Overview

This Standard is about providing information on specific aspects of cultural heritage to colleagues, funders or the public. Cultural heritage can refer to objects that are on display or in storage or to historic buildings, structures, sites, settings or intangible heritage.

It includes researching facts and stories, clarifying information requirements, providing information in the right format, encouraging questions, recording feedback and passing on requests outside your remit.

This standard is for anyone in a cultural heritage organisation is responsible for providing information on specific aspects of cultural heritage to colleagues, funders or members of the public.

 

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. use reliable sources to research the history of selected cultural heritage and the reasons why they came to be in a collection, on display or regarded as cultural heritage
  2. identify a selection of facts and stories about selected cultural heritage that might be of interest to other people
  3. clarify the relationship of selected cultural heritage to other cultural heritage objects, structures, sites, settings or intangible heritage under the remit of the organisation
  4. use appropriate communication techniques to identify and clarify the information requirements of other people
  5. provide current and relevant information on selected cultural heritage in accordance with the organisation's policies
  6. encourage other people to ask questions on selected cultural heritage at appropriate times
  7. identify further credible sources of information when information requirements are outside the scope of your completed research
  8. maintain the health and safety of people and the security of objects, structures, sites or settings in line with legislation and organisational procedures
  9. obtain information for other people as soon as possible after requests are made
  10. pass requests for information that are outside your responsibility or expertise to appropriate people
  11. record accurate details of feedback and requests from visitors and pass it to appropriate people in line with organisational procedures
  12. return any borrowed information materials within agreed time scales

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:                       

  1. research methodology and credible sources of information on the selected cultural heritage you are researching
  2. how to access information sources and use library and information systems
  3. objects, structures, sites, settings and intangible heritage under the remit of the organisation and the type of relationships they have to each other
  4. what objects, structures, sites, settings and intangible heritage are of most interest to visitors, and what types of facts and stories are usually requested by them
  5. legislation and organisation policies and procedures relating to health and safety of people and security of cultural heritage objects, structures, sites and settings
  6. how to assist visitors with special needs and identify people who might need help
  7. communication techniques to clarify other people’s requirements, respond to enquiries and encourage others to ask questions
  8. organisational policies and procedures relating to provision of information to colleagues, funders and the public including when it is appropriate to give it orally and when to produce materials
  9. how to conduct informal tours and provide information, instructions and directions to the public
  10. how to produce instructions and guidance materials on selected cultural heritage
  11. how to ensure that information on selected cultural heritage is current and relevant
  12. how to seek assistance from colleagues
  13. how to produce customer feedback reports and keep records of customer requests