Interpreting collections
Interpretation is as much about stories, ideas and emotions, as it is about understanding and information. It can take many different forms such as labels, panels of text, audio guides or live demonstrations. Effective, high quality interpretation enables museums to explain the wonder of their collections, connect with visitors, and draw and inspire diverse audiences.
We've developed a series of advice sheets covering many aspects of interpretation, from choosing the media to suit your requirements to how to write an interpretive plan. We also worked with Interpret Scotland to produce practical guidelines, published as 'A closer look: Access through interpretation which can be downloaded from the right hand menu on this page.
Also see the Interpretation – who else can help? resource in the right hand menu for more information.
Community involvement
Museums can use various methods to encourage a participatory approach to interpretation.
Involving people with a personal or working experience of particular collections in production of interpretive material or to act as guides provides a critical advocacy role. By communicating their knowledge or enthusiasm for a subject or site, they can add enormously to the visitor experience.
The Collections Trust's ‘Revisiting Collections’
We are working with the Collections Trust to encourage museums to systematically record and use the recollections, responses and views of visitors to objects. By recording emotional and subjective reactions to collections, existing documentation can be enriched with information that is often omitted – the personal, cultural, social and community connections that we have with objects.
An introduction to Revisiting Collections, along with background information and examples of how it has been put into practice are all available on Collections Link.