Museums in Scotland work with a variety of different partners and are aware of the mutual benefits successful collaboration can bring. Joint collections-focused initiatives however, tend to happen on an ad hoc basis and rely on individual goodwill or circumstance to develop. More museums would benefit from mainstreaming partnership working; making an organisational commitment to resource, staff and sustain this vital activity.
(SMC Collections Development Strategy, 2006)
(Sculpted Malagan head from New Ireland, McLean Museum and Art Gallery, Greenock)
Sharing Collections Skills and Increasing Loan Activity
Staff and volunteers in Scotland�s museums have a wealth of knowledge and experience of collections to share. In recent years, existing and new networks have been developing all across the UK to enable museums to exchange skills and resources, encourage loan and exhibition activity and joint training provision.
For more information about how SMC and our partners support skills and collections sharing, please choose from the options below:
Current News and Initiatives
The MA's recently published benchmark study of long loan and disposal activity reached a number of conclusions that were 'largely expected and often encouraging', said Sally Cross, collections coordinator at the MA.
Museums included in the report ranged from national, local authority, university and independent, and were geographically dispersed across the UK, ensuring a broad spectrum of opinion was reflected. In all, 113 museums took part. The findings indicate a strong willingness among museums to work towards greater stored collections access, stated Cross, with 84% saying they were keen to put more items out on loan. Long term lending, however, is practised by only a quarter of the museums at present, with most loans-in coming from private owners. Cross said: 'We want to change the culture in museums to make long loans acceptable.'
According to the survey, the disinclination among museums towards outgoing long loans is mainly due to security and environmental reservations, as well as a museum's own capacity to lend; issues which the MA will address as part of its five year Effective Collections programme.
The aims of the programme in relation to loans include the establishment of a more clear-cut system of administration, which will take into account the need for staff training in long term object care and a less standardised set of lending criteria.
To download the report in full, click on:
http://www.museumsassociation.org/asset_arena/text/rk/loansanddisposals_benchmark.pdf
For further information or to discuss current projects, please contact Collections Development Manager Gillian Findlay.
T: 0131 550 4126
E: [email protected]
