One hundred and forty museums in the West Midlands region have been helped to improve their standards and raise their profile by identifying areas that need attention and encouraging further development.
Launched on 17 November 2004, the MLA Museum Accreditation Scheme gave clear, basic requirements on:
- how museums should care for and document their collections
- how they should be governed and managed
- what information and services they should offer to their visitors
The scheme replaces the previous Museum Registration Scheme and sets out ‘foundation level’ standards for museums across four key areas:
- governance and museum management
- user services
- visitor facilities
- collection management
The scheme builds on existing professional standards, which have been extensively revised and updated after a major consultation process, to reflect people’s growing expectation of visitor attractions. It covers all museums, from major national institutions to the smallest, volunteer-run independent museums.
Museums will be formerly invited to apply within the next 5 years and a county by county timetable for invitations has been organised.
The following museums have all achieved full accreditation:
- Shropshire County Museum Service
- Shrewsbury Museum Service
- Northgate Museum Service, Bridgnorth
- House on Crutches Museum, Bishops Castle
For more information on accreditation contact Shropshire's Museum Development Officer.