Spectrum Collections Management Standard

Spectrum is the UK museum collections management standard maintained by Collections Trust, adopted internationally for organizing and documenting museum collections. The standard provides a comprehensive framework encompassing 21 procedures, ranging from object entry and acquisition through cataloguing, conservation, and deaccessioning.

Currently at version 5.1, Spectrum offers guidance applicable to both digital and paper-based systems, though numerous commercial partners have developed collection management systems that support some or all of the Spectrum procedures. Available free for non-commercial use and in multiple languages including Welsh, German, and Swedish, Spectrum represents global best practice for museum documentation and collections stewardship.