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Manage Information

“Museums, libraries and archives connect people to knowledge and information, creativity and inspiration...' Taken from Investing in Knowledge, (MLA 2004)

Managing information and knowledge in your institution includes, but goes beyond, catalaguing and documenting collections. It's about capturing a wealth of facts about collections and their context that may only exist in the head of a curator, librarian or volunteer and recording it in such a way that others, either staff or users, can access it readily. It's also about putting systems in place to capture knowledge about key processes, from recruiting staff to drawing up a cleaning schedule for your offices and from managing projects to dealing with suppliers. Good information management saves time and resources and prevents precious information from being lost forever.

How do I ...?

Document and catalogue my collection

This comprehensive section gives advice on all aspects of the subject, from entry records to dealing with retrospective documentation.

Raise funds for documentation projects

Download 'Making the Case' - a guide to making funding bids for documentation projects such as clearing backlogs

Find out about SPECTRUM

Register free and download a copy of the UK and International standard for documentation and information management about collections.

Find out about the Museums Association Monument Fellowships

The MA are currently running a pilot programme of fellowships for retired museum professionals, aimed at capturing their unrecorded collections-related knowledge

Use knowledge mangement systems

Link to a useful SCAM: Standing Conference on Archives and Museums information sheet on the subject.

Learn about managing records in my museum

An e-learning tool that's aim is to raise awareness of records management so that museums can be more effective, comply more easily with legislation such as FOI, and see their records as part of their own documentary heritage and as a corporate asset. This tool was developed as part of the Hub Records Project, funded by the MLA's Renaissance Programme for the London Museums Hub.