SIST ISO 18461:2017

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 18461
First edition
2016-03-01
International museum statistics
Statistiques internationales des musées
Reference number
ISO 18461:2016(E)
©
ISO 2016

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ISO 18461:2016(E)

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ISO 18461:2016(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Terms and definitions . 1
2.1 General . 1
2.2 Types of museums . 2
2.3 Governing authority of museums . 4
2.4 Museum services and use . 5
2.5 Collections and processes relating to collections . 8
2.6 Access and facilities .13
2.7 Income and expenditure .13
2.8 Management .14
2.9 Museum staff .16
3 Structure and tasks of museums .16
3.1 General .16
3.2 New technologies and digitizing .17
3.3 Renewed interest in the visitor .17
3.4 Intangible cultural heritage .17
3.5 Social impact of museums .18
4 Uses and benefits of museum statistics .18
4.1 Background .18
4.1.1 General.18
4.1.2 Objectives .18
4.1.3 Quality .18
4.2 Selection of statistics for the museum .19
4.3 Use of statistics .19
4.3.1 General.19
4.3.2 External communication .19
4.4 Presenting statistics to stakeholders .19
5 Reporting statistical data .20
5.1 General .20
5.2 Time period to which data refer .20
5.3 Data estimated by sample .20
6 Collecting statistical data .21
6.1 General .21
6.2 Museums .21
6.2.1 Type of collection .21
6.2.2 Geographical coverage of the collections.21
6.2.3 Type of presentation (if applicable) .22
6.2.4 Governing authority .22
6.2.5 Ownership of the permanent collection .22
6.2.6 Counting sites of museums .23
6.3 Museum services and their use .23
6.3.1 General.23
6.3.2 Opening times .23
6.3.3 Entrance fees to permanent exhibitions .23
6.3.4 Visits .24
6.3.5 Temporary physical exhibitions .24
6.3.6 Virtual exhibitions .25
6.3.7 Events .25
6.3.8 Virtual events .25
6.3.9 Guided tours .25
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ISO 18461:2016(E)

6.3.10 Programmes .26
6.3.11 Virtual programmes .26
6.3.12 Publications .26
6.3.13 Museum website .26
6.3.14 Online services .27
6.3.15 Collection information available online (at the end of the reporting period) .27
6.3.16 Services for mobile devices offered by the museum.27
6.3.17 Social network services .27
6.3.18 Loans .27
6.3.19 Special services .27
6.4 Collections .28
6.4.1 Total collection at the end of the reporting period .28
6.4.2 Accessions.28
6.4.3 Deaccessions/withdrawals .28
6.4.4 Mode of acquisition .28
6.4.5 Percentage of objects in the collection on display .28
6.4.6 Documentary coverage of the collection .28
6.5 Income and expenditure .29
6.5.1 Operating (ordinary) expenditure .29
6.5.2 Capital expenditure .30
6.5.3 Income and funding .30
6.6 Space .30
6.6.1 Gross floor area .30
6.6.2 Net usable area for museum functions .30
6.6.3 Net usable area by function .31
6.6.4 Barrier-free access .31
6.7 Management .31
6.7.1 Preservation/conservation .31
6.7.2 Digitization.31
6.8 Museum staff (at the end of the reporting period) .32
6.8.1 Paid staff .32
6.8.2 Volunteers .32
6.8.3 Internships and trainees .32
6.8.4 Staff training .32
Annex A (informative) Subdivision of collection counts .33
Bibliography .37
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ISO 18461:2016(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information.
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 46, Information and documentation,
Subcommittee SC 8, Quality — Statistics and performance evaluation.
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ISO 18461:2016(E)

