Listing your museum in the guide

How to fill in the AMOL guide form

Type of Organisation   Collection Strengths    Objects of Significance   Images

Type of Organisation

The following definitions have been used to indicate various types of organisations:

Type	Description
Professional Organisation	Administrative body which oversees and/or operates several museums, galleries or other cultural organisations.
Historic Trust	Register of places important to our heritage which are maintained and conserved by the Trust. These can include natural sites as well as houses, factories, mines, churches, lighthouses, bridges, railways and others.
Historic Site	Historic items located on a site which is of itself of historic significance.
Historical Society	Collection will include archives and/or objects, usually related to ongoing research into the history of a specific town, region or organisation.
Historic display	Display of objects of historic interest in a building generally used for other purposes (e.g. library, town hall, etc.)
House museum	Collection of furnishings and items displayed in a restored or reconstructed historic building or structure, which relate to a period in the history of the building or the surrounding district.
Social History Museum	Collection of items (including manuscripts) which illustrate the culture or history of an area or group.
Archive	Collection of public or private records and/or other historical documents.
Library	Collection of manuscripts, publications and other materials for reading, study or reference.
Art Gallery	Collections of visual art acquired for their aesthetic and/or historical value. Displays are based primarily on material held and conserved by the gallery but can include displays of temporary or travelling exhibitions not owned by the gallery. Included are publicly or privately funded art galleries. (Note: Commercial galleries are not listed in the Guide.)
Contemporary Art Space	Changing exhibitions of modern or contemporary art, without having such material owned by the gallery. Included are non-profit galleries operated by artists, specially designed art spaces or performance art spaces.
Keeping Place	Displays of handcrafts, lifestyle and local history in multi-functional cultural centres which aim to maintain the 'living culture' of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Cultural Centre	Displays and other interpretative programs which reflect community values; preserving, promoting and enhancing local culture, history and heritage.
Outdoor museum	Historic items (sometimes recreated or reconstructed) displayed in an outdoor setting.
Botanic Garden / Herbarium	Collections of trees, shrubs and plants acquired and displayed for the enjoyment and education of the public, as well as for research into plant classification and biology.
Zoo / Aquarium	Collection of living animals kept for presentation to the public and for research, preservation and conservation purposes.
Natural History Museum	Collection of minerals, fossils, shells, plants, animals, insects and other specimens from the natural sciences. Displays are based on material held and conserved by the museum. Included are anthropological collections.
Science museum	Collection of items which relate to historical and contemporary development within various scientific fields including physics, biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy and mathematics. Displays are based on material held and conserved by the museum.
Observatory / Planetarium	Collection of objects, exhibitions and/or programs related to astronomical and meteorological phenomena.
Science Centre	Interactive, hands-on exhibitions which encourage visitors to learn about scientific concepts through experimentation.
Maritime Museum	Collection of objects related to ships and shipping, maritime and naval history, etc. Displays are based on material held and conserved by the museum.
Military Museum	Collection of militaria, records and other objects related to the armed forces and military history.
Transport Museum	Collection of transport-related objects including steam machinery, horse-drawn vehicles, bicycles, motor vehicles, aviation etc

Collection Strengths

The categories listed in 'Collection Strengths' represent objects, topics or themes usually found in Australian cultural heritage collections. Please select from the collection strengths those that most accurately describes your organisation's major collection strengths.

Objects of significance

The Guide to Australian Museums and Galleries has provision for you to feature up to five items of interest from your collection. The following elements are the minimum information required to describe objects:

Images

The Internet provides great scope for using images to promote Australian cultural heritage. For this reason we have requested images of each 'Object of Significance' if possible. We can also incorporate other graphics identified with your museum (a logo or distinctive letterhead, a photo of the museum's exterior, etc) in your directory entry. If you have any such graphics, please enclose them with the form. Clearly mark your museum name on the back of all graphics or photos. We also accept electronic copies of images.

Please ensure that you possess the relevant copyright clearance from the owner for each image you submit. It is quite possible that an owner will sell or loan a work to an institution without conferring any rights beyond the right to make use of the actual physical object. Responsibility for copyright clearance of material submitted to AMOL rests with you. Australian Museums and Galleries OnLine accepts no responsibility for copyright infringement.