AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT www.emms.org.uk

1938.  Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

The Area Museum Councils, Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, the Museums Association and the Association of Independent Museums are gathering information on the impact of foot-and-mouth disease on the museum sector as a whole, and will make the case for assistance when issues of compensation are discussed.

We are grateful to those museums which have already supplied information to EmmS relating to foot-and-mouth disease. However, to assist us with the task of gathering consistent, up-to-date information, we would ask that all museums complete the enclosed form, with information relating to the impact of the disease on their operations during March only. A further form will be sent out with May's HOT NEWS for the recording of April's data, and so on for as many months as the crisis continues.

Members are also reminded that it is important to keep the Heart of England Tourist Board and their local tourist information centres updated with the latest details of opening hours and events. HETB will use this information to update the telephone Hotline (0870) 241 5659, which is available seven days a week from 10.00am to 8.00pm, to deal with public enquiries about attractions that are open. This information will also inform the BTA’s website www.visitbritain.com

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The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has issued the following guidance for attraction operators, which emphasises that rural museums should be open unless livestock is held on site and visitors would come into contact with it. The guidance, which is not prescriptive and should be interpreted in the light of local circumstances, and will be kept under continual review, states:

To reduce the risk of accidentally spreading FMD around the country, attractions can take fairly simple precautions:

• ensure that visitors and livestock do not mix;

• visitor access and movement around the site should be carefully managed and monitored – in particular potential exit points to adjacent farmland should be closed;

• at vehicle entry points and car parks, ensure that there is effective disinfectant provision and again exclusion of livestock; and

• explain restrictions you place on visitors and encourage their understanding and compliance.

Visitor attractions which can be reached by a tarmac public highway can open in any part of the country. However, tarmac roads accessing visitor attractions often carry mud and manure from agricultural traffic. If possible, these roads should be swept with tractor-mounted brushes and disinfectant.

Maintenance of an appropriate disinfectant regime must be applied for attractions which can only be reached by non-tarmac roads, for example muddy roads or tracks, or where the attraction is adjacent to land where there are susceptible livestock. The MAFF website gives details of approved disinfectants: www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/disinfectant.htm (If you do not have a computer to access the website, then you can phone MAFF's Helpline on (0845) 050 4141 - calls charged at local rate).

It is essential to consult neighbouring landowners and it is good practice to consult other members of the local community about proposals to open your attraction.

Where animals are on site they should be kept apart from visitors, particularly susceptible livestock, as mentioned above. A list of animals which are susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease is set out below.

Do not allow access to areas with susceptible livestock, including parkland or farmed deer.

Deer roam wild in many parts of England. You do not need to ensure that wild deer or other wild animals have been excluded from your site before opening it to the public.

One way of ensuring visitors and animals do not mix is to create a 'buffer zone'. This should be an optimum of 10 metres, between any place where visitors have access and where susceptible livestock or parkland deer are.

Dogs, where permitted, should be kept on a short lead.

Risk assessment

Advice from the State Veterinary Service has suggested that:

• risk of foot-and-mouth disease is highest from individuals who have had direct physical contact with animals in any area;

• other individuals pose little risk of introducing foot-and-mouth disease, even if they come from an infected area, provided they have not been in direct contact with animals and routine disinfecting procedures are carried out;

• the risk from vehicles will be less if they have not previously traversed farmland or estate roads and routine disinfecting procedures are undertaken.

Suggested Precautions for rural visitor attractions

• Have only one combined entrance and exit.

• All vehicles entering and leaving should have their wheels disinfected (see 1. above.) Details of approved disinfectants can be found at www.maff.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/fmd/disinfectant.htm

• Ensure that all staff are fully briefed and trained in necessary precautionary measures.

Animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease

Animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease include cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, wild boar, deer, camelids and certain zoo animals, such as elephants.

Helpline

As well as a website, MAFF has a Helpline which you can ring for full advice: 0845 050 4141 (calls charged at local rate). You can call seven days a week from 8.00am to 11.00pm.

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1940. UK Museums: Safe and Sound?

A number of members have enquired about the availability of Adrian Babbidge's paper, under the above title, which was recently published in the Policy Studies Institute's publication Cultural Trends, and which has attracted a deal of media interest.

That part of the paper that deals with national lottery issues was printed in the January edition of the Museums Journal. Copies of Issue 37 of Cultural Trends, in which the full paper appears, are available (price £23.75 individuals, £37.25 institutions) from Carfax Publishing (01235) 401000.