Introduction
This International Standard provides guidance to the museum community on the collection and
reporting of statistics
— for the purpose of strategic planning and internal management of museums,
— for reporting to stakeholders such as funding institutions, politicians, or the public,
— to promote the museums’ role and value for learning and research, education and culture, social and
economic life, and
— for comparing and aggregating results at a regional, national or international level.
Clause 2 and Clause 6 form the core of this International Standard. Clause 2 provides definitions for
most of the elements which constitute a museum or museum service; these are for statistical purposes
only. Clause 6 recommends how each of these elements should be counted. Users will need to consult
both clauses for the complete information.
In order to show the setting in which the defined museum services appear, Clause 3 describes the
current structure and tasks of museums. Annex A gives a structure for differentiated collection counts.
Describing and publicizing museum activities consistently can only be realized if data collection in
museums follows the lines of this International Standard. As far as possible, museums should collect all
data named in this International Standard that concern their activities.
This International Standard will be maintained by a Working Group that will monitor developments
and incorporate additional statistical measures as needed.
This International Standard has been developed in close cooperation with International Council
on Museums (ICOM) and takes advantage of, particularly, the work of European Group on Museum
Statistics (EGMUS) and of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (US).
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 18461:2016(E)
International museum statistics
1 Scope
This International Standard specifies rules for the museum community on the collection and reporting
of statistics. It provides definitions and counting procedures for all types of resources and services that
museums offer to their users.
It is recognized that not all measures specified in this International Standard can be collected by
museums of different type and size. The aim is to ensure that, where a particular statistic is collected,
the same definitions and methods are used.
This International Standard is not intended to exclude the use of methods not specified in it. There
are many different types of museums, with different tasks and audiences, having a range of unique
characteristics (structure, funding, governance, etc.), and affected by a number of situational factors.
Since there is such a wide variation around the world, it is important to understand that not all methods
described in this International Standard may be required by or useful to all museums.
2 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
2.1 General
2.1.1
archival records
record (2.8.11) of the same provenance accumulated by an organization or person in the course of the
conduct of affairs, and preserved because of their enduring value
2.1.2
archives
organization or part of an organization responsible for selection, acquisition (2.5.2), preservation (2.8.9)
and availability of one or more sets of archival documents
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:—, 4.2.3.01 — modified]
2.1.3
cultural heritage
legacy of physical objects and intangible attributes of a group or a society that are inherited from past
generations, maintained and protected in the present and preserved for future generations
2.1.4
library
organization, or part of an organization, the main aim of which is to facilitate the use of such information
resources, services and facilities as are required to meet the informational, research, educational,
cultural or recreational needs of its users
Note 1 to entry: The supply of the required information resources can be accomplished by building and
maintaining a collection (2.5.9) and/or by organizing access to information resources.
Note 2 to entry: These are the basic requirements for a library and do not exclude any additional resources and
services incidental to its main purpose.
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.1.6]
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ISO 18461:2016(E)

2.1.5
museum
non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public,
which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage
of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment
Note 1 to entry: Natural, archaeological and ethnographic monuments and sites and historical monuments and
sites of a museum nature are included, if they maintain a collection (2.5.9) similar to museums.
Note 2 to entry: Zoos (2.2.17), aquaria (2.2.1), arboreta (2.2.2) and botanic gardens (2.2.5) are included, but
should be reported separately.
Note 3 to entry: Collections in institutions of higher education that serve only the purposes of teaching and study
are excluded.
Note 4 to entry: Conservation institutes and exhibition galleries in libraries and archives centres are included if
they conform to the definition of museum.
Note 5 to entry: To conform to the definition it is not necessary that an institution be called a museum, but that it
has the role and function of a museum.
[SOURCE: ICOM, Museum definition, 2007]
2.1.6
museum site
location of a museum (2.1.5)
Note 1 to entry: Only sites operated by the museum itself are included.
2.2 Types of museums
2.2.1
aquarium
establishment that maintains a collection (2.5.9) of live aquatic animals and plants for display to the
public, study, and conservation
2.2.2
arboretum
botanic garden (2.2.5) devoted to trees
2.2.3
archaeology museum
museum (2.1.5) owing all or a part of its collections (2.5.9) to excavations
[SOURCE: UNESCO classification]
2.2.4
art museum
museum (2.1.5) concerned with works of visual art
Note 1 to entry: Includes museums of sculpture, picture galleries, museums of photography and cinema, and
museums of architecture.
Note 2 to entry: Commercial art galleries are excluded.
2.2.5
botanic garden
establishment where plants are grown for scientific study and display to the public
Note 1 to entry: Arboreta (2.2.2), herbaria (2.2.9), etc. are included.
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ISO 18461:2016(E)

