Geological Curators’ Group winter seminar, hosted by Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Cardiff, on Tuesday 4^th and Wednesday 5^th  December 2018.  The 45^th GCG AGM will take place at 4pm on Tuesday 4^th December. There may be a short local fieldtrip on 6^th December.

We invite expressions of interest in presenting papers, workshops, discussion sessions, or posters within the topic of volunteers, volunteering, and associated projects within the overall context of geology in museum collections, exhibitions, geo-conservation, conservation, public engagement, or other related topics. We are particularly keen to invite contributions from current or past volunteers who may have had little prior geological knowledge, and those who have interesting or informative volunteering experiences to share, whether positive or negative.  We are aiming for an initial day comprising short talks and a discussion session, followed by a second day to include more discussions and workshops as well as store tours, gallery time, etc.

A lot of museums have suffered various forms of funding difficulties in the past decade, a number of which would struggle to survive if it were not for the valuable work put in by volunteers. Many volunteers haven’t come from specialist backgrounds and yet often find themselves in the position of giving tours, leading activities, or presenting talks on specialised subjects, as well as curating and managing collections. In a number of exceptional cases, entire collections or exhibitions are volunteer run. This conference is a celebration of their dedication and we encourage papers and discussion ideas by present and past volunteers as well as those who have worked with volunteers, either long-term or on particular projects.

Topics for consideration include but are not limited to: how do volunteers feel about their roles, particularly those in positions of great responsibility; how can the sector support volunteers and help them gain from their experience; how can museums and collections make the most effective use of volunteer time; what sort of problems have volunteer projects had to overcome and can we learn by sharing these?

All contributors would be welcome to submit their oral or poster presentation for publication in our peer-reviewed journal The Geological Curator.

Registration fees for the meeting will be:

Members:            £40 per day, or £70 for both days

Non-members:   £50 per day, or £80 for both days

GCG is offering a number of attendance bursaries of up to £100 for current museum volunteers. To apply, please submit an application of a minimum of 100 words to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or the postal address below. If successful you will be asked to write up your talk (if applicable) for our journal. Please note that we don’t waive fees for speakers at GCG meetings except in exceptional circumstances.

Talks should be kept to a maximum of 20 minutes including time for questions, and posters should be printed at no more than A1 size.

Please check the GCG website geocurator.org nearer the time for more details, and to book your place. The deadline for expression of interest is 8^th October 2018, and submission of abstracts (max 350 words) to follow by 26^th October. Please submit these as soon as possible to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For further information please contact:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or Cindy Howells (029 2057 3354) Department of Natural Science, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, CF10 3NP.

Venues

National Museum Wales, Cathays Park. Meet in the Central Hall and you will be taken to the meeting room. Further details from the museum: https://museum.wales/cardiff/visit/

Transport

Cardiff is well served by road, rail and air. You can use buses to get around the city. You can plan your journey using the Traveline Cymru website or by calling their helpline on 0800 464 0000

 

Notice is hereby given that the 45^th Annual General Meeting of the Geological Curators’ Group will be hosted by the National Museum Wales | Amgueddfa Cymru in Cardiff at 4pm, on the 4^th December 2018. All Committee posts (except Chair) are renewed annually. Nominations for the posts of Committee Members must be made by two members of the Group and submitted in writing or by email to the Secretary, Sarah King (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), by 14^th November 2018. Items proposed for inclusion on the Agenda should be submitted to the Secretary as above.

Chairman: Matthew Parkes, National Museum of Ireland, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Secretary: Sarah King, Yorkshire Museum, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th December 2018

Amgueddfa Cymru | National Museum Wales Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP

Booking for our winter seminar incorporating the Geological Curators' Group AGM is now closed.   

Tuesday 4th December 2018
10:00	Arrivals and registration; Refreshments Please come to the main foyer of the National Museum Cardiff where a member of the GCG committee will be ready to welcome you.
10:30	Welcome to the National Museum of Wales; notices - Matthew Parkes, GCG Chairman
10:40	Morning talks session - talks last approximately 20 minutes: The NMW and our volunteer projects - Cindy Howells (NMW) Life as a Typical (or Atypical?) Volunteer at the NHM, London - Mike Smith (NHM London) Hidden Treasures of Deeside - Roy Starkey (Lapworth Museum) Involving volunteers in large scale collections projects and outreach - Emma Bernard (NHM)  Bridging the skills gap using MOOCS - Martin Nunn (Nottingham Museum)
12:20	Lunch break - lunch is included in the ticket price Optional visit to the diatoms store
14:00	Afternoon talks session - talks last approximately 20 minutes: Hindsight at the Horniman - Emma Nicholls (Horniman Museum) The Bristol Dinosaur project - Rhys Charles (University of Bristol) Using Citizen Science to rescue an old and valuable collection of microscope slides - John Pring (Geoscience Australia)  Doris and Friends: ‘Pliosaurus! – Dive into the Jurassic deep’ Volunteer Programme - Debbie Hutchinson (Bristol Museum and Art Gallery)
15:20	Discussion Session
15:30	Refreshments
16:00	45th Annual General Meeting of the Geological Curators' Group
17:00	Finish. We are planning a nearby pub venue for further networking opportunities and take your evening meal if you wish
Wednesday 5th December 2018
10:00	Doors open at the museum, or assemble on the front steps shortly beforehand
10:15	Geolocating your collections - some useful resources - Simon Harris, British Geological Survey Primarily focusing on UK localities, we will look at a number of zero or low cost options to help in the search for that elusive grid reference.
11:15	Tea/Coffee
11:40	Experiencing MOOCS - Martin Nunn, Nottingham Museum Participants will create an account, enrol on a course, and experience a MOOC from a beginner’s perspective. Workshop participants would need to have access to laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and be prepared to download free apps. The activity can be carried out in pairs or small groups if needed.
12:30	Lunch break - lunch is included in the ticket price
13:30	Tours of the Geology and Botany stores at the museum
15:00	Discussion Session - Are our volunteer programmes working? What do volunteers get from us? How to deal with problems? Stand up and have your say!
16:30	Seminar ends. We are planning a nearby pub venue for further networking opportunities and take your evening meal if you wish
Thursday 6th December
	There have been a few requests to visit the Upper Triassic dinosaur footprint site at Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. The only cost for this day will be to reimburse car drivers for their petrol. Times and details will be sorted out during the seminar, but please let This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. know if you are interested in coming and if you have a car or need a lift.
Posters and displays
	At the Feet of the Dinosaur Project - Claudia Hildebrandt (University of Bristol)
	Project Theco - Debbie Hutchinson (Bristol Museums and Art Gallery)
	Membership sign-up and renewal. Now is a good time to join us or to renew your membership for 2019. Find one of the team and we will be happy to sort this out for you. We accept cash, card and cheques!
Additional Materials
	Abstracts for the talks can be accessed by clicking on the hyperlinked name of the speaker, or from this link
Booking closes Friday 23rd November 2018