Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activities; Documenting, Managing and Preserving Department of the Interior Museum Collections Housed in Non-Federal Repositories
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Department of the Interior wants to hear what people think about their plan to collect information on museum things they keep outside of the government. This will help them take care of a lot of museum items, but they want to make sure it’s not too hard for people or museums to give them the information they need.
Summary AI
The Department of the Interior's Office of Acquisition and Property Management is seeking public comments on a proposal to renew an information collection regarding its museum collections held in non-Federal repositories. This effort aims to manage and preserve approximately 73 million museum objects and archives totaling over 86 million linear feet. The information collected is essential for proper management and compliance with relevant regulations, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The public is invited to share their views on the necessity, burden, and methods of the proposed data collection by March 15, 2021.
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of Acquisition and Property Management, Office of the Secretary, Department of the Interior are proposing to renew an information collection.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The Federal Register document outlines a call for public comments by the Department of the Interior's Office of Acquisition and Property Management. They are proposing to renew an information collection initiative related to managing and preserving museum collections housed in non-Federal repositories. This effort involves collecting detailed records and information from museums, academic institutions, and others that possess museum pieces officially owned by the Department of the Interior.
General Summary
The purpose of this document is to renew the data collection process, which is governed by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Department seeks to understand and manage its vast museum collections, including archaeological artifacts and biological specimens, especially those stored outside Federal repositories. The initiative also aims to ensure compliance with laws like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Public comments are encouraged to discuss the necessity, practicality, and potential improvements of this process before the deadline on March 15, 2021.
Significant Issues and Concerns
One significant issue is the voluntary nature of the response, which raises concerns about uneven data quality or incomplete records from critical repositories. The large variance in estimated response time—from 1 to 12 hours—further complicates participation, especially for smaller museums that may lack the necessary resources. Additionally, while the document asserts there are no non-hour burden costs, it does not account for potential indirect expenses like staff training or technology upgrades.
Moreover, the language used in the document may be overly complex, which could deter participation from those who find it difficult to navigate or understand the requirements. Importantly, it remains unclear how the Department calculated the burden estimate of 3,600 hours, which might affect perceived workload by respondents. Lastly, references to the Interior Collection Management System (ICMS) and the Museum Collection Management System (MCMS) without explanation could confuse those not familiar with these systems.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, this document impacts the American public by aiming to improve the management and accessibility of national museum collections. Better documentation and compliance with standards could enhance educational, cultural, and research opportunities related to these collections. However, incomplete data due to voluntary responses may limit the initiative's effectiveness.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For museums and institutions managing these collections, the renewed information collection process could impose significant burdens. The high variance in response time suggests that some organizations might face substantial workloads. The lack of clarity around non-hour costs and the complexity of the language used might further complicate compliance, particularly for smaller institutions with limited resources.
Overall, while the initiative carries the potential to enhance the management of national museum collections, its success heavily depends on addressing concerns related to voluntary participation, estimated burdens, and comprehensibility.
Issues
• The document repeatedly emphasizes that responding to the information collection is voluntary, which might lead to inconsistent data quality or missing data from crucial repositories.
• The estimated completion time per response ranges from 1 hour to 12 hours, which is a large variance and may deter some organizations from participating, especially if the task is too time-consuming relative to available resources.
• The document mentions no estimated annual non-hour burden cost, which could overlook indirect costs such as training staff to comply with data entry or technology acquisition, leading to a lack of clarity in assessing the true burden.
• The language used to describe the necessity and utility of the information collection process is somewhat complex and could be simplified to enhance understanding and encourage participation.
• There is no explicit explanation or criteria provided for how the burden estimate (3,600 hours) was calculated, leading to potential ambiguity in the assessment of respondent workload.
• The notice refers to the Interior Collection Management System (ICMS) and its successor, the Museum Collection Management System (MCMS), without explaining their differences, which might confuse those not familiar with these systems.