Special interests

• Published in: Museums Journal Vol. 116; no. 7-8; pp. 26 - 31
• Main Authors: Stephens, Simon, Ashton-Booth, Tom
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.2016

The term "hollowing out" is heard in many museums, but it is not a reference to some terrible pest infestation eating into objects. In fact, it is the term being used to describe the loss of expertise in museums. Particularly prevalent in regional organizations, this depletion of skill is the outcome of ongoing budget cuts in the sector and the resulting job losses. Of course, savage cutbacks have not just seen a reduction in specialist curators in museums, the loss of expertise also applies to areas such as education, outreach, and audience development, all just as vital for the effective running of cultural establishments. There is no doubt that curators in regional institutions are among those who have been at the sharp end of the cuts. And this has led to soul-searching among a number of Subject Specialist Networks (SSNs), a varied group of organizations that support subject-specific collections. What does the future fold for SSNs and how can they support the rest of the sector? [Abridged Publication Abstract]