2.2.6
ecomuseum
museum (2.1.5) which is managed by local communities and aims to showcase and protect important
elements of an area’s cultural and natural heritage
2.2.7
ethnography and anthropology museum
museum (2.1.5) concerned with subjects relating to culture, social structure, beliefs, customs,
traditional arts, etc.
Note 1 to entry: Adapted from the UNESCO classification.
2.2.8
general museum
museum (2.1.5) which has mixed collections (2.5.9) and cannot be identified by a predominant field
Note 1 to entry: “Universal museums” are considered “general museums”.
Note 2 to entry: Adapted from the UNESCO classification.
2.2.9
herbarium
establishment that maintains a collection (2.5.9) of dried plants for display to the public, study and
conservation
2.2.10
history museum
museum (2.1.5) concerned with the history of a defined geographic area or a cultural group of people
over a limited period or over the centuries
Note 1 to entry: Includes museums with collections (2.5.9) of historical objects, commemorative museums,
military museums, museums on historical persons, etc.
Note 2 to entry: Adapted from the UNESCO classification.
2.2.11
living history museum
museum (2.1.5) which recreates historical settings to simulate past time periods
2.2.12
natural history museum
museum (2.1.5) concerned with subjects relating to one or several disciplines such as biology, geology,
botany, zoology, palaeontology and ecology
Note 1 to entry: Adapted from the UNESCO classification.
2.2.13
open-air museum
museum (2.1.5) that exhibits buildings and objects out-of-doors, often in archaeological sites, past
industrial or mining heritage sites and settings of recreated landscapes of the past, and which includes
the site around the buildings
2.2.14
science and technology museum
museum (2.1.5) concerned with exact sciences or technologies such as astronomy, mathematics, physics,
chemistry, medical science, computing, engineering, and applied sciences
Note 1 to entry: Planetaria and science centres are included.
Note 2 to entry: Adapted from the UNESCO classification.
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2.2.15
specialized museum
museum (2.1.5) concerned with all aspects of a single subject
Note 1 to entry: Examples for single subjects are “cats” or “Jonathan Swift”.
Note 2 to entry: Adapted from the UNESCO classification.
2.2.16
virtual museum
online-only museum (2.1.5) without physical building or physical collection (2.5.9)
Note 1 to entry: Physical museums with online presence are excluded.
Note 2 to entry: Virtual museums can also be denoted as online museum, hypermuseum, digital museum,
cybermuseum or web museum.
2.2.17
zoo
establishment that maintains a collection (2.5.9) of live animals, typically in a park or in gardens, for
display to the public, study, and conservation
2.3 Governing authority of museums
2.3.1
governing authority
body with legal and fiduciary responsibility for the museum (2.1.5) and for approving museum policy
Note 1 to entry: The governing authority can be represented by a Board of Trustees.
2.3.2
locally/regionally governed museum
museum (2.1.5) governed by local or regional authorities (province, county, city, town, etc.).
2.3.3
other public-governed museums
museum (2.1.5) governed by other public authorities
Note 1 to entry: Foundations or associations registered under private law but governed by the state are included.
Note 2 to entry: Museums governed by state universities are included.
2.3.4
private-governed museum
museum (2.1.5) governed by private entities (such as non-profit organisations registered under private
law), families or individuals
Note 1 to entry: Foundations or associations registered under private law but governed by the state are excluded.
2.3.5
public/private partnership museum
museum (2.1.5
...