SIST ISO 21246:2021

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 21246
First edition
2019-11
Information and documentation —
Key indicators for museums
Information et documentation — Indicateurs clés des musées
Reference number
ISO 21246:2019(E)
©
ISO 2019

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ISO 21246:2019(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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ISO 21246:2019(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Functions and quality aspects of museums .11
4.1 Core functions of museums .11
4.1.1 Collecting .11
4.1.2 Preserving .11
4.1.3 Exhibiting (Presenting) .11
4.1.4 Educational activities .12
4.1.5 Research .12
4.1.6 Management .12
4.2 Quality aspects of museums .12
5 Key indicators for museums .13
5.1 General .13
5.2 Criteria for museum indicators .13
5.3 Use of museum indicators .14
5.4 Selection of museum indicators .14
5.5 Comparability of results .14
5.6 Descriptive framework .15
5.6.1 General.15
5.6.2 Name .15
5.6.3 Background.15
5.6.4 Objective of the indicator .15
5.6.5 Scope .15
5.6.6 Definition of the indicator.15
5.6.7 Method .15
5.6.8 Interpretation and use of results .16
5.6.9 Source(s) .16
6 List of key indicators for museums .16
6.1 General .16
6.2 Museum functions and key indicators .16
6.2.1 Collections .16
6.2.2 Exhibitions .16
6.2.3 Digitization.17
6.2.4 Visits/Visitors/General awareness .17
6.2.5 Educational activities and events .17
6.2.6 Research .17
6.2.7 Management .17
6.3 List of key indicators for museums .17
Annex A (normative) Description and calculation of indicators .20
Annex B (informative) Checklist of additional information for the quality assessment
of museums .66
Bibliography .68
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ISO 21246:2019(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 of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 46, Information and documentation,
Subcommittee SC 8, Quality — Statistics and performance evaluation.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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ISO 21246:2019(E)

Introduction
This document provides guidance to the museum community on the use of key museum indicators. It
specifies the requirements of a key indicator for museums and establishes a set of indicators to be used
by museums of all types.
Some of the indicators included in this document are already in use by museums, or have been proposed
in recent museum literature. Other indicators have been taken from library standards and adapted to the
requirements of museums. Annex A describes the key indicators that have been found useful for quality
assessment of museums. The data specified in Annex B can be used for complementing and supporting
the information gained by using the key museum indicators, though they are not in themselves such
indicators. This document has been developed in close cooperation with the International Council on
Museums (ICOM) and takes advantage of, particularly, the work of the European Group on Museum
Statistics (EGMUS).
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 21246:2019(E)
Information and documentation — Key indicators for
museums
1 Scope
This document specifies a set of key indicators for assessing the quality of museums:
— for the purpose of strategic planning and internal management of museums;
— for reporting to stakeholders such as funding institutions, policy makers, or the public;
— to promote the museums’ role and value for learning and research, education and culture, social and
economic life;
— for comparing results over time and between museums.
The aim of this document is to provide a selection of key indicators applicable to a wide range of
museums. It is recognized that not all indicators are pertinent for each individual museum category or
each individual museum. Limitations on the applicability of individual indicators are listed in the scope
clause of the description of each indicator (see Annex A).
This document is not intended to exclude the use of other indicators not specified in it.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
accessibility
ease of reaching and using a service or facility
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.2]
3.2
accession
addition
formal act of entering an object into the collections of a museum
Note 1 to entry: Once an object has been accessioned, it has a status beyond that of merely being the property
of the organization and can only be disposed of by referring to the governing body of the organization, e.g. the
trustees or director.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.1]
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ISO 21246:2019(E)