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Further to Notice 1920 in the March edition of HOT NEWS, Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries has now confirmed that its core grant to EmmS for 2001/2 will be £243,882, the same as for the last two financial years. This, in effect, removes our potential to take on any further commitments and, as a consequence, we have advised Resource that we will be unable to accept an offer of £27,700 to help it develop a 'regional learning unit' in the East Midlands. We will also be unable to participate in bids for any new projects during the year.

Additionally, our funding bid for the cross-sectoral project agreed at the Future Sure 2 conference at Beaumanor Hall has been rejected for reasons that include 'lack of cross-sectoral commitment to the project'. Our disappointment with this is tempered with relief that it will ease the strain on EmmS during what will be a difficult period.

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1942.  Cultural Heritage National Training Organisation (CHNTO)

Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries has announced that it intends to withdraw its annual core funding (currently £194,000) from CHNTO by April 2002. It is hoping that this decision will encourage amalgamation of all the National Training Organisations in the cultural sector as part of the Department for Education and Employment's current review of National Training Organisations.

The future organisation of CHNTO's current programmes, including its role in respect of museum-sector National Vocational Qualifications, is unclear, though Resource has stated that it will work with CHNTO during any transitional period to ensure the continuation of core functions.

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1943.  Culture Online

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has published a report outlining how computers and the Internet can be used in innovative ways to open up culture to new audiences. One of the applications of Culture Online (COL) is the digitisation of museum collections, enabling virtual visits for the public. COL is initially supported by a DCMS £5 million Development Fund, and is due to be operational towards the end of 2001. For further details, see the COL website, at www.cultureonline.gov.uk

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1944.  National Inventory of European Paintings

The Project Director for the National Inventory of European Paintings would like to hear from any museums or galleries with oil paintings in their collection who have not already been contacted with a questionnaire. The Project intends to bring together information on old master paintings in the public collections of England and Wales into one publicly accessible, web-based, illustrated database. To find out more, or to advise of paintings in a public collection, contact: Andrew Greg, Project Director, National Inventory of European Paintings, 26 York Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6ET. Tel: (0191) 273 6832. Email: ajwgreg@cs.com

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Twelve Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Regional Committees have been created to make decisions on applications to the Fund for up to £1 million, and to advise HLF's main board on priorities for the region's heritage, including bids for over £1 million. The members of the East Midlands Committee are as follows:

• Gill Gardiner (Chairman), a Member of Leicestershire County and Harborough District Councils, a Board member of the East Midlands Regional Development Agency and the former East Midlands member of HLF's Committee for the English Regions;

• Sue Clayton, Chairman of the Flintham Society in Nottinghamshire;

• Gareth Fitzpatrick, Secretary of the Heritage Education Trust, based at Boughton House in Northamptonshire;

• Tony Hams, a member of the Peak Parks National Parks Authority;

• Derek Latham, a Derby-based architect specialising in historic buildings;

• Angela Watson, who will be well-known to some readers in connection with the work on Best Value for the Audit Commission.

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The charity In Kind Direct (which has recently changed its name from Gifts In Kind UK) exists to supply not-for-profit organisations with goods and equipment donated by other organisations who do not need them. These goods, which can include items like computers, photocopiers, office furniture, household appliances and stationery, are usually surplus, end-of-line or slight seconds. Computers in particular are of high specification, and are supplied with software donated by Microsoft. For further details, or to request a registration form, contact: In Kind Direct, PO Box 140, 20 St Mary Hill, London EC3R 8NA. Tel: (020) 7204 5003. Fax (020) 7204 5551. Email: info@inkinddirect.org Website: www.inkinddirect.org

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1947.  Carnegie United Kingdom Trust (CUKT) Grants Policy 2001 - 6

CUKT has recently published its grant policy guidelines for the next five years. It is discontinuing its heritage strand, which has during the past five years supported ICT developments in independent museums and museum volunteering projects. However, its Creativity and Imagination initiative, with the aim of enhancing the capacity of creative and imaginative groups of people to benefit others, may well be of interest to some museum organisations. Full details of CUKT's guidance for this and its other schemes are available from Comeley Park House, Dunfermline, Fife KY12 7EJ. Tel (01383) 721445. Fax (01383) 620682. Website: www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk

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The Museums Association is offering two bursaries to cover fees for the MA in Museum Studies at the University of Leicester to two individuals who are ordinarily resident in the UK and interested in pursuing a career in museums. Applicants must be from the Asian, Afro-Caribbean or Chinese communities as they are under-represented within the museums sector. The bursaries are supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Applicants, who will need to demonstrate a first or second-class honours degree (or equivalent qualification), should send a CV, a short essay on their interest in museums (maximum 600 words) and a covering letter detailing why they should be sponsored to: Maurice Davies, Deputy Director, Museums Association, 42 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0PA. Email: maurice@museumsassociation.org Fax: (020) 7250 1929. The closing date is 8 May 2001, and interviews will be held on 12 June 2001.

