What is a lead museum?

The maritime centre specializing in a subject area or areas is called in shorthand a ‘lead museum’. The role of a lead museum was defined by a number of principles and objectives, which were endorsed by the UKMCS Directors’ group in May 1999.

Principles

• To be the focus of a network of Museums with interests and collections in the subject area.
• To promote the public presentation, interpretation and understanding of the subject area.
• To develop partnerships and joint activities with museums with interests and collections in the subject area.
• To develop and maintain contacts with relevant institutions outside the museum sector, e.g. archives, libraries, research institutes, universities, industry and the private sector.

Specific Objectives

• To encourage the use of ICT for the sharing of information between museums and for promotion of the subject area to the public and researcher.
• To develop and maintain expertise in the subject, or clear access to expertise, in order to provide an authoritative focus for the answering of research enquiries on the subject.
• To hold collections of national importance on the subject, and to provide an information point and consultation process for all significant acquisitions in the subject area.
• To lead the development of a national strategy for the provision of improved access to collections in the subject area, including a review of the current location of holdings.

An initial group of museums has been identified where the position of a national lead museum in the subject was unambiguous.