Natural Science Collections in Wales

A Distributed National CollectionChristian Baars

@lifeonbaars #NatSci #DNC #Wales

Wales has a Museums Strategy• Better information about

which collections are where.• Information freely available

to museum users and professionals.

• Enables museum users to access basic information about museum collections.

• Enables museum professionals to easily get an overview of each others’ collections.

•Stories•Knowledge •Dynamic

A collection goes beyond a museum – total holdings of heritage and cultural knowledge of a geographic region.

Single museum not individual unit, but part of collective cultural heritage.

Collections are not just things

NatSci Collections in Wales

The Challenge

Oldest museum: Swansea (1841)Largest museum: National Museum

Cardiff

Smallest collection: Caldicot Castle

Linking Collections

Linking Natural Science Collections in Wales @LinkinCollWales

The Federation of Museums and Art Galleries in Wales @WelshMuseumsFed

Esmee Fairbairn Collections Fund @esmeefairbairnMuseums Association @museum_news

CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales

Partners

#DNC #NatSci

@lifeonbaars @LinkinCollWales@WelshMuseumsFed@esmeefairbairn@museum_news

Partner museums#DNC #NatSci

@lifeonbaars @LinkinCollWales@WelshMuseumsFed@esmeefairbairn@museum_news

@AberMuseum @BrecknockMuseum

@CARADtweets@CarmsMuseums @CeredigionMus @chepstowmuseum @LlandudnoMuseum @Museum_Cardiff @NewportMuseum @OrielYnysMon @swanseamuseum @TenbyMuseum

@wrexhammuseums

ReviewingProject Outputs

Enabling

Sharing

Collections Reviews

Come see the poster!

DNC

Exhibitions Up-skilling

Advice

Online Database

Terminology

Welsh Language

Teaching Resources

Training

Communication

DNC – Why have one?

• Share knowledge

• Make collections more accessible

DNC – Why have one?

• Enable use of collections

DNC – Why have one?

• Ensure sustainability of collections

DNC – Why have one?

• Address loss of expertise

DNC – Why have one?

Collections Reviews – How?

Communication

- Social media: - regular Facebook posts- monthly blog - NatSCA workshop at Horniman

Museum (August)- Poster at international

conference in Germany (September)

- Input into consultation for new Cwricwlwm Cymreig

- Welsh Federation’s AGM- Welsh Federation’s YMAG

(October)- Picked up by other

organisations, e.g. NMDC (August), UCL

- Articles submitted to SPNHC, Botanical Society of the British Isles

- Joint workshop at next week’s MA conference in Liverpool

- For partners: info on grants/funding

Exhibition

- Attended touring exhibitions training- Planning will start in January 2014- Specimen pre-selection during review stage- AC-NMW have offered design help

Education Resources

- Applied for education business partnership (approved in September)

- AC-NMW Learning Department- Student projects (Coleg Cymraeg)

Engagement

- Advice booklet for partner museum curators- Conservation: Cardiff Uni School of History,

Archaeology and Religion- Geology: Cardiff Uni School of Earth and Ocean Sciences- Natural History: Cardiff Uni School of Biosciences- Education materials: Coleg Cymraeg (short projects and

summer placements in two partner museums- Terminology control (English and Welsh)- Terminology list: e-volunteering- Cooperation with Geology dictionary- Cwmdeithas Edward Llwyd- Merched Y Wawr

Training- Informal- Reviews- Formal- Training courses (Cyfarthfa Castle, Powysland; March

2014)- Advice booklet- Annual meeting