3.3
accession register
itemized list or record of the objects properly added to a museum collection during a specified
period of time
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.1]
3.4
acquisition
process of gaining legal possession of an object for a museum collection through purchase, donation
(3.16), bequest, transfer or fieldwork
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.2]
3.5
capital expenditure
expenditure which results in the acquisition (3.4) of, or addition to, fixed assets
Note 1 to entry: This includes expenditure on building sites, new buildings and extensions, furnishings and
equipment for new and expanded buildings, computer systems (hardware and software), etc. When applicable,
local and national sales/purchase taxes [e.g. Value Added Tax (VAT)] are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.6.1]
3.6
catalogue
collection of records filing/storing relevant information about an object in a museum collection
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.2, modified — The phrase “all known” has been excluded.]
3.7
cataloguing
process of recording and filing/storing relevant information about an object in a museum collection
Note 1 to entry: Such information can include origin, age, creator, title (e.g. for works of art), physical description
(materials and/or techniques used in its making, physical dimensions), use, provenance, etc. of the object.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.3, modified — The phrase “all known” has been excluded]
3.8
collection
body of acquired objects held in title by a museum
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.9]
3.9
collection management
all practices and procedures implemented by a museum in acquiring, documenting, handling, accessing,
cataloguing (3.7), storing, securing, lending, conserving and disposing of collection objects
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.10]
3.10
collection policy
museum’s scope and its aims, practices and procedures of collection management (3.9)
Note 1 to entry: The collection policy also identifies the kinds of objects a museum will collect, the terms and
conditions governing acquisitions and the deaccession policy.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.11]
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ISO 21246:2019(E)

3.11
conservation
preservation measures and actions applied to prevent, arrest or delay deterioration of a document
(3.15) or other material object
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.12.1.01]
3.12
digital collection
all objects in digital form in the museum collection, whether born digital or digitized
Note 1 to entry: Documents (3.15) are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.13]
3.13
digitization
process of converting analogue materials into digital form
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.3.15]
3.14
digitized object
digitally reproduced object
Note 1 to entry: A two-dimensional or three-dimensional object is counted as digitized if its metadata and at
least one image of it are available in digital format.
Note 2 to entry: Documents such as autographs, books or audiovisual documents are counted as digitized if their
metadata and their contents are available in digital format.
Note 3 to entry: Documents (3.15) are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.15]
3.15
document
recorded information or material object which can be treated as a unit in a documentation process
Note 1 to entry: Documents can differ in form and characteristics.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.1.1.38, modified — Note 1 to entry of ISO 2789:2013, 2.3.17 has been
included.]
3.16
donation
gift
acquisition (3.4) without monetary compensation but with change of ownership and legal title
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.6.2.2.11]
3.17
educational services
learning sessions and learning materials and programmes in all formats for children and adults for the
purpose of enhancing skills and knowledge
Note 1 to entry: This includes the provision of services for schools and the cooperation with other partners in
preparing and offering educational services.
[SOURCE: ISO 21248:2019, 3.22, modified — The phrase “in library and information use” has been
excluded and the terms “and knowledge” added. Note 2 to entry has been omitted.]
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ISO 21246:2019(E)

3.18
effectiveness
measure of the degree to which given objectives are achieved
Note 1 to entry: An activity is effective if it maximizes the results it was established to produce.
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.15]
3.19
efficiency
measure of the utilisation of resources to realize a given objective (3.35)
Note 1 to entry: An activity is efficient if it minimizes the use of resources, or produces better performance with
the same resources.
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.16]
3.20
evaluation
process of determining the effectiveness (3.18), efficiency (3.19), utility and relevance of a service or
facility
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.19]
3.21
event
pre-arranged singular activity having an intent within the mission (3.28) of the museum
Note 1 to entry: The activity would usually be of a cultural, educational, social, political or scholarly nature,
and would take the form of lectures, film screening, theatre performances, round table discussions, vernissage,
finnisage, museum night, etc.
Note 2 to entry: Events can be organized inside or outside the museum premises.
Note 3 to entry: Events inside the museum premises organized by institutions outside the museum without the
museum’s participation should be counted separately.
Note 4 to entry: Guided tours, programmes, exhibitions and virtual events are excluded.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.5]
3.22
exhibition
curated display of museum objects or other items of cultural heritage on a clear concept and
communicating a message
Note 1 to entry: Exhibitions can take place inside or outside the museum premises.
Note 2 to entry: Exhibitions can be temporary or permanent.
Note 3 to entry: Virtual exhibitions are excluded.
Note 4 to entry: Exhibitions inside the museum premises organized by institutions outside the museum without
the museum’s participation should be counted separately.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.6]
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ISO 21246:2019(E)

