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Margy Burn from the National Library of Australia, Michael Crayford from the National Maritime Museum and John Greenwood from the University of Canberra review the themes discussed during the day with Louise Douglas from the National Museum of Australia.

Greer Gehrt and Eric Archer discuss the development of a business case for a new Centre for the National Museum of Australia Collections that balances passive design and collection management needs.

Mathew Trinca proposes that at the heart of museums lies a deep commitment to the idea that our material lives are worth recording and that our heritage objects provide insights into the circumstances and meaning of human life.

Philip Jones delivers ‘From curation to management: reflections on museum objects’, a consideration of how the traditional curatorial role has changed.

Poppy Wenham looks at some of the issues in adapting museum practice to the challenges of born-digital collection material and asks what we need to do to work effectively with virtual collections.

Eric Archer reflects on the achievements in the conservation professions and the incorporation of conservators into mainstream collections management structures. He also raises the issue of how to open up objects in non-displayed collections.

Roslyn Russell examines the development of the Significance publication and suggests that the preservation of an object’s function in the conservation process is important where the function is an integral part of the object’s significance.

Maryanne McCubbin discusses the development of three strands of collection workers over the past 30 years: curators, collection managers and conservators.

Following on from last year’s presentation on light levels, Nicki Smith examines the latest developments in risk management and light levels.

Jennifer Sanders looks at seven themes in the history of curatorial practice: farewell the keepers, age of managerialism, out of the silos into the world, tipping the iceberg, curating in a digital world, telling stories and go beyond the walls.