Deborah Tout-Smith’s Post

Important joint declaration by International Council of Museums (ICOM), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), & International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) move to emphasize the importance of museums, heritage sites, archives and libraries in times of conflict: https://lnkd.in/d4nUyhJN #conflictualculture #agonism

We love digital and we love the cultural sector. So a review of digital services in libraries, museums and archives for the Welsh Government was right up our street. Learn more about our review and how it underpins the government's Cultural Strategy and policy going forwards: https://lnkd.in/eyue9_Vn #Digital #Libraries #Museums #Galleries #Archives #Change #Transformation #Digitaltransformation #GLAMSector

Thoroughly enjoying working with the Ammba Digital team on another client but this is another great read. We need to focus on digitally enabling our local services to continue to drive customer excellence and improved cost savings. #ammbadigital #digital #digitaltransformation #localgovernment #efficiencies #rationalisation

May 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the first international treaty that focused exclusively on this issue. The ICA International Council on Archives, the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) express their profound concern about this escalating destruction of life and cultural heritage during armed conflict and political instability. The 4 founding organisations of Blue Shield International reaffirm the essential role of #Libraries, #Museums, #Archives and #HeritagePlaces in the survival of societies and the promotion of #Peace in the context of an alarming global increase of armed conflicts. Read the full declaration on our website 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gGYykkUi ICOM would also like to refer to our previous statement published on the 30th of January 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gW-G5w3g

History is supposed to be shared and studied, not hidden and erased. Continue supporting libraries, archives, and museums, especially local organizations/institutions and those that contribute to digitization initiatives (i.e. HathiTrust, Internet Archive). These entities help in preserving history as it is, so we can learn and grow from the past. https://lnkd.in/eWvwYp7t

#SAAwords: archival curation n. ~ activities related to appraisal, exhibition, and overall access that ensure the archival institution holding the records honors the expectations of the creators https://lnkd.in/giHiHBFs

We really like this new toolkit for creating open access collections in libraries, archives and museums https://lnkd.in/eQhFfRnu #openaccess #GLAM #OpenGLAM

My first Lunch Time Curator talk focus’ on one of our oldest and most enigmatic objects. One that despite its importance has never actually been accessioned into the collections (something i aim to correct). As time has gone on I’ve seen a loss of specialist knowledge and subject specialist curators in museums, which is a very worrying trend. It’s a credit to Heritage Doncaster and the City of Doncaster Council that in a recent restructure it chose to maintain those specialist curatorial roles it still had. Though it is sad that there are collections for which we don’t have curators, notably Natural History. Without subject specialist curators collections risk becoming fossilised and museums risk, over time engaging the public, with out of date and even inaccurate interpretation and information. The Curator Talks and Lunchtime Talks provide a reason for me to undertake important collections research and provide an outlet for it. Long may it continue and grow. The public appetite for these curator led engagements is demonstrable, even though we’re not yet a year into having begun them. Let’s hope the appetite for them grows.

We often talk about ‘archiving’ records on site, but to truly consider them safe, there are some archival standards we need to adhere to. Take a look at this article to check out some ways to ensure the safety of your records! (Or, if this is too complex for you, consider digitizing and then giving the records to the archives, a local museum or library, or your local historical society!!) #historicalrecords #recordsmanagement

What can museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions do to help cultivate younger and aspiring museum professionals? Here are some thoughts of how I try to do so at Preservation Virginia.