June Issue 2007
2007 – AIM’s 30th Anniversary

The AIM Bulletin is the main communication channel for the UKs 1000+ independent museums and heritage organisations - half the total provision for the British Isles - which have been in the forefront of the museum movement for nearly 30 years.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Britain’s independent museums celebrate 30 years! AIM – which represents half the museums in the UK and spearheaded the revolution in museum management and interpretation – celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Over three decades innovation in museum management, interpretation and presentation has been driven by charitable trust independent museums, raising funds from sponsorship, donations and their own income-generating activities. They have flourished in a difficult economic climate through determination, flexibility of decision-making, professional staff drawn from all walks of life and teams of dedicated volunteers. In 1979 Sir Arthur Drew, chairman of the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries, referred to the burgeoning independents as “the seed-corn of the museum world”, and in a phrase which AIM has been pleased to echo down the years, called them “the primordial slime of the museum world”! AIM chairman Bill Ferris said independents led the way in the 1970s and 80s, with much museum best practice now taken for granted rooted in practices introduced by AIM members. AIM president Sir Neil Cossons says: “The vision and energy, focus and sound management of these independent museums represents an extraordinary national achievement.” Page 1/3

AIM’s 30th Annual Conference at Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust, Shropshire, on 21-23 June will celebrate the anniversary. Now is the last chance to book! What will delegates get out of it . . . news of AIM’s new £300,000 grant scheme; Culture minister, David Lammy’s, views on the future for our sector under Labour’s new leadership; opportunities for museums through social enterprise projects; AIM’s newly commissioned research on independents and their links with local authorities; friendly networking opportunities; workshops and the trade exhibition, the AIM Banquet and barbecue and a behind-the-scenes look at Ironbridge’s museums. Further information on this website. Page 2

New museum service providers have joined the AIM Conference exhibition, organised for the fifth year by Tony Baker of AJB Designs on the Friday of the AIM Conference (22 June). The exhibition provides valuable sponsorship for the conference as well as opportunities for delegates to make direct contact with companies working in the sector. Participants are -


* Continuum Group (leisure and tourism specialists), AIM’s premier Conference sponsor
* Adlib Information Systems (collections management)
* AJB Designs (collection surveys and storage design)
* Blackwall Green (fine art insurers)
* Britannia Storage Systems (specialist storage and display equipment)
* Candle Makers Supplies (suppliers to candlemakers and reproduction candles)
* ColourMatch (design and print)
* Development Partners UK (fundraising and marketing)
* Euronova Ltd (display security and solutions for lower-cost operations)
* European Route of Industrial Heritage (network of European industrial heritage sites)
* Hayes Parsons Ltd (insurance)
* ICON (leading voice for the conservation of cultural heritage)
* Ironbridge Costume Project (bespoke items of interpretive costume)
* Jarrold Publishing (guidebooks, postcards, brochures)
* Lista (UK) (museum drawer storage)
* LME Ltd (digital signage)
* MDA (Museum Development Association)
* MLA (Museums, Libraries & Archives Council)
* Red Camel (showcase manufacturers)
* Shelley Signs Ltd (design & manufacture of external interpretive signs)

AIM has restated its opposition to the capitalisation of heritage assets in the final round of consultation on the issue. AIM believes objects lose any commercial realisable value when they are accessioned into a museum collection. The proposals should not, therefore, apply to museum collections. AIM also feels strongly that a time when some local authorities are cashing on their assets, such as the sale of paintings or closing museums, it is unwise to draw attention to the almost arbitrary values of collections. AIM is also worried about the cost to museum projects of the need for valuations. Page 4

AIM has added its voice to criticism of Government plans to raid Lottery funding earmarked for culture to help pay for the 2012 London Olympic Games. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is to lose £161.2 million. AIM chairman Bill Ferris says that no single thing had had such a positive impact on the museum sector than HLF. “It is hard to contemplate any legacy from the Olympics that can remotely compensate for the damage that will be done to the nation’s heritage from the further plundering of Lottery funds to support this London-based event.” The Government’s announcement of the revised Olympics budget and the ‘contribution’ by Lottery bodies was “greeted with incredulity” by Heritage Link, which represents 81 national voluntary organisations in the sector, including AIM. Page 5

Museums will lose out on Gift Aid income following the announcement by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, that the basic rate of tax will be reduced from 22% to 20%. Charities are expected to lose £67 million as a result. A £100 donation currently worth £128 will after April 2008 be worth only £125. One museum estimated that the reduction in income would be some £11,500 annually.

AIM’s FOCUS paper ICT for Museums has been completely revised in a project with MDA and is available to be downloaded from AIMs website, www.aim-museums.co.uk. ICT for Museums has been rewritten by Nick Poole, director of MDA (the UK focus of expertise in collections management) with additional material by Gordon McKenna, MDA’s standards and systems manager. The paper gives practical up-to-date advice on this ever-growing and complex subject and is designed particularly to appeal to smaller museums. Page 16

Also in this issue:

* Second MDO Conference at Ironbridge
* Bottom Line: Harmonisation of accounting for charities
* Military Museums guide published
* Rare early painting returns to Charleston
* HLF’s Collection Cultures initiative
* Watch out for bogus tourist directories
* Donor or sponsor? Does it really matter?
* Wandsworth Museum turns to trust status for survival
* New funding for Subject Specialist Networks
* Training programme planned for museum archivists
* Cotswolds Arts & Crafts movement celebrated in new museum
* MuseumProfile: Haynes International Motor Museum, Somerset
* AIM Sustainability Scheme case studies – the latest awards