Where have the items come from?
Like all museums in the UK, our collection has come together over many decades. It has come from private donations, transfers from other museums, objects from local businesses and industry, purchased items and bequests.

As standards change, the kinds of things that would come into the museum has also changed. In the past staff would take in multiples of the same items - something we do not do now as we are more aware of ongoing care costs. There are also items that were brought into the collection that are unstable. Some early plastics degrade into powder. This chemical process cannot be stopped so there is little value in keeping items that have degraded to a point where you can’t even tell what they once were. Some collecting was driven by different priorities and interests and led to items being taken in that don’t have any links to Falkirk or people from Falkirk.

How hard is it to look after something in a store? Why not just leave it all there?
Surprising as it may seem, museums are all about the future. We want your collections, your histories and stories to be around for future generations. To do that we need to actively engage in preventative conservation, which means making sure things are not getting damaged. 

Everything from light to pollution to humidity damages collections and often in very different ways.  We take many actions to protect the collection from only using acid-free paper and boxes, to making sure our storage areas are always dark. We keep a steady humidity in our stores to help protect the collections from mould and oxidisation. 
Different objects need different standards - so while Roman iron should be at a very low humidity, if we stored wood in that environment it would do irreparable damage. These different levels of care can require a lot of resources. Costumes, for example, must be carefully packed in a way that prevents creasing, which is very time consuming. Pest traps have to be monitored, items need to be photographed, catalogued, and audited, and research on objects is ongoing. We also have to be aware of new research on the best products to use in caring for the collection.   All of this takes time and resources which is why we want to make sure that we are doing the best for your collection and not wasting money on items that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

Why now? 
The museum store is due to close as the building is in a poor state of repair and it is impossible to care for a collection in a building that is coming to its end of life.  While this has made rationalisation more urgent, it is something we had been planning for some time as part of our wider collection management strategy. It is important to stress that this is not a reaction to the building closure or driven by goals to reduce the size of the collection by a specific amount. This process would be necessary anyway even if the building wasn’t closing. However, it makes sense to do it now and only move what we need to move rather than move the whole collection and then rationalise. 

What is the process for rationalisation?
We have developed a process flow and criteria documents in line with nationally agreed standards for this type of work. This guides our research and allows us to examine each of the objects in our collection against clear criteria – that’s over 36,000 items! Our team is working with other professionals across the industry, to make sure we follow sector standards. This means adhering to all laws, following the Museums Association guidance and the Museums Code of Ethics.  

Who will be involved?
The panel overseeing the work will include:

• the museum’s Curator
• the Archivist
• a representative from Museums Galleries Scotland
• a representative from Historic Environment Scotland
• a senior manager from our service 
• an elected member 
• experts from other museums who have agreed to be available throughout this process to provide expert opinions 

They will follow the process put in place and approved by councillors in May 2025. Their decisions will be guided by extensive research which will be undertaken on any items that are to be considered for rationalisation.

Through speaking to other museums and heritage groups we will also be able to place our items in a wider Scottish context which will be very important. 

Will donors be informed?
If for some reason a donated item becomes part of this process then we will contact the donor as per the paperwork they signed when donating. But many items that were donated will not be part of this process. If you have donated and we don’t contact you then it is because your items are being retained.

How can I get involved?
We know that many of our local heritage and community groups are interested in particular areas of Falkirk history. We will be sharing an online form for people to register their interest and make sure they are kept in the loop if we are considering rationalising items they may want to know more about. We’ll also be holding public sessions later in the year for people to come and talk to us about our collections.

What about the archives? 
This process only involves the museum collection, so the three-dimensional objects we hold. The archives, which are based at Callendar House and contain all the paper and photographic collections, are not part of this process.  They operate under a different set of standards and guidance to museums. However, we will be using their expertise as many of our museum items have connected paperwork in the archives and these connections will be considered when making decisions about items. Therefore, the archives will be key part of the research process.