| Summary: |
1. Collections-related knowledge
Knowledge brings collections to life. The Museums Association’s
Collections for the Future report argues that knowledge associated
with collections is as important for museums as the collections themselves.
We examine developments since its publication and explore the different
ways of generating, renewing, disseminating and challenging collections-related
knowledge. 2. Increasing visitor numbers
Attendance figures justify funding and demonstrate relevance. All
museums want a greater number and variety of visitors. We look at
what new working practices can be adopted to meet targets and respond
to current agendas. We also take a critical look at whether more
visitors necessarily mean better museums.
3. Measuring value
The rhetoric of the cultural sector is changing. There is increasing
frustration with targets and scepticism about performance indicators.
We investigate the emerging notions of cultural, intrinsic and public
value. Will a greater range of ‘values’ bring museums
closer to government? Could they enable museums to set better, more
independent objectives for themselves? Or, might they compromise
museums’ accountability?
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