Managing University Museums

This publication focuses on the role of university museums, their organisation, management, governance and finance. Most university museum collections have been assembled for the purposes of teaching and research rather than for public display. Whether small, of local importance or large, with great public appeal, they are all defined by their relationship to their university and form a distinctive sector in the museum community. The papers gathered in this book take this distinctiveness into consideration. They examine the common issues and problems that university museums are facing, among which the most important ones are funding and collection management. Many examples of good and imaginative practice are presented as regards fundraising, widening public access, integrating information resources, marketing, management and international collaboration. The book has been edited by Melanie Kelly, administrator at the International Center for Higher Education, School of Management, University of Bath.