3.23
full-time equivalent
FTE
measurement equal to one staff person working a full-time work schedule for one year
Note 1 to entry: For example, if out of three persons employed as museum employees, one works quarter-time,
one works half-time, and one works full-time, then the FTE of these three persons would be 0,25 + 0,5 + 1,0 = 1,75
employees (FTE).
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.23]
3.24
goal
desired state of affairs to be achieved by the implementation of agreed policies
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.24]
3.25
income generated
income generated by museum operations and from fees, charges, subscriptions and donations (3.16)
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 6.6.3, modified — the term “library” has been replaced by “museum”. The
phrase “that is available to the library for expenditure” has been excluded.]
3.26
inventory
itemized list or record of all objects contained in a museum collection during a specified period of time
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.7]
3.27
loan
lending of an object in the museum’s collection to, or borrowing an object from, other collecting
organisations, private collectors, or agencies
Note 1 to entry: Deposits (permanent loans) are counted separately.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.7]
3.28
mission
statement approved by the authorities formulating the organization's goals (3.24) and its choices in
services and products development
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.33]
3.29
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 similar to museums.
Note 2 to entry: Zoos, aquaria, arboreta and botanical gardens 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.
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ISO 21246:2019(E)

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]
3.30
museum employee
person who works for a museum in return for payment
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.7.1, modified — The term “library” has been replaced by “museum”.]
3.31
museum key indicator
numerical, symbolic or verbal expression assessing the activity of a museum in view of its mission (3.28)
Note 1 to entry: The indicators can be derived from museum statistics and from other data used to characterize
the museum activities.
3.32
museum staff research publication
research publication by museum staff on professional and academic subjects
Note 1 to entry: Includes publications in all formats, and presentations at conferences.
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.5.4, modified — The term “library” has been replaced by “museum”.]
3.33
museum website
unique domain on the Internet consisting of a collection of web pages that is published by a museum to
provide access to the museum’s services and resources
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.2.18, modified — The term “library” has been replaced by “museum”. Notes
to entry 1 to 3 have been omitted.]
3.34
object
item which forms part of a museum’s collection
Note 1 to entry: For objects in natural science collections the term “specimen” is generally used.
Note 2 to entry: Documents (3.15) are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.24]
3.35
objective
specific target for an activity to be attained as a contribution to achieving the goal (3.24) of an
organization
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.34]
3.36
online access
successful request of a museum-provided online service
Note 1 to entry: An online access is one cycle of user activities that typically starts when a user connects to a
museum-provided online service and ends by a terminating activity that is either explicit (by leaving the service
through log-out or exit) or implicit (timeout due to user inactivity).
Note 2 to entry: Online accesses to the museum website are counted as virtual visits.
Note 3 to entry: If possible, requests by robots/web crawlers should be excluded.
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ISO 21246:2019(E)

[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.2.1, modified — The term “access” has been changed to “online access”. The
term “library” has been replaced by “museum”. Note 3 to entry has been omitted.]
3.37
online catalogue
database of records and images describing objects of one or more museums presented for public access
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.11]
3.38
open access
unrestricted access to information, documents (3.15) or information services
Note 1 to entry: This does not necessarily imply that the access is free of charge.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.11.1.05, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.39
opening hours
hours in a normal week when the museum is accessible to visitors
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.6.4]
3.40
permanent exhibition
long-term exhibition
exhibition showing, over a long period of time, objects which are in long-term custody of the museum
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.13]
3.41
physical visit
act of entering the museum premises with the aim of experiencing its exhibitions, programmes or other
services directed towards the public
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.14, modified — The terms “into one or all of the parts of” have been
deleted, and the phrase “with the aim of experiencing its exhibitions, programmes or other services
directed towards the public” has been added.]
3.42
preservation
all measures taken, including financial and strategic decisions, to maintain the integrity and extend the
life of documents (3.15) or collections
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.1.39, modified — Notes 1 and 2 to entry have been omitted.]
3.43
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities which transform inputs into outputs (e.g. preparing an
exhibition, cataloguing, lending, reference service)
[SOURCE: ISO 16439:2014, 3.50]
3.44
professional staff member
museum employee (3.30) who has graduated at university level or in a special training course in the
museum sector and whose duty requires professional education or experience
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ISO 21246:2019(E)

