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| Accreditation Scheme (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Accreditation Scheme (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) |
| Formation | 1994 |
| Dissolved | 2012 |
| Type | Cultural sector quality assurance |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Parent organization | Museums, Libraries and Archives Council |
Accreditation Scheme (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council)
The Accreditation Scheme administered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council operated as a national quality standard for museums and collections across the United Kingdom, aligning practice among institutions such as the British Museum, National Trust, Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, and regional services like the Tyne and Wear Archives Service. It linked policy frameworks from bodies including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Scottish Arts Council, influencing funding decisions, collection care, and public access alongside institutions such as the British Library, Imperial War Museums, and local authority services like Glasgow Life.
The scheme was developed in the 1990s during a period of reform influenced by inquiries and reports from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Sainsbury Centre, and advisory work with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, drawing on precedents from the Museums Association and museum practice at establishments including the Ashmolean Museum and the Manchester Museum. Pilots and consultations involved stakeholders such as the Museum of London, the Science Museum, the National Museums Liverpool, and the British Council. Legislative and funding contexts involving the National Lottery Act 1998 and guidance from the Heritage Lottery Fund shaped the scheme’s formal launch and subsequent revisions up to its transfer of functions in 2012.
The Accreditation Scheme aimed to set consistent standards for collection care, public service, governance, and documentation across national institutions like the Natural History Museum, county museums such as the Surrey History Centre, university museums including the Ashmolean Museum, and specialist bodies such as the Imperial War Museum Duxford. It served as a threshold for grant eligibility from funders such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, and local bodies like the Greater London Authority, and was used by accreditation applicants from municipal libraries like Manchester Central Library, archives such as the National Archives (UK), and private trusts like the Courtauld Institute of Art.
Criteria encompassed governance practices influenced by guidance from the Charity Commission for England and Wales, collection management standards seen in institutions such as the British Museum, documentation protocols comparable to the National Archives (UK), and access policies reflecting priorities of the Access to Archives (A2A) initiative and the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists. Standards addressed preventive conservation informed by the Institute of Conservation, museum ethics discussed by the Museums Association, and learning and outreach models used by the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum.
Applicants submitted evidence comparable to documentation produced by the Tate Britain, collection policies used by the Victoria and Albert Museum, and disaster plans modeled on those from the British Library. Assessments were carried out by panels drawing on expertise from the Museums Association, independent assessors with backgrounds at the Science Museum, and advisory input from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council England. Decisions influenced grant awards by the National Lottery distribution bodies and partnership arrangements with regional services like Museums Sheffield and the York Museums Trust.
The scheme was administered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council with oversight from sponsoring departments such as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and coordination with national funders including the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. Operational delivery involved staff who liaised with the Museums Association, local authority museum services like Leicestershire County Council Museums, university museum networks such as the Oxford University Museums, and professional bodies including the Institute of Conservation and the Archives and Records Association.
Accreditation affected institutional reputation and funding for recipients from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, and local authorities, shaping strategies at the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, and numerous local museums such as the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and Norfolk Museums Service. Critics cited burdens for small independent museums and archives represented by trusts like the Friends of the National Libraries and community projects at venues such as the Museum of Somerset, while supporters included professional organisations like the Museums Association and funders like the Heritage Lottery Fund who emphasized standards, public accountability, and risk management.
When the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council was wound down in 2012, responsibilities for the scheme were transferred to successor organisations including the Arts Council England, the National Archives (UK), and devolved bodies such as the Historic Environment Scotland and Welsh Government cultural services, with continued reference to standards promoted by the Museums Association and conservation guidance from the Institute of Conservation. The legacy of the scheme endures in funding criteria used by the Heritage Lottery Fund, accreditation frameworks applied by the Arts Council England, and sector-wide professional practice among institutions such as the British Library, Tate Modern, and regional museum networks.
Category:Museums in the United Kingdom Category:Archives in the United Kingdom Category:Library standards