Code of Ethics

The ethical management of collections is a vital aspect of maintaining the objects held in the publictrust. While various codes of ethics exist for different types of institutions and roles within the field, thisCode of Ethics and Professional Practices for Collections Professionals has been developed based on thespecific activities and responsibilities of collections professionals. This code of ethics and professionalpractices is part of the American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) Framework for Museum Excellence andshould be used in conjunction with the AAM Code of Ethics for Museums, the overarching statement of values of and for the museum field.

Although the fiduciary duty of care—the legal requirement to oversee the proper care of the cultural
institution and its assets—ultimately rests with the governing body of the institution, collections
professionals play a primary role in carrying out and operationalizing it. Staff, volunteers, and trustees
(e.g., board members) engaged in the stewardship of collections for the public benefit must be primarily
concerned with upholding the integrity of the profession in support of this duty of care.

Cultural institutions are legally obligated to maintain certain standards; these requirements represent
only the baseline for legal compliance. Collections professionals are held to higher standards—principles
that are less concise and more nuanced than laws and regulations; they must adhere to the profession’s
ethical guidelines. Ethical considerations govern the daily activities of collections professionals, and they
are inherent within all policies, procedures, and responsibilities ascribed to collections and registration
personnel. Failure to uphold both the legal requirements and ethical standards of the profession could
lead to a breach not only in the duty of care, but also in the fiduciary responsibility—to adhere to the
rules, regulations, policies, and principles that inform the mission and purpose of the institution.

Code of Ethics and Professional Practices for Collections Professionals

Rev. February 21, 2021

Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists | Collections Stewardship Professional Network of the
American Alliance of Museums