3.45
programme
pre-arranged on-going and repeatable activity having an intent within the mission of the museum
Note 1 to entry: The activity would usually be of a cultural, educational, social political or scholarly nature, and
would take the form of workshops, travel programmes, courses for school classes, etc.
Note 2 to entry: Programmes can be organized inside or outside the museum premises.
Note 3 to entry: Programmes inside the museum premises organized by institutions outside the museum without
the museum’s participation should be counted separately.
Note 4 to entry: Events, guided tours, exhibitions and virtual events are excluded, but are counted separately.
Note 5 to entry: Virtual programmes are included, but should be counted separately.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.15]
3.46
project
unique process, consisting of a set of coordinated and controlled activities with start and finish dates,
undertaken to achieve an objective conforming to specific requirements, including the constraints of
time, cost and resources
Note 1 to entry: An individual project can form part of a larger project structure.
Note 2 to entry: Adapted from ISO 9000:2015.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.10]
3.47
record
set of data on one person, object or event (3.21), selected and presented for a predefined purpose
Note 1 to entry: The record can include elements such as title, creator, subject, description, date of origin, etc.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.11]
3.48
reliability
degree to which a measure repeatedly and consistently produces the same result
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.44]
3.49
restoration
actions taken to return a document (3.15) or other material object which has suffered deterioration or
damage as closely as practicable to its original state
Note 1 to entry: In archival restoration, no attempt is made to recreate missing text, etc., and all restoration work
is kept clearly evident.
[SOURCE: ISO
...

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019
01-oktober-2019
Informatika in dokumentacija - Ključni kazalniki za muzeje
Information and documentation - Key indicators for museums
Information et documentation - Indicateurs clés des musées
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: ISO/DIS 21246:2019
ICS:
01.140.20 Informacijske vede Information sciences
oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019

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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/DIS 21246
ISO/TC 46/SC 8 Secretariat: KATS
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:
2019-04-11 2019-07-04
Information and documentation — Key indicators for
museums
Information et documentation — Indicateurs clés des musées
ICS: 01.140.20
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL. IT IS
THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY
NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD UNTIL PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO
BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STANDARDS TO
WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN
Reference number
NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO/DIS 21246:2019(E)
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED
TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS,
NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT
RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO
©
PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. ISO 2019

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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019
ISO/DIS 21246:2019(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019
ISO/DIS 21246:2019(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Functions and quality aspects of museums .12
4.1 Core functions of museums .12
4.2 Quality aspects of museums .13
5 Key indicators for museums .13
5.1 General .13
5.2 Criteria for museum indicators .14
5.3 Use of museum indicators .14
5.4 Selection of museum indicators .15
5.5 Comparability of results .15
5.6 Descriptive framework .15
5.6.1 General.15
5.6.2 Name .15
5.6.3 Background.15
5.6.4 Objective of the indicator .16
5.6.5 Scope .16
5.6.6 Definition of the indicator.16
5.6.7 Method .16
5.6.8 Interpretation and use of results .16
5.6.9 Source(s) .16
6 List of key indicators for museums .17
6.1 General .17
6.2 Museum functions and key indicators .17
6.3 List of key indicators for museums .18
Annex A (normative) .20
Annex B (informative) Checklist of additional information for the quality assessment
of museums .65
Bibliography .67
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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019
ISO/DIS 21246:2019(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 of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso
.org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 46, Information and documentation,
Subcommittee SC 8, Quality - Statistics and performance evaluation.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019
ISO/DIS 21246:2019(E)

