Auxiliary collections as active collections
The case of Estonia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5701336 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jana Reidla (0009-0002-8629-9412, Department of Ethnology, Institute of Cultural Research, University Tartu, Tartu, Estonia, corresponding author), Ene Kõresaar (0000-0002-9611-0460, University of Tartu) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 1391-1403 |
| Publication date | 2023-12-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Heritage Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1352-7258 • E-ISSN: 1470-3610 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13527258.2023.2263752 |
| OpenAlex | W4387222249 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 21 |
This article explores a recent trend in Estonian museums – the increase in the auxiliary collections against the background of the general slowdown in the development of the main collections. The article demonstrates that the rise of auxiliary collections occurred because of the tension between the regime of eternal preservation supported by the national heritage practice and the new museum practice of active collections implemented by the museums. Based on a study of 20 state-administered museums, the article examines the ambivalent status of the auxiliary collection by juxtaposing its legal and practice-based conceptualisations. The article will demonstrate that auxiliary collections confer on museums the necessary buffer zone to navigate the state's regulations and the lack of resources. In the context of the eternal preservation regime, an auxiliary collection is a liminal collection waiting to be made meaningful by administrative, curatorial, and preservation processes. However, auxiliary collections tend to dominate exhibitions and programs that understand heritage as emerging through active co-creation and sensory engagement. The rise of the significance of auxiliary collections can be anticipated vis-à-vis the national heritage repository plans as they offer solution for museums to maintain their relevance in the local communities
Ambivalence · Archaeology · Collection development · Collections management · Estonian · Exhibition · Library science · Liminality · National heritage · Political science · Sociology · Archaeological Research and Protection · Computer Science · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · History · Law · Museology · Museums and Cultural Heritage
Anthropology and Heritage Regimes
Museum Materialities
Identity and the Controversial Experiences of Museum Researchers
Curators With and Without Collections
The Liminal Collection
Museums as Agents of Social Inclusion
Embedding civil engagement in museums
The relevant museum
Objects and the Museum
Reinventing the Museum
Values and Heritage Conservation
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |