Considerations on the drafting work of the Preservation and Management Policy for Cultural Collections in Science and Health of Casa de Oswaldo Cruz – Fiocruz

Abstract

The Casa de Oswaldo Cruz (COC) is responsible for the preservation and valorization of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) institutional memory. Its professional team preserves historical buildings, urban sites, archival, library and museum collections which represent an important source of knowledge in the area of sciences and health in Brazil. The pertinence of a Preservation and Management Policy for Cultural Collections under the responsibility of COC is a result of the accumulated experience and matured understanding of the organization work processes and its management and planning tools. A working group, which drew representatives from the areas responsible for the preservation of cultural collections, initiated the drafting of the policy in the beginning of 2012 under the coordination of the Vice-Directorship for Information and Cultural Heritage. The first draft of the document establishes principles, guidelines orientations that govern management and preservation actions applicable to the cultural collections in science and health under the custodianship of COC. 

Its design was a collective effort that enjoyed the collaboration of ad hoc external consultants who evaluated the policy, as well as a period of internal hearing, and the submission to the COC’s Deliberative Council for approval. This process has contributed for a larger collaboration between the different organizational structures responsible for the preservation of the cultural collections. 

This paper attempts to consider the still on working drafting process of the Preservation and Management Policy for Cultural Collections in Science and Health and its outcomes.