Introduction
This document provides guidance to the museum community on the use of key museum indicators. It
specifies the requirements of a key indicator for museums and establishes a set of indicators to be used
by museums of all types.
Some of the indicators included in this document are already in use by museums, or have been proposed
in recent museum literature. Other indicators have been taken from library standards and adapted to
the requirements of museums. Annex A specifies how the indicators shall be calculated and used. Annex
B lists additional statistical information for the quality assessment of museums.
This document has been developed in close cooperation with ICOM (International Council on Museums)
and takes advantage of, particularly, the work of EGMUS (European Group on Museum Statistics).
© ISO 2019 – All rights reserved v

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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019

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oSIST ISO/DIS 21246:2019
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/DIS 21246:2019(E)
Information and documentation — Key indicators for
museums
1 Scope
This document specifies a set of key indicators for assessing the quality of museums:
— for the purpose of strategic planning and internal management of museums;
— for reporting to stakeholders such as funding institutions, policy makers, or the public;
— to promote the museums’ role and value for learning and research, education and culture, social and
economic life;
— for comparing results over time and between museums.
The aim of this document is to provide a selection of key indicators applicable to a wide range of
museums. It is recognized that not all indicators are pertinent for each individual museum category or
each individual museum. Limitations on the applicability of individual indicators are listed in the scope
clause of the description of each indicator (see Annex A).
This document is not intended to exclude the use of other indicators not specified in it.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 18461:2016, International museum statistics
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this International Standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https: //www .iso .org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
3.1
accessibility
ease of reaching and using a service or facility
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.2]
3.2
accession
addition
formal act of entering an object into the collections of a museum
Note 1 to entry: Once an object has been accessioned, it has a status beyond that of merely being the property
of the organization and can only be disposed of by referring to the governing body of the organization, e.g. the
trustees or director.
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[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.1]
3.3
accession register
itemized list or record of the objects properly added to a museum collection during a specified
period of time
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.1]
3.4
acquisition
process of gaining legal possession of an object for a museum collection through purchase, donation,
bequest, transfer or fieldwork
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.2]
3.5
capital expenditure
expenditure which results in the acquisition of, or addition to, fixed assets
Note 1 to entry: This includes expenditure on building sites, new buildings and extensions, furnishings and
equipment for new and expanded buildings, computer systems (hardware and software), etc. When applicable,
local and national sales/purchase taxes [e.g. Value Added Tax (VAT)] are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.6.1]
3.6
catalogue
collection of records filing/storing relevant information about an object in a museum collection
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.2, modified — the terms “all known” have been excluded.]
3.7
cataloguing
process of recording and filing/storing relevant information about an object in a museum collection
Note 1 to entry: Such information can include origin, age, creator, title (e.g. for works of art), physical description
(materials and/or techniques used in its making, physical dimensions), use, provenance, etc. of the object.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.3, modified — the terms “all known” have been excluded]
3.8
collection
body of acquired objects held in title by a museum
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.9]
3.9
collection management
all practices and procedures implemented by a museum in acquiring, documenting, handling, accessing,
cataloguing, storing, securing, lending, conserving and disposing of collection objects
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.10]
3.10
collection policy
museum’s scope and its aims, practices and procedures of collection management
Note 1 to entry: The collection policy also identifies the kinds of objects a museum will collect, the terms and
conditions governing acquisitions and the deaccession policy.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.11]
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3.11
conservation
preservation measures and actions applied to prevent, arrest or delay deterioration of a document or
other material object
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.12.1.01]
3.12
digital collection
all objects in digital form in the museum collection, whether born digital or digitized
Note 1 to entry: Documents are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.13]
3.13
digital object
object that has been digitally created or digitized by the museum or has been acquired in digital form
Note 1 to entry: Documents are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.14]
3.14
digitization
