McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge
About
ARCHIVED EVENT
Monday 2nd July 2018, 12:30 – 6:00pm
A workshop exploring museum engagements with academic and community researchers.
Background
Over the past two years, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, University of Cambridge, have been working together to generate new online portals for researchers, as part of Engaging Collections Online, a project funded by the Designated Development Fund, Arts Council England.
As institutions involved in training new generations of researchers, we have tried wherever possible to anticipate the needs of 21st century researchers. We have undertaken user testing and evaluation throughout the project, with both academic and community researchers, in order to understand how to better enable their research.
This workshop will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the online resources we have developed, to share knowledge and experience from the project within the wider museum sector, and to begin a wider conversation about how museums can better engage emerging generations of researchers.
Programme
The workshop is scheduled immediately before the University Museums Group 2018 conference Foreign exchange? University museums and international engagement so that delegates can easily attend both events.
12:30: Registration & Lunch
13:30: Session 1 –
Chris Wingfield, Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology – Engaging Collections Online: Developing a new portal for researchers – ambitions and reality
Josh Nall, Whipple Museum for the History of Science – “A cultural accessory to modern research”?: the Whipple Museum of the History of Science as a research collection – past, present, and future
15:15: Tea, coffee & biscuits
15:45: Session 2 –
Julia Rice, Goethe University, Frankfurt – Digital object databases and their users. Context and practices in working with digital collections
Jennifer Wexler, The British Museum – Hacking the collections? Opportunities and challenges in the creation of digital data at the British Museum, and its role in current museum research and engagement
18:00: Drinks Reception at the Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology
Attendance
We have a number of funded places available for that will cover travel costs and one night of accommodation in Cambridge for attendees from regional museums.
If you are interested in attending the workshop, or in one of the funded places, please send an email outlining your interest to: engagingresearchers@maa.cam.ac.uk