The MDS has three informal advisory groups who act as ‘critical friends’, helping us stay true to our values and purpose while anticipating changes in the museum, policy and technology landscapes.
We’ve already worked with early adopters who provided feedback as well as data during the start-up project, but now it’s time to invite additional voices. We’re looking for around ten additional members each for two of these groups: our museum user group, and researcher user group.
In each case, the groups meet twice a year online at meetings attended by the Head of Service, a member of the MDS Board of Trustees and MDS staff. In addition to helping the MDS meet their and wider needs, we hope that taking part provides members with opportunities to reflect and to connect with others.
We’re looking to recruit diverse groups that represents a range of users. Members can act as critical friends on matters such as user experience, comms and messaging around the MDS, training and other support needs for using the MDS, data ethics and our future priorities.
For the museums user group, we’re looking for people from a range of museum types, sizes, locations and roles. You don’t need to be an MDS partner – we’re also keen to understand the barriers some museums face in joining our service.
For the researcher user group, we’re looking for representation across a wide range of disciplines and industries, career stages, and types of research.
Expressions of interest
If you would like to be considered for one of these groups, please send an email to support@museumdata.uk by June 30. We’ll aim to confirm our selection by mid-July.
In your email, please state which user group you’re interested in joining – museums or researchers.
Please also tell us something (in up to 300 or so words) about why you’re interested in joining that group, how you use or might use the MDS, your location, type and size of institution, and the perspectives that your experience and interests to date might bring to the group.