process of converting analogue materials into digital form
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.3.15]
3.15
digitized object
digitally reproduced object
Note 1 to entry: A two-dimensional or three-dimensional object is counted as digitized if its metadata and at
least one image of it are available in digital format.
Note 2 to entry: Documents such as autographs, books or audiovisual documents are counted as digitized if their
metadata and their contents are available in digital format.
Note 3 to entry: Documents are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.15]
3.16
document
recorded information or material object which can be treated as a unit in a documentation process
Note 1 to entry: Documents can differ in form and characteristics.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.1.1.38, modified — Note 1 to entry of ISO 2789:2013, 2.3.17 has been
included.]
3.17
donation
gift
acquisition without monetary compensation but with change of ownership and legal title
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.6.2.2.11]
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3.18
educational services
learning sessions and learning materials and programmes in all formats for children and adults for the
purpose of enhancing skills and knowledge
Note 1 to entry: This includes the provision of services for schools and the cooperation with other partners in
preparing and offering educational services.
[SOURCE: ISO/DIS 21248:2018, 3.22, modified — the terms “in library and information use” have been
excluded and the terms “and knowledge” added. Note 2 to entry has been omitted.]
3.19
effectiveness
measure of the degree to which given objectives are achieved
Note 1 to entry: An activity is effective if it maximizes the results it was established to produce.
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.15]
3.20
efficiency
measure of the utilisation of resources to realize a given objective
Note 1 to entry: An activity is efficient if it minimizes the use of resources, or produces better performance with
the same resources.
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.16]
3.21
evaluation
process of determining the effectiveness, efficiency, utility and relevance of a service or facility
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.19]
3.22
event
pre-arranged singular activity having an intent within the mission of the museum
Note 1 to entry: The activity would usually be of a cultural, educational, social, political or scholarly nature,
and would take the form of lectures, film screening, theatre performances, round table discussions, vernissage,
finnisage, museum night etc.
Note 2 to entry: Events can be organized inside or outside the museum premises.
Note 3 to entry: Events inside the museum premises organized by institutions outside the museum without the
museum’s participation should be counted separately.
Note 4 to entry: Guided tours, programmes, exhibitions and virtual events are excluded.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.5]
3.23
exhibition
curated display of museum objects or other items of cultural heritage on a clear concept and
communicating a message
Note 1 to entry: Exhibitions can take place inside or outside the museum premises.
Note 2 to entry: Exhibitions can be temporary or permanent.
Note 3 to entry: Virtual exhibitions are excluded.
Note 4 to entry: Exhibitions inside the museum premises organized by institutions outside the museum without
the museum’s participation should be counted separately.
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[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.6]
3.24
full-time equivalent
FTE
a measurement equal to one staff person working a full-time work schedule for one year
Note 1 to entry: For example, if out of three persons employed as museum employees, one works quarter-time,
one works half-time, and one works full-time, then the FTE of these three persons would be 0,25 + 0,5 + 1,0 = 1,75
employees (FTE).
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.23]
3.25
goal
desired state of affairs to be achieved by the implementation of agreed policies
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.24]
3.26
income generated
income generated by museum operations and from fees, charges, subscriptions and donations
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 6.6.3, modified — the term “library” has been replaced by “museum”. The
phrase “that is available to the library for expenditure” has been excluded.]
3.27
inventory
itemized list or record of all objects contained in a museum collection during a specified period of time
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.7]
3.28
inventory control
process of establishing the physical presence of all objects in a museum for which that museum has
custody and is legally responsible
Note 1 to entry: This includes objects in the collection, objects on loan to the museum, and objects in custody of
the museum.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.8.8]
3.29
loan
lending of an object in the museum’s collection to, or borrowing an object from, other collecting
organisations, private collectors, or agencies
Note 1 to entry: Deposits (permanent loans) are counted separately.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.7]
3.30
mission
statement approved by the authorities formulating the organization's goals and its choices in services
and products development
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.33]
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3.31
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 similar to museums.
Note 2 to entry: Zoos, aquaria, arboreta and botanical gardens 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]
3.32
museum employee
person who works for a museum in return for payment
