A report released today by the Museums Association (MA) in the UK has said that too many museum collections are underused, meaning the full potential of the nation’s cultural resources is not being realised.

The Collections for the Future report is the result of an 18-month enquiry into every aspect of collections management and is intended to ‘begin the process of cultural change in museums’, according to the MA’s director, Mark Taylor.

“This report embraces all museums across the UK, whatever their governance, size or subject matter,” said the association’s president, Charles Saumarez-Smith, in the report. “It shows that all museums can make better use of their collections and enrich them.

“The time is right for substantial changes in the way museums think about their collections.”

The report’s main findings cover how museums can creatively engage more people with their collections and make them more widely available.

It also looks at how staff and volunteers should be trained and supported to have the confidence and knowledge to get the best from collections and share them with the public.

The report was welcomed by Museums Libraries Archives (MLA) chair Mark Wood who called it “a timely and challenging analysis”, saying: “The UK has some of the finest museum collections in the world and people should be given every opportunity to enjoy them.”

He also highlighted the role of digitisation and said the MLA is leading a drive for online access. Details: www.museumsassociation.org