MuseTech ’21

What can our data, good and bad, tell us about our museums? What are the opportunities—and what are the pitfalls?
 
Data, information, statistics—for better or worse they are part and parcel of our world, used to inform decision-making and in defence of decisions made. The collection and use of data is not neutral—it can be curated, used to support or fight causes.
 
The world of heritage and museums is awash with data that is increasingly interconnecting with moves such as ‘Towards a National Collection’. Sets of data may be regarded as collections in their own right, rather than merely as information about something else.
 
In response to the ever-more-important questions around data, the increasing scrutiny of how it’s gathered, stored, and interpreted, and the impact of the pandemic, this year’s conference seeks to discuss our relationship with data.
 
How is our sector is using its data? What insights it has brought to our work? What does this mean for those who run museums and those who visit them?