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The European Union's programme Digital Content on Global Networks, or e-content for short, is aimed at:

• improving access to and expanding the use of public sector information, including cultural information held by publicly funded cultural institutions;

• enhancing content production in a multilingual and multicultural environment;

• increasing dynamism of the digital content market.

The deadline for the first call for proposals under this scheme is on 15 June this year, but some items are covered by a continuous submission process up to the end of 2002. Full details of the e-content programme can be found at www.cordis.lu/econtent There will also be an Information Day in London on 10 May organised by UKISHELP, the organisation funded by the Department of Trade and Industry to promote EU information society programmes, which will offer further guidance on e-content. For details, see forthcoming events.

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The Audit Commission and the Government Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA) are developing a project to provide a library of 'off the shelf' local performance indicators which local authorities can adopt according to their local circumstances. Contact Amanda Davies from I&DeA and Phillippa Lynch from the Audit Commission at www.local-pi-library.gov.uk or on (020) 7296 6607.

I&DeA are also developing a project to support local authority Best Value benchmarking exercises and to disseminate good practice. They aim to produce information on benchmarking networks or clubs; evaluate a range of benchmarking models; co-ordinate national events and regional workshops and publish a resource pack or good practice guide. For details contact Robert Hassall at robert.hassall@idea.gov.uk, or visit the Best Value site on www.idea.gov.uk

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Fact sheets which were published by the Museums & Galleries Commission to give practical advice on Conservation, Education & Access, Environmental Management, Security and Technology, are now available in downloadable format from the Resource website: www.resource.gov.uk/factsheets.html

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1952.  Handbook for Digital Projects

The Handbook for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for Preservation and Access is now available online at Northeast Document Conservation Center's website: www.nedcc.org/digital/dighome.htm

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1953.  The Department for Culture and e-Value

Creating e-Value: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Sponsored Bodies and the Internet is the title of a DCMS-published report which identifies what cultural organisations are currently doing in terms of the internet and how they can use it to extend the reach of their public services. The report provides pointers to best practice, highlights challenges and opportunities for DCMS-sponsored bodies, and urges them to be more collaborative and innovative in developing on-line services. Copies are available from the DCMS Public Enquiry Unit on (020) 7211 6200.

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1954.  Clore Duffield Foundation

The Clore Duffield Foundation supports the arts, education, museum and gallery education, and health and social welfare. It manages two grants, Artworks: The National Children's Arts Awards which encourages schools to visit museums and galleries and promotes innovative teaching and learning in art, and the Clore Small Grants Programme, a £1 million scheme which funds education work at museums and galleries. For details contact: Studio 3, Chelsea Manor Studios, Flood Street, London SW3 5SR. Tel: (020) 7351 6061. Email: cloreduffield@aol.com

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1955.  EmmS Crimefile Questionnaire and Resource Incident Report Form

If your museum is the victim of theft or criminal damage, please make sure that you complete and return an EmmS Crimefile Questionnaire. Similarly, if your collections, building, furniture or fittings have undergone damage due to an incident such as fire, flood, infestation or vandalism, please complete and return a Resource Incident Report Form. Copies of both forms can be obtained from Rose Millington on (0115) 985 4534.

