what next for stored collections?
DESCRIPTION
Museums are moving increasingly to open up their stored collections for access and use by the public. This presentation, part of a series for the UK Museums Association, looks at the organisational and policy challenges and opportunities they are experiencing.TRANSCRIPT
WHAT NEXT FOR STORED COLLECTIONS?
Nick Poole, Chief Executive, Collections Trust
27.01.09
“Memory feeds imagination,” said Amy Tan, and if a nation has a collective memory, this is it.
There are things here that exist nowhere else on earth.”
“Memory feeds imagination,” said Amy Tan, and if a nation has a collective memory, this is it.
There are things here that exist nowhere else on earth.”
Look what we’ve got in storeThe Guardian, 2nd September 2004
Making stored collections
more accessible is a good
thing in principle.
In practice, there’s a long
way still to go...
We need to find ways of
raising the public and
media perception that the
ability to use collections in
store is part of the national
museums offer...
We need to understand
what ‘use’ of stored
collections means, how it
benefits the user and how
it benefits our museums...
We need to change our
working practice based on a
clear understanding of
what kinds of ‘use’ we want
to support and promote.
We need to raise
awareness among funders
of the range of activity
relating to the use of
collections in store and the
need to support it.
We need to understand
how material in store can
be used to support the
needs of the research
community of which we are
part.
We need to get to grips
with the ways in which
technology may be able to
help us with some or all of
the previous points...
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
Individually:
•‘Access to stored collections’ as a product•Using the museum’s Marketing Strategy•Working with the Marketing Team
Nationally
•Embedding use of collections in in store within other initiatives with a national profile, such as ‘Night at the Museum’ & ‘Stories of the World’
Individually:
•‘Access to stored collections’ as a product•Using the museum’s Marketing Strategy•Working with the Marketing Team
Nationally
•Embedding use of collections in in store within other initiatives with a national profile, such as ‘Night at the Museum’ & ‘Stories of the World’
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
Individually:
•Incorporating uses of stored material in access policies
Nationally
•National Museums Strategy•Museum Accreditation Scheme•Access to Designated collections
Individually:
•Incorporating uses of stored material in access policies
Nationally
•National Museums Strategy•Museum Accreditation Scheme•Access to Designated collections
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
Individually:
•Deciding to promote access to your stores•Managing & developing the collection accordingly
Nationally
•Promoting use of stored material in national standards (BSI PAS 197)•Providing information about the different ways in which stored material is being used (Collections Link)•Building on the UCL research
Individually:
•Deciding to promote access to your stores•Managing & developing the collection accordingly
Nationally
•Promoting use of stored material in national standards (BSI PAS 197)•Providing information about the different ways in which stored material is being used (Collections Link)•Building on the UCL research
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
Individually:
•Advocating the use of material in store to colleagues & management
Nationally
•Advocating the use of material in store to other organisations, such as MLA, DCMS, Arts Council, National Trust, English Heritage etc.
Individually:
•Advocating the use of material in store to colleagues & management
Nationally
•Advocating the use of material in store to other organisations, such as MLA, DCMS, Arts Council, National Trust, English Heritage etc.
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
• Researchers use a variety of methods to find out about objects that might be relevant to their research.
• Most researchers are unaware of the online catalogues that have been, and are being developed by museums and other organisations.
• Researchers believe that there is a lack of consistency in the arrangements that different museums make for direct access to objects.
• Researchers use a variety of methods to find out about objects that might be relevant to their research.
• Most researchers are unaware of the online catalogues that have been, and are being developed by museums and other organisations.
• Researchers believe that there is a lack of consistency in the arrangements that different museums make for direct access to objects.
Discovering Physical Objects: Meeting Researchers NeedsResearch Information Network Report, 2nd September 2004
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
Individually:
•Identifying the range of research uses for your collections•Engaging with the research community
Nationally
•Responding to the recommendations of the Research Information Network report
Individually:
•Identifying the range of research uses for your collections•Engaging with the research community
Nationally
•Responding to the recommendations of the Research Information Network report
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
RIN Recommends...
•Get catalogues online quickly•Provide clear and open policies on access•Clarify the quality of catalogues•Deal with backlogs•Include images and context•Talk to researchers•Connect museum databases with each other•Connect them to library and archive databases•Get them into Google•Work together
RIN Recommends...
•Get catalogues online quickly•Provide clear and open policies on access•Clarify the quality of catalogues•Deal with backlogs•Include images and context•Talk to researchers•Connect museum databases with each other•Connect them to library and archive databases•Get them into Google•Work together
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
1. Marketing2. Policy3. Practice4. Advocacy5. Research6. Technology
Individually:
•Use technology to market the availability of stored material•Use technology to let people know what is in your collections
Nationally
•Promote services which advertise the national museum offer (eg. Culture24)•Connect cultural databases and web services and embed them in Google (Culture Grid)
Individually:
•Use technology to market the availability of stored material•Use technology to let people know what is in your collections
Nationally
•Promote services which advertise the national museum offer (eg. Culture24)•Connect cultural databases and web services and embed them in Google (Culture Grid)
Sorting out the issue of access to and use of stored collections has the potential to be a really powerful step forward for museums.
There is an opportunity to be proactive in taking something which is potentially a drain on public resources and turning it into a success story.
Over to you...
Sorting out the issue of access to and use of stored collections has the potential to be a really powerful step forward for museums.
There is an opportunity to be proactive in taking something which is potentially a drain on public resources and turning it into a success story.
Over to you...
http://openculture.collectionstrustblogs.org.uk
http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/use_collection
http://openculture.collectionstrustblogs.org.uk
http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/use_collection