Blogs

The Museums Libraries and Archives Council developed a Museum Action Plan one year ago to drive strategic development across the sector.  The Leading Museums group is a key part of this: a small group of key leaders with experience of the sector who are focusing options for the way forward.  A 12-month review was produced in July, and now a set of interim findings have been produced.

These findings emphasise the need for strategic leadership for the development of the sector, promoting innovation and sharing, and the need for continued central and local government support.

Five "arguments for the future" are highlighted:

1. Museums need the tools to act as a fully fledged part of the cultural economy - the need for freedom, flexibility and confidence to meet audience needs.
2. Museums should be primarily about social learning: conversations in shared spaces - an emphasis on learning as a result of interations between people in museum real and virtual spaces
3. Institutions are innovative, but the sector as a whole less so - sharing innovation and rewarding excellence
4. the sector needs a more strategic focus to developing and sharing skills
5. collaborations and partnerships flourish, but not as much as they could or should

and there are various implications that are briefly explored.

For natural history, I think that this throws up some interesting issues - what does it mean to be a cultrural institution? what does social learning mean for an institution with a natural sciences emphasis? what should natural history partnerships look like across a network of museums with general remits?

Big excitement at the ten year mark for the Census of Marine Life which has established a baseline for marine diversity. Song out on 6 October, apparently, for any marine biologists for whom science and spectacular images are not enough.

New iPhone app from the British Geological Survey - iGeology.  Seems to work pretty well, giving the geological map, with info on surface and subsurface geology.  Might be a bit slow in places because the maps are streamed.

Changes in UK seas are assessed in the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership's report card.  Thoroughly recommended.

Patterns of change, including increased sea temperature, erosion, acidification and sea level are assessed and future patterns predicted.  Also information on invasive species, fisheries, and digests of impacts on a regional basis. 

MCCIP is a partnership of government, various agencies, research organisations and scientists.The primary aim is to "provide a co-ordinating framework within the UK for the transfer of high-quality marine climate change impacts evidence and advice to policy advisors and decision-makers. In particular, the Partnership will act as the primary focus for the supply of evidence and advice to partners to enable them to individually and collectively plan for the challenges and opportunities presented by the impacts of climate change in the marine environment"