Therefore, as well as documenting actual collections, the project has a broader remit to devise methodologies for the appraisal of textile collections and specific items within them, such as pattern books, collections of shawls, textile samples and machinery. Appraisal is a key task of heritage professionals that involves looking at collections and individual items within them and making informed decisions as to what should and should not be kept. For example, where many duplicate items are held should these be offered to other archives and museums or is it necessary to retain them all? If a company archive contains a series of several hundred fabric sample books, each requiring £3-5000 of remedial conservation to make them accessible, should cost be a factor in deciding what should be retained? If an archive document has no informational value, does it really need to be retained? If an archive repository has the records of 50 textile mills from a specific area, why should valuable storage space be given to another mill from the same area? What information is recorded within these records that isn’t held or duplicated elsewhere? These are not easy decisions to make and so effective methodologies are essential.

Further to this, the project will explore the scope for developing a framework for a national collecting policy for textile collections in Scottish archives and museums. By documenting within the project database the location of textile collections within Scotland it is hoped that the strengths of these collections and collecting institutions will be recognised. This groundbreaking 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.

Further information about these aspects of the project will appear on this web site in the near future.