Collecting Engagement; the Role of Collecting Institutions in Sharing Knowledge

ID: WMA2026_612

Track:

This session explores how museums use active collecting practices to shape exhibitions, education, and community engagement. Leaders from exhibits, curation , and leadership will share behind the scenes perspectives on how collections foster authenticity, spark curiosity, and evolve with new scientific and cultural knowledge. The discussion will address transparency, community participation, and the balance between visible and functional workspaces. Attendees will consider how collecting institutions strengthen local relevance, stewardship, and meaningful visitor connection.

Session Information

Format: Regular session/panel (roundtable, single speaker, etc.)

Uniqueness: Reveal programs where local communities see themselves, their own community in a museum collection including perspectives from Utah institutions as the host location.

Objectives: 1. Reveal the inter-relationship of multiple museum professionals to shape the visitor experience (Education, Collections, Exhibits, Communication 2. Responding to a constantly growing collection, share how relationships between museum professionals continue to evolve with the collection and respond to factors such as; a. physical space constraints b. engaging the community in the collection process c. revealing the collection process and “behind the scenes” as part of the visitor experience 3. Illustrate programs and exhibit strategies where communities see themselves in the museum and represented in the collection.

Engagement: Audience Q/A with the panel including: -Examples / similar stories from the audience -“How to” – best practices to engage museum professionals and how to continue growing. -Dynamic / active and changing – discussion around embracing change and reacting to topics which come up in society. -Examples of how to be nimble, when the exhibit process / development can take year. -How has involving community in an exhibit created a sense of surprise in the outcome or presentation of an exhibit?

Relationship to Theme:

Audience

Audiences: Curators/Scientists/Historians Events Planning Marketing & Communications (Including Social Media) Registrars, Collections Managers Technology 

Professional Level: All levels 

Scalability: While the focus is on history and natural history museums, the overlap between museum professionals carries into a wide range of different museum types with a focus on collaboration between departments to achieve an experience where visitor’s see their own community and / or place represented in exhibits and collections.

Participants