what next for stored collections?

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


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’



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



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



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.



• 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



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



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



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

what next for stored collections?

Education

use of stored collections

use of material

use of stored material

embedding use of collections

range of research

research community

ucl research

collections trust