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1956.  Museums & Galleries Month 2001

Several museums across the East Midlands are putting on special events as part of Museums & Galleries Month (MGM), which runs from 1 May to 3 June. Among these are late-night openings, behind- the-scenes tours, trails, meet-the-curator days, workshops and activities. For a full list, see the MGM website www.may2000.org.uk

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1957.  Forthcoming Events & Seminars

10 May E-CONTENT INFORMATION DAY - UKISHELP. This day will provide an insight into the European Commission's e-Content programme, and give all those interested in proposing a project a real edge in getting their ideas funded. Venue: London. For details, including a booking form, contact the UKISHELP Support Line on (0870) 606 1515, or log-on to www.ukishelp.co.uk

15 May LITERACY AND REGENERATION CONFERENCE. A conference to highlight the importance of literacy in regeneration and neighbourhood renewal, and to share good practice. Speakers include Malcolm Wicks MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment; Joe Montgomery, Director of the new Neighbourhood Renewal Unit; Bryan Sanderson, Chairman of the Learning and Skills Council; Miranda McKearney of Well Worth Reading, and Carol Taylor, Director of Read On - Write Away! Workshops will cover: Community regeneration through the Digital Learning Ring; Seducing the non-traditional learner; An integrated approach to family literacy; Improving the basic skills of hard-to-reach people; Can’t pay the bills? Tackling basic skills through financial literacy. Venue: Westminster College, London. For further details, including a booking form, log on to www.literacytrust.org.uk/about/regeneration.html

21 May MUSEUM ETHNOGRAPHERS' GROUP STUDY DAY, to include a tour of the venue's new ethnography gallery, an introduction to the North East Museums Service Ethnographic Project and an object identification session. Venue: The Hancock Museum, Newcastle. Cost: free. For details contact Lisa Harris. Tel: (0191) 222 6778. Email: lisa.harris@ncl.ac.uk

22 May EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ETHNOGRAPHY BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK! - North East Museums Service. This is a training day open to non-specialist curators from all regions with responsibility for ethnographic collections. Venue: The Hancock Museum, Newcastle. Cost: free. For details contact Lisa Harris. Tel: (0191) 222 6778. Email: lisa.harris@ncl.ac.uk

9 May HOW TO USE CATALIST FOR WINDOWS - MODES Users Association. This is a day for new users of Catalist. It covers all aspects of using the program, including creating and editing records, browsing and searching, and printing records. Cost: £45+VAT. For details see below.

10-11 May HOW TO USE MODES FOR WINDOWS - MODES Users Association. A two-day course for new users of Modes. It covers all the basic skills, including recording with the Object or Archives formats, creating and editing records, browsing and searching, and printing records. Cost: £140+VAT. For details see below.

Venue for the above two courses: Hildersham, near Cambridge.

19 June MODES FOR WINDOWS: REFRESHER COURSE - MODES Users Association. This is a day for users with some previous experience of MODES, who need to refresh their skills. It covers all the basic skills, but assumes that you have a working knowledge of recording objects and an understanding of how records are structured. Cost: £70+VAT. For details see below.

20 June MODES FOR WINDOWS: ADVANCED FEATURES - MODES Users Association. Learn how to set up validation rules and secondary indexes, import and export records, carry out complex searches, design grids and modify standard outputs. Cost: £80+VAT. For details see below.

21 June MODES FOR WINDOWS: CUSTOMISING REPORTS - MODES Users Association. A course about customising your Single Entry View displays, designing printed outputs, and exporting data to other applications. Sessions will include designing a display label, responding to an enquiry and creating a simple web page. Cost: £80+VAT. For details see below.

22 June USING IMAGES FOR MODES OR CATALIST FOR WINDOWS - MODES Users Association. A course for those planning an imaging project with MODES or Catalist. It looks at image formats, size and quality of digital images, capturing images with a scanner or digital camera, and linking images to MODES and Catalist records. Cost: £60+VAT. For details see below.

Venue for the above courses: Snibston Discovery Park, Coalville, Leicestershire. For details of all the MODES and Catalist courses contact Richard Langley, 52 Otter Street, Derby DE1 3FB. Tel: (01332) 291345. Special offer: the second delegate from any one institution on any one course comes half price.

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… Bakewell Old House Museum, who have been awarded £87,400 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to undertake a building conservation programme.

… The National Tramway Museum and Northampton Museum & Art Gallery, who have both received funding in the third wave of the annual Designation Challenge Fund. The National Tramway Museum has been awarded £202,034, which will contribute to the building of an extension to the library, and continue the digitisation of picture postcards. Northampton Museum & Art Gallery will receive £160,000, which will create an additional gallery covering the theme of shoe fashion and design, and provide continued conservation of textile footwear.

... Jon Finch, Principal Keeper at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life, who is leaving on May 18, to become Collection Services Manager for Bolton Museums & Art Gallery.

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CUMULATIVE INDEX No 1 (January 1990) - No 139 (April 2001)

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