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.7.1, modified — the term “library” has been replaced by “museum”.]
3.33
museum key indicator
numerical, symbolic or verbal expression assessing the activity of a museum in view of its mission
Note 1 to entry: The indicators can be derived from museum statistics and from other data used to characterize
the museum activities.
3.34
museum site
location of a museum
Note 1 to entry: Only sites operated by the museum itself are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.1.6]
3.35
museum staff research publication
research publication by museum staff on professional and academic subjects
Note 1 to entry: Includes publications in all formats, and presentations at conferences.
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.5.4, modified — the term “library” has been replaced by “museum”.]
3.36
museum website
unique domain on the Internet consisting of a collection of web pages that is published by a museum to
provide access to the museum’s services and resources
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.2.18, modified — The term “library” has been replaced by “museum”. Notes
to entry 1 to 3 have been omitted.]
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3.37
object
item which forms part of a museum’s collection
Note 1 to entry: For objects in natural science collections the term “specimen” is generally used.
Note 2 to entry: Documents are included.
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.5.24]
3.38
objective
specific target for an activity to be attained as a contribution to achieving the goal of an organization
[SOURCE: ISO 11620:2014, 3.34]
3.39
online access
successful request of a museum-provided online service
Note 1 to entry: An online access is one cycle of user activities that typically starts when a user connects to a
museum-provided online service and ends by a terminating activity that is either explicit (by leaving the service
through log-out or exit) or implicit (timeout due to user inactivity).
Note 2 to entry: Online accesses to the museum website are counted as virtual visits.
Note 3 to entry: If possible, requests by robots/web crawlers should be excluded.
[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.2.1, modified — The term “access” has been changed to “online access”. The
term “library” has been replaced by “museum”. Note 3 to entry has been omitted.]
3.40
online catalogue
database of records and images describing objects of one or more museums presented for public access
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.11]
3.41
open access
unrestricted access to information, documents or information services
Note 1 to entry: This does not necessarily imply that the access is free of charge.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.11.1.05, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.42
opening hours
hours in a normal week when the museum is accessible to visitors
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.6.4]
3.43
operating expenditure
ordinary expenditure
expenditure incurred in the running of a museum
Note 1 to entry: Operating expenditure refers to money spent on staff and on resources that are used and replaced
regularly. This includes expenditure on employees, rent, computer network (operations and maintenance),
telecommunication, building, maintenance, utilities (electricity, water, sewage, heating, etc.), repair or
replacement of existing furnishings and equipment, events, etc. This can also be termed 'current' or 'recurrent'
expenditure. When applicable, local and national sales/purchase taxes [e.g. Value Added Tax (VAT)] are included.
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[SOURCE: ISO 2789:2013, 2.63, modified — the term “library” has been replaced by “museum”. The
terms “acquisitions and licensing” have been excluded in Note 1 to entry.]
3.44
permanent exhibition
long-term exhibition
exhibition showing, over a long period of time, objects which are in long-term custody of the museum
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.13]
3.45
physical visit
act of entering the museum premises with the aim of experiencing its exhibitions, programmes or other
services directed towards the public
[SOURCE: ISO 18461:2016, 2.4.14, modified — the terms “into one or all of the parts of” have been
deleted, and the phrase “with the aim of experiencing its exhibitions, programmes or other services
directed towards the public” has been added.]
3.46
preservation
all measures taken, including financial and strategic decisions, to maintain the integrity and extend the
life of documents or collections
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.1.39, modified — Notes 1 and 2 to entry have been omitted.]
3.47
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities which transforms inputs into outputs (e.g. preparing an
exhibition, cataloguing, lending, reference service)
[SOURCE: ISO 16439:2014, definition 3.50]
3.48
professional staff member
museum employee who has graduated at university level or in a special training course in the museum
sector and whose duty requires professional education or experience
3.49
programme
pre-arranged on-going and repeatable activity having an intent within the mission of the museum
Note 1 to entry: The activity would usually be of a cultural, educational, social political or scholarly nature, and
would take the form of workshops, travel programmes, courses for school classes, etc.
Note 2 to entry: Programmes can be organized inside or outside the museum premises.
Note 3 to entry: Programmes inside the museum premises organized by institutions outside the museum without
the museum’s participation should be counted separately.
Note 4 to entry: Events, guided tours, exhibitions and virtual events are excluded, but are counted separately.
Note 5 to entry: Virtual programmes are included, but should be counted separately.
[SOURCE
...