning in the Glenbow Museum by a completely analysis, but the disadvantages also. The success comes from both exterior and interior factors. The exterior factors contain two parts, domestic and abroad, also. For example, the preferable international museum laws; impulse from the reformations of politics and economy in the capitalism countries (USA, especially); the experiences of the collection de-accessioning in the museums abroad (USA, especially); the advancement of the laws of museum in Canada; the impulse from reformation of economy in Canada; the change of social environment; the research of the collection de-accessioning in Canadian museum and so on. And the interior factors contain the ownership of the Glenbow Museum; the conceptions of the collection de-accessioning (the cognition of rationality, opening, innovation); constituting the rule of the collection washing out. And the disadvantages, the fulsome wariness, mercantile tendency and so on, are found also. The conclusion is that the de-accession of collections is rationality in theory and maneuverability in practices, which is very important for the developing of museums.On all accounts, the de-accessioning of collections satisfies the individuality requires and improves the disposition of collections in museum. The museum and government should pay more attentions to the studies and practice of the de-accessing of collections bases on their conditions.