In the lead up to our November conference, Museums+Tech 2017, and our 35 year anniversary, we thought it would be as good a time as any to reaffirm our values. On our website’s ‘about page’, we describe ourselves as a “UK-based independent group for museum, gallery, cultural heritage and education professionals who work with or are interested in museum technology and digital heritage.” But what does that actually mean? And how does it help you, and the sector?

Who we are

At our core, the Museums Computer Group is a practitioner-led network, which is directed by a passionate volunteer committee. But you direct us too. By your work, your passion and your interests. Our membership is made up of a vast number of people, from all kinds of backgrounds, and that’s incredibly well reflected in both our JISCMail discussion list, and at our events. You bring up interesting topics and you highlight inspiring practice. You are smart, constructive and aren’t afraid to ask questions. You are the voice for technology in the sector.

What we do

That’s a voice that we, as a group, try to reflect, broadcast and advocate. We want to connect you to one another, and to the sector as a whole. We want to support you in your work and your interests. We want to help you develop your career by providing opportunities to learn and connect, and through discussions with government, sector funders and senior leaders. We aim to inspire you, and encourage you to inspire each other. In times of uncertainty, both economic and social, it’s more important than ever for us to do this. For the MCG to connect, support and inspire both you and the sector.

The discussions that we have, on and off-list, reflect that technology comes in all shapes and forms. From social media to 3D printing. From video walls to audio tours. The MCG is here to advocate for the better use of technology – not necessarily for the technology itself. That’s why the discussion list is such a fantastic place to share feedback and thoughts around technology and its applications. Around what has worked well, and what can be improved. This community is an incredibly valuable resource for the sector, and one of our main goals is to connect people to that community.

Where we’re going

We want to continue to position ourselves as a practice-led group. As a community for the sector’s technology-minded professionals. We want to continue to provide an open, friendly and welcoming environment for people to pose questions. To challenge the sector and to be creative within their own work. But most of all, we want people to feel able to share their successes and their failures, so that others can learn from their experiences.

At each Annual General Meeting, our members vote in new Committee members. In the coming months we’ll be re-introducing the committee to the community. We’ll tell you who we are, what we do and how we can help. If you want to get involved, we’ll be posting our usual call for committee nominations later in the year, and this year we’ll also be appointing a new Chair for the MCG at the November conference. These are important posts, so feel free to get in touch if you might be interested in joining our committee.

Until then, we want to thank you for your support of the MCG, and for your support of each other. We take pride in the fact that the Museums Computer Group is a connected community of friendly, passionate people. And we’d like to continue to support that for the foreseeable future.