A new collections hub making efficiencies with warehouse tech

Once completed, the Science Museum Group’s (SMG) new collection management facility will house around 80% of the SMG collection in stable, accessible conditions. The facility will enable colleagues to more easily study the collection, improving processes for displaying collection items across our five museums and allowing the Science Museum Group to loan even more items to UK and international institutions.

 

Following the UK government’s decision to sell Blythe House in London – where a significant proportion of the collection is currently housed – the Science Museum Group received £40m part-funding to rehome the collection in purpose-built facilities at the National Collections Centre in Wroughton, Wiltshire. 

 

The recent Mendoza Review highlighted “insufficient storage” as a common challenge for museums, as well as a need for greater public funding of collections management and storage projects that improve the public offer. This project will provide a timely and strategic response to these challenges, with the benefits reaching far beyond the Science Museum Group.

We have assembled a wide-ranging team to help develop this project, working with specialists in industrial architecture, environmental design, racking and layout planning, object handling and transport. Great care has been taken to ensure that the external expert advisors and designers understand our needs and the sensitivities involved with working with museum collections.

 

The use of new technology and techniques for the cultural sector has enabled us to work more efficiently with our vast collection. 

 

A warehouse-standard rapid data-capture app, combined with barcode technology for each collection item and location, is enabling colleagues to quickly check, process and photograph over 300,000 items from the collection. The data capture app works on a range of devices, connects with our collection database and tracks the progress of individual collection items during the project.

 

Image uploading was previously a manual process, taking six minutes per image to upload, embed metadata and publish to our online collection. Now through the use of software the process has been automated. By blending technology with efficient and integrated cross-team working, we have achieved significant efficiencies and saved many thousands of hours of work. 

 

Our new collection management facility is based on an enhanced warehouse design, maximising space for the collection while working within the available budget. By adopting construction techniques now used in facilities for manufacturing food and medicines, we can ensure the facility is energy efficient while providing a stable, clean environment for the collection.