[UK] What are Museums for?

UK Collections Trust CEO Nick Poole analysed the mission statements of 40 randomly chosen UK museums and galleries as an informal exercise in what museums see as their core purpose. Excluding the generic word "Museum," the ten most common words were: People, Collections, Future, World, Understanding, Learning, Public, Enjoyment, National, and Access.

Poole read this as reassuring — "People" and "Collections" topping the list affirms that collections exist to serve a social function rather than the reverse. He noted "Future" outranking "Past" three-to-one, suggesting museums see heritage as a tool for understanding where society is headed rather than dwelling on where it's been; "World" and "International" reflecting a global outlook; "Understanding" and "Learning" pointing to an educational self-image; and "Access," despite ranking tenth, appearing in only 12 of 40 statements. Full article and dataset at collectionslink.org.uk.