By The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has revamped its security, collection tracking, and emergency preparedness policies following a high-profile audit that exposed significant vulnerabilities in how the institution manages its millions of artifacts.
A follow-up report released by Denver Auditor Timothy M. O’Brien, CPA, confirms the museum successfully implemented 30 of 35 recommendations originally issued in September 2024. The initial audit shocked local culture officials by revealing that over 2.1 million items—nearly half of the museum’s 4.3-million-piece collection—remained uncatalogued, while physical security gaps left collection vaults susceptible to unauthorized access.
Over the past two years, museum leadership overhauled core operations to safeguard both public assets and priceless natural history specimens.
A Blueprint for Disasters
Among the most critical upgrades is a comprehensive overhaul of the museum’s disaster and emergency response strategy. Staff conducted rigorous risk assessments to evaluate potential threats, including fires, plumbing failures, flood events, and pest infestations.
For the first time, DMNS developed a prioritized salvage and evacuation list. In the event of a catastrophic incident, emergency responders and curation staff now have clear protocols detailing which rare artifacts must be evacuated first. The museum also updated its continuity-of-operations plan and instituted a mandatory schedule for regular staff emergency drills.
Securing the Collection
To address inventory tracking, museum officials implemented formal collection guidelines and instituted strict auditing routines for items on loan to or from outside institutions.
Physical security measures were similarly tightened. The museum overhauled its badging and key management protocols, establishing a rigorous system to revoke facility access promptly when staff or volunteers leave the organization.
Work Remaining
While auditor officials praised the rapid response, the follow-up report noted that five recommendations remain in progress:
- Database Auditing: DMNS has yet to formalize a supervisor review process for entries in its central collections database, though leadership expects to complete this following an upcoming software system upgrade.
- Governance Standards: The museum’s board of trustees is still refining policies regarding mandatory meeting attendance and formal conflict-of-interest disclosures.
Auditor O’Brien commended the museum’s proactive approach, noting that the steps taken significantly reduce risk to one of the region’s premier cultural institutions.
