Since 2007 the MLA / Renaissance London Information and Records Management Project has raised awareness of, and increased capacity for, information and records management in London’s regional museums.

 

“Although museums are inherently ‘information businesses’, their information is often generated at the local, departmental or project level, with specific targets and outputs in mind. While this approach may meet immediate goals, it does not always take into account the overall business needs of an organisation, or its potential future requirements. This situation can result in missed opportunities and a restricted ability to innovate.

 

In a time of tightening information legislation and flourishing digital resources, no museum can afford not to exploit their key asset – information.”

 

The case study of the project’s first four years outlines how its methodology was developed, the lessons learned, and the implications of the project’s legacy. It also details the project’s background, its delivery within the London Museums Hub and the wider region, and the development of its guidance resources.

 

The case study can be downloaded free of charge from:

http://www.museuminfo-records.org.uk/CaseStudy200711.pdf

 

Hard copies are also available on request from Samira Teuteberg, Records Management Advisor: [log in to unmask]

 

During this time, the project has:

·         reviewed the state of the museum sector in relation to information and records management;

 

·         provided free training for museum staff and volunteers, including the basics of museum records management, getting a mandate to tackle information issues, and developing new policies;

 

·         delivered free records management consultancies to 15 regional museums - ranging from small volunteer-led organisations taking their first steps in improving record-keeping, to large museums facing organisational change, and all points and issues in between;

 

·         set up a forum for discussion and knowledge-sharing around museum information and records management;

 

·         published free museum specific toolkits, e-learning tools and fact sheets, to enable staff to tackle information and records management in their museums beyond the life of the project.

 

 

For further information on the project and to use or download its free guidance resources, see http://www.museuminfo-records.org.uk