Interpreting collections
Effective interpretation enables museums to communicate the wonder of their collections, connect with visitors, and draw diverse audiences.
It can take many different forms. Most museums use labels and panels of text, whilst others employ audio guides, new media or live demonstrations. Involving people with a personal or working experience of particular collections or sites can be rewarding for all parties; by communicating their knowledge or enthusiasm for a subject or site, the 'human touch' can add enormously to the visitor experience.
We have developed a series of advice sheets covering many aspects of interpretive planning and have also worked with Interpret Scotland to produce practical guidelines, all of which can be downloaded from the right hand menu on this page.
Revisiting Collections
Revisiting Collections is a toolkit providing an innovative framework for capturing visitor information and interpretation, and recording this in collections knowledge management systems.The aim is to connect with communities and help to develop new audiences.
In 2009-10, MGS worked with Collections Trust on a pilot project to explore its potential with four of our member museums.For more information on the pilot you can download a copy of the evaluation report, or take a look at the case study outlining the various projects.
Mainstreaming Revisiting Collections
We hope to hold training workshops in future for those wishing to use the toolkit. Please watch this space for news on future training opportunities.
In the meantime, you can find an introduction and Research Report on the UK-wide project on the Collections Link website. This features examples and case studies on how other museums have incorporated the information they have collected into their collections management systems.
For those of you already working on Revisiting Collections projects, you might find the Inspiring Learning for All (ILFA) evaluation tool helpful.
You can also join the Revisiting Collections network on Collections Link to connect with others using this methodology and learn from their experience.