The Future of Museums: Collections Management

Documentation is central to the work of museums and is often the key to unlocking the potential of collections. Good collections management can lead to the discovery of new stories and voices, as well as opportunities for public engagement, research, contemporary collecting and disposal.

Documentation backlogs that museums across the sector face are still pervasive. However, the advent of new technologies and growing appreciation for the importance of collection records, mean there is renewed appetite among professionals and the public to tackle the issue in new and exciting ways.

Through a mix of panel discussions, case studies and audience participation this event will discuss…

• the latest approaches and trends to collections documentation
• the role that technological developments such as AI are having on the way museums share their collection knowledge
• working with volunteers and diverse communities for different perspectives
• using collection histories to connect audiences with collections
• troubleshooting documentation issues from the audience.

This one-day event is a must for…

• museums undertaking a collections audit
• anyone working in collections management
• documentation officers and managers
• those working in collections access
• curators working in audience participation with collections
• small museums with no specific collections management role.

A full programme will be available in due course.

The day includes refreshments and a vegetarian/vegan lunch.  

We aim to present a diverse range of speakers from across the UK and internationally at our one-day conferences. If you are interested in speaking at one of our events, or have a project you’d like to see explored, please tell us more by emailing the events team.

Event fees

Concessionary Member – £82
Freelance and Consultant Member – £92
Member (Essential, Full, Institutional and Commercial members) – £108
Non-member – £164

Not a member? Join today and pay a discounted price for this event as well as receiving lots of other great benefits.

Inclusive event places

The Members Support Fund will provide five free places to this event to individual members who face barriers due to ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background, and gender identity or sexual orientation (LGBTQ).

These free places are part of our wider work towards creating a more inclusive sector. We will also support any accessibility requests such as provision of British Sign Language (BSL), audio description or closed captioning. The deadline to apply for an Inclusive Place is 3 June.

Important booking information

Please sign in and check the email address on your profile before booking. Your confirmation and joining instruction emails will go to the email address you use to log in to the website. 

If you create a new record with a different email address your membership will not be recognised and you will be charged the incorrect fee. You can check and change your email address before booking.