Do you use the Mapping Museums database? If so, we need your input.
Bad News: The Mapping Museums Database is now almost six years old, which is elderly for prototype software. Redeveloping a database is expensive and our funding has come to an end. Thus, we have made the decision to archive the original Mapping Museums project website and database. It will still be available online, but the data will not be updated and the system will not be supported after December 2025.
Good News: We developed a new web application as part of our most recent research on museum closure and collections disposal. This application allows users to search and visualise the new data.
The new web application will also offer a slimmed down version of the Mapping Museums Database, and the information will continue to be updated.
We will not be able to transfer the complete the Mapping Museums Database to the new web app, so we need to know what functions are essential for you.
Please can you tell us how you use the Database?
For example:
Do you use Browse or Search to look for museums?
Do you use the quick search or the advanced search?
What information do you look for? museums’ postcodes? governance? size?
Do you use the information on social deprivation or the geo-demographic areas?
Do you ever look at notes?
Do you use the Visualise functions, if so, which ones?
What can you not easily do without?
Any information on how you use the Database and what you would like to retain will help us ensure continuity of service. We appreciate you taking the time to respond. Please send any feedback to mappingmuseums@bbk.ac.uk