The decline of textile manufacturing in Scotland, and the consequent need to rescue objects and archives at risk of destruction as a result of company closures, has exacerbated existing pressures on space and resources for many museums and archives with textile collections.

Therefore, as well as documenting actual collections, the project had a broader remit to consider methodologies for the appraisal of textile collections and specific items within them, such as pattern books, collections of shawls, textile samples and machinery. The project hosted three seminars for collections managers in museums and archives and other stakeholders to explore the scope for developing a framework collecting policy for a distributed national textile collection in Scotland This ground-breaking work will help archivists and museum curators to advise potential depositors on the most suitable repository or museum for their objects or archives and encourage greater communication and sharing of knowledge between heritage professionals.