Form CAP Site Questionn CAP Site Questionn CAP Site Questionnaire

DRAFT: 7/14/16

Site Questionnaire

This questionnaire will help your institution and your assessors prepare for the site visit. Answer each question to the best of your ability, engaging additional staff members as necessary. Your assessors will use this questionnaire as a guide during the pre-visit phone call and site visit. You should be prepared to provide additional information (or identify the best member of your staff to provide that information) on these topics as requested by your assessors.

Please review the information you provided in your application. If any information has changed, please describe the changes below.

Your assessors may request copies of additional information before the site visit. In anticipation of those requests, please indicate if you have access to any of the following: (check all that apply)

 Organizational chart

 Collections management policy^

 Collections management forms (such as accession^ forms, temporary custody forms, loan forms, reproduction and use policies, etc.)

 Collections inventory^

 Copies of previous reports (such as collections assessments, building assessments,

preservation^ or conservation^ plans, studies from prior work, etc.)

 Emergency Preparedness Plan^

 Architectural drawings

 HVAC specifications

 Data logger files^

 Annual building maintenance plan

 Photographs of the site

 Pest management protocol

General Information

Institution Name: _____________________________________________

Web address: _________________________________________________________

Project Contact Name: ________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________

Email: ________________________________

Organizational Structure

Is your organization governed by a board?  Yes  No

If yes, how many members are on the board? ____________

What is their term of service? _________years

Does your institution operate seasonally?  Yes  No

If yes, please provide a phone number where you can be reached in the off-season.

_________________________

What hours is your institution open to the public each day? Please be as specific as possible, indicating any changes by day of the week or season. (e.g. – From May 1 through September 30, we are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. all 7 days per week. From October 1 through April 30, we are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday only.)

Building Concerns

Is there is a history of recurring problems in any of the following areas? (Check all that apply.)

 basement flooding/wet basement

 wall condensation

 window condensation/leaks

 roof leaks

 plumbing leaks

 cold water pipe condensation

 stained walls

 stained ceilings

 electrical problems

 blown fuses/tripped circuits

 exterior structural problems

 interior structural problems

 flooding on grounds

 other facility problems (specify): __________________________________________

Pest Control

Has your institution ever had a pest problem (insects, rodents, birds, bats, etc.)?

 Yes  No

If yes, please describe the type of pest and what (if anything) has been done to address the problem.

Have you ever observed mold, mildew, or fungi on or around collections?

 Yes  No

If yes, what (if anything) has been done to address the problem?

Do you have a pest management (prevention and control) program?

 Yes  No

Do you hold special events (such as parties, receptions, rental events, etc.)?  Yes  No

If yes, where? ____________________________________________________________

Where is food prepared or consumed in the building? ___________________________________

Security

Within the last five years, has there been vandalism at your site?  Yes  No

Do you have any of the follow security measures for the collections? (check all that apply)

 locks on storage doors

 locked gates/cages

 assigned keys

 locked exhibition cases

 sign in/out logs

 closed circuit television

 perimeter alarms

 security guards

 restricted entry systems (e.g. – key cards or fobs)

 other (specify): ______________________________________

Emergency Preparedness

Has any part of the collection been damaged by natural or other disasters in the past five years?

 Yes  No

If yes, explain: ____________________________________________________________

Do you have a written emergency preparedness plan^ that includes directives for the

collections?

 Yes  In development  No  Don’t know

Do you have insurance policies for the collections?

 Yes  In development  No  Don’t know

Do you maintain off-site records/photographs of the collections?

 Yes  No

If yes, where? ____________________________________________

Do all buildings have smoke alarms?  Yes  No

Do you have a fire detection that reports directly to the fire department or security

company?  Yes  No

Do you have a fire suppression system?  Yes  No

If yes, what type of fire suppression system do you have? (Check all that apply.)

 wet pipe sprinkler system

 dry pipe sprinkler system

 gas fire suppression system, such as Halon

 hand-held extinguishers, such as ABC, water, or CO2

 Other (specify): __________________________________________________

Questions for Museums and Historic Sites

Collections Control

Approximately what percentage of the permanent collection is:

Inventoried^ _______%

Cataloged^ _______%

Are any collections materials used in hands-on, educational activities?  Yes  No

If yes, what types of objects are used for this purpose?

Loans

Does your museum lend objects to or borrow from other institutions?  Yes  No

If yes, approximately what percentage of objects currently on display in exhibitions are borrowed from other institutions? ________%

Does your staff perform condition reports^ before and after the loan of objects?

 Yes  No

Does your museum use a contract that specifies terms for the loan of objects?

 Yes  No

If yes, does the contract include insurance provisions?

 Yes  No

Staff Training

Which person is primarily responsible for collections care? (List name and title) ________________________________________

Does this person’s job description reflect these activities?

 Yes  No  Don’t know  Not applicable

Is there a conservator^ on staff?  Yes  No

Is formal training provided for staff (paid or nonpaid) in any of the following areas?

collections preservation^ activities  Yes  No  Not applicable

object handling  Yes  No  Not applicable

labeling/marking objects  Yes  No  Not applicable packing/unpacking techniques  Yes  No  Not applicable

building maintenance and repair  Yes  No  Not applicable

general housekeeping and cleaning  Yes  No  Not applicable

Please use this space to share any additional information about staff training.

Conservation Activities

Does your museum have a long-range conservation plan for collections?

