A presentation by Jacky MacBeath, head of museums, deputy head of the Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh.

1. Leadership conference 2018

2. ‘Yes – but did they learn
anything?’
new roles in teaching and learning in
university museums
Jacky MacBeath
University of Edinburgh
JISC/CNI 2 July 2018

4.  Founded in 1583,
civic university
 40,000 students
 13,000 staff
 40% + non-UK
students
 Research intensive
 Top 25 in world

5. Current University strategy
 Refresh our thinking about teaching - Near Future Teaching programme
 Online learning
 Data: Edinburgh as Data Capital of Europe
 Strongly international (especially European)
 University Strategy 2016
More focus on Engagement
Unique Edinburgh experience

6. Context
 Converged service: Library, IT and
Learning Technology services
 Material budget: approx. £8 million
 Main Library plus 8 sites
 Responsibility for Open Access, Research Data and Research
Information, University Publishing and Open Science/Research
 Museum Collections, Special Collections & Archives: also converged –
plus Library Digital Team and Maker Space

7. 100 km of Special Collections & Archives, Museum Collections
University of Edinburgh Museums (and growing)
Including:
• 500,000 Rare Books (printed before 1850)
• 6km of Manuscripts & Archives
• 5,500 Musical Instruments
• 10,000 Works of Art
• 1,200 Distributed objects across campus
• 130,000 Geology specimens
• 20,000 Natural History items
• 12,000 Anatomical items

8. Centre for Research Collections
Main space for anyone using heritage collections at the University of Edinburgh

9. St Cecilia’s Hall Concert Room & Music Museum

10. Museums and galleries across campus

11. Academic Engagement

13. New opportunities in teaching and learning
with the University of Edinburgh Art Collection
 Torrie Collection: 3 years teaching, research
and exhibition project
 Contemporary Art Research Collection and
Feminist Collecting Strategy
 Paolozzi Mosaic Project: Integrated Learning
and Teaching
Rachel Maclean Spite Your Face (2017)

14. Dr Tico Seifert, National Galleries Scotland, leading a seminar on Ruisdael from the Torrie Collection

15. History of Art MSc student exhibition at Talbot Rice Gallery

16. Melanie Gilligan The Common Sense (2016)

17. The Collections Development Group was initiated in 2014.
The group enables postgraduate students to contribute to the
Contemporary Art Research Collection’s development and gain
experience in complex acquisition and care processes.

19. Kate Davis The Glory of a Great Picture is in its Shame (2017)

20. Paolozzi Mosaic Project
Integrated Teaching
and Learning

21. Tottenham Court Road Underground Station

23. MATLAB generated a digital map which details the total sum of what we
have in black compared to actual artwork.

25. Any questions? And my questions:
 How can technology support OBL so that we stop reinventing the wheel?
 How do we sustain / upscale OBL?
 How do we build / update skills in the academic community?
 What is the role of the curator / archivist / librarian?
Jacky MacBeath
Jacky.macbeath@ed.ac.uk
@jaxmacb
https://www.ed.ac.uk/is/crc/
http://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/

26. Jacky MacBeath
University of Edinburgh
Thankyou
Jacky.macbeath@ed.ac.uk
@jaxmacb
ed.ac.uk/is/crc
stcecilias.ed.ac.uk