Collections Management Program

Why

The Cupertino Historical Society & Museum is proud to have over 5,000 items in our collection including manuscripts, graphics, photographs, books, artifacts, and other historically relevant objects. A key part of our mission is to preserve these artifacts and make them and their stories accessible to our community and the greater public.

What

Staff, interns, and volunteers conduct inventories, ensure proper storage and protection of items using professional supplies and techniques, preform both conservation and restoration of delicate artifacts, evaluate and accept donations to the collection, process incoming and outgoing loans, and maintain paper and digital records. We also fulfill research requests from the public, querying our own databases and records as well as searching online or in other knowledge repositories. As part of our mission to foster the curiosity and education of our community, the collection management team also provides digital images, articles, and records to be posted on our website for public access.

We use PastPerfect, a database software, to maintain records of our extensive collection. Our current software package was a one-time license purchase. It is installed on a single desktop computer in the museum office. We are in the process of transitioning from Past Perfect 5 Desktop to Past Perfect Web Edition. This software upgrade will improve staff efficiency and capability by providing easier access to multiple authorized users and implementing more modern, streamlined database tools and features. This upgrade requires review and validation of our records, testing and training in partnership with Past Perfect technicians.

When

Collection management is a year-round process. The software upgrade from Past Perfect 5 Desktop to Past Perfect Web Edition began in 2023. We are in a third review stage in 2026, with ambitions of completing the transition by 2027.

Who

• Jana Kilpatrick, Staff — Jana is a researcher, exhibit curator, and lead collection manager.
• Anya Nazarova, Staff — Anya assists with collection management and supports with adjacent tasks such as website maintenance and administration.
• Bruce Parsons, Treasurer — Bruce supports the team with collection-related expenses, including the acquisition of supplies and the expenses of technical services, subscriptions, and equipment. Bruce is the primary contact and project lead for the Past Perfect Web Edition upgrade.
• Mike Foulkes, Board President — As Board President, Mike leads discussions and decision-making with the Board.

How to Help

1. In order to preserve our collection and maintain our digital records, we rely on our talented staff, insights from subject matter experts, and support from hard-working interns and volunteers. Join us as a volunteer, intern, consultant, or paid staff and get involved in improving storage solutions and making records publicly available for research and browsing! Positions can be tailored to fit your unique skills, ideas, and interests. If you are interested in becoming a member of our team, please reach out to our Board President (president@cupertinomuseum.org).
   • Collection managers fill out paperwork (such as accession and loan forms), ensure artifacts are appropriately stored and protected, maintain our digital records, and conduct inventories.
   • Researchers fulfill research requests from our community and gather supplementary information to enrich our records.
   • Collection Interns learn how to professionally care for artifacts, manage the collection, and maintain the digital database.
   • Adminsitrative Assistants support with collections paperwork, database management, and technical tasks.
   • Database Managers specifically focus on the Past Perfect database, especially focusing on supporitn the transition from Desktop to Web Edition versions.
   • Volunteers help transport items to and from off-site locations.
2. Collections require various supplies, services, and other expenses for preservation and records management. Donate to help us fund the collection management program! Your contributions will go towards expenses such as those listed below.
   • Acid-free pH balanced boxes of varying sizes are used to preserve and group items in storage.
   • Archival-grade sleeves and bags of varying sizes are used to preserve photographs and delicate paper items.
   • Acid-free and pH balanced paper tags are used to label objects with their accession number for easy identification and retreival
   • Buffered acid-free tissue is used to cushion and wrap delicate items in storage boxes
   • Polyester photo and document tape is used to carefully adhere structural reinforcements and packaging
   • The exhibit space itself is within the Quinlan Community Center, which provides air conditioning and janitorial services.
   • Our use of database software depends on reliable access to the museum computer and internet, which occasionally require maintenance efforts and costs.
   • Upgrading our database software from Past Perfect 5 Desktop to Past Perfect Web Edition will incur both the one-time costs of implementing the upgrade and the continuing subscription costs of hosting our database in the cloud.
   • Cloud hosting and online availability of our database will depend on the upkeep of our website, on which the database will be linked/hosted. This includes the labor and costs of maintenance, domain licenses, security packages, and domain email accounts.
   

   Donation:

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3. This project cannot stand alone by itself. It needs other CHSM projects to move forward so that we have opportunities to display our well-preserved items and showcase them to our community. Support for the following additional projects would also support collection management:
   • The Exhibits Program which coordinates opportunities for artifacts to be taken out of storage and shown to the public.
   • The Traveling Trunk Program which brings the collection to audiences in an interactive presentation.