 Yes  Plan under development  No  Don’t know

Have you ever obtained conservation services on a contractual basis?  Yes  No

If yes, how often have you obtained conservation services in the past 5 years? (check one)

 0 times  1-2 times  3-5 times  More than 5 times

Exhibitions

Approximately what percentage of the collection is typically on exhibition? ________%

Are there permanent exhibitions?  Yes  No

If yes, are objects in permanent exhibitions rotated on and off exhibit?  Yes  No

Are there temporary exhibitions?  Yes  No

If yes, how often do the temporary exhibitions change? ____________________________

Are collections materials displayed in areas other than the exhibition galleries (e.g., offices, entrance, outdoors, offsite, etc.)?  Yes  No

If yes, where? ____________________________________________________________

Storage

Are storage spaces organized by: (check all that apply)

 size

 material

 accession^ number/collection number

 object type

 not organized

 other (specify): ____________________________________________

Who has access to storage areas? ______________________________________________________________________________

Are collections storage areas used for other purposes (such as office space, cataloging, etc.)?

 Yes  No

If yes, describe:

Does your museum have temporary storage or preparation areas?

 Yes  No

Climate Control and Environment

Do buildings that house collections have a central heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system?  Yes, ALL buildings that house collections have HVAC systems

 Yes, SOME buildings that house collections have HVAC systems

 No buildings have HVAC systems

Do any buildings with an HVAC system have separate temperature zones within the centralized system?  Yes  No

Do any buildings with an HVAC system have separate humidity zones within the centralized system?  Yes  No

Do you believe the system is working properly?

 Yes  No

What are the typical temperature and humidity set points for collections storage and

exhibition areas? ______________________________________

Are there different settings for evening/unoccupied times?

 Yes  No

Is there an air filtration system connected to the HVAC system?  Yes  No

Are any of the following used in the building: (check all that apply)

 portable humidifier

 portable dehumidifier

 space heater

 window air conditioner

Are doors and/or windows ever propped open?  Yes  No

Are environmental conditions monitored in any part of the building?  Yes  No

If so, what type of monitoring equipment is used? (Check all that apply.)

 thermometers

 sling psychrometer

 hygrometers

 recording hygrothermographs

 thermo-hygrometers

 data loggers

 battery operated psychrometer

 other (specify): ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________________________

Illumination

What types of lighting are used in exhibition and storage spaces? (Check the boxes for all that apply.)

	Natural Daylight	Fluorescent Light	Incandescent light	Tungsten halogen	LED
Exhibition spaces
Storage spaces

Is UV filtration installed in any part of the building?  Yes  No

Are light levels monitored in any part of the building?  Yes  No

If yes, where?

 all areas with collections (exhibits, storage, etc.)

 some areas with collections, but not all

If yes, what light monitoring equipment do you use? (Check all that apply.)

 footcandle or lux meter

 photo light meter

 surface temperature thermometer

 ultraviolet (UV meter)

Questions for Arboreta and Botanical Gardens

Greenhouse Information

What type of environmental control is used in your greenhouse(s)?

 single zone  multiple zones

If multiple zones, number of independently controlled zones ______

What form of ventilation is used in your greenhouse(s)?

 vents  fans  screens  other

Does the greenhouse have low and high temperature alarms?  Yes  No

Does the greenhouse have a backup heating and power generating capacity?  Yes  No

Collections and Collections Policies

Approximately what percentage of the permanent living collection is inventoried?^ _______%

What do you believe to be threats to the collection? (check all that apply)

 invasive plants

 overuse of trails

 erosion

 diseases

 air pollution

 urban sprawl

 severe weather/storms

 vandalism

 severe animal browse

 insects

 other (specify): ____________________________

Does the institution lend objects to or borrow from other institutions?  Yes  No

If yes, does the institution use a contract that specifies terms for the loan of objects?

 Yes  No

If yes, does the contract include insurance provisions?

 Yes  No

Do you track plant records through a digital software system?  Yes  No

If yes, which software? __________________________________

Staff Training

Which person is primarily responsible for collections care? (List name and title) ________________________________________

Does this person’s job description reflect these activities?

 Yes  No  Don’t know  Not applicable

Is formal training provided for staff (paid or nonpaid) in any of the following areas?

collections care  Yes  No  Not applicable

labeling/marking specimen  Yes  No  Not applicable

environmental management  Yes  No  Not applicable

building maintenance and repair  Yes  No  Not applicable

general housekeeping and cleaning  Yes  No  Not applicable

Please use this space to share any additional information about staff training.

Questions for Zoos and Aquariums

Collections and Collections Policies

Is your institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums?  Yes  No

Approximately what percentage of the permanent collection is inventoried?^ _______%

What was the date of the last inventory?

How does your institution maintain animal records? (check all that apply)

 paper  computer/digital

Does your institution have a policy of disposition of surplus animals?

 Yes  No

Staff

Does your institution employ a full-time veterinarian?  Yes  No

If not, how are veterinary needs met?

How often does a vet visit? __________________________________________________

How many full-time animal care specialists are on staff? _________________

How many part-time animal care specialists are on staff? _________________

Loans

Does your organization lend objects to or borrow from other institutions?  Yes  No

If yes, does your organization use a contract that specifies terms for the loan of objects?

 Yes  No

If yes, does the contract include insurance provisions?

 Yes  No

Climate Control and Environment

Do all buildings that house collections have a central heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system?  Yes  No

Do you believe the systems are working properly?  Yes  No

Are environmental conditions monitored in any part of the buildings?  Yes  No

If so, what type of monitoring equipment is used?

 thermometers

 sling psychrometer

 hygrometers

 recording hygrothermographs

 thermo-hygrometers

 data loggers

 battery operated psychrometer

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