A new document entitled "Opening Doors to Learning" launched tomorrow, Friday 18 June, by University Museums in Scotland (UMIS), reveals the astonishing wealth of their collections and how they now play an important role in the cultural life of the nation as a whole.

Today university museums are stepping into the spotlight to show how they contribute to Scotland's higher education and public agendas.

"There are examples from all over Scotland of projects which reach out to new audiences and make new connections. The Whistler exhibition was a classic example of how the scholarship and collections of the University can create something for a vast audience to enjoy and also broker creative partnerships," explains Dr Evelyn Silber, Director of the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery.

The publication, to be officially launched at the University's Hunterian Art Gallery, celebrates the work that has been achieved by university museums throughout Scotland and indicates how much more could done with more and better direct resources.

"Scottish Universities have made a major contribution to the history of museums in Scotland, and we want to take this opportunity to publicise our current work and our potential for doing more," said Professor Ian Carradice, chairman of University Museums in Scotland.

"The 1.6 million objects that are cared for by Scotland's universities are some of the country's most important collections. University museums are also finding imaginative ways of making their holdings accessible to local communities and exploiting their potential for lifelong learning."

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

The full report can be accessed online at the UMIS Website.

For more information please contact Dr Evelyn Silber at the Hunterian on 0141 330-2903 or email: E.Silber@museum.gla.ac.uk or Ian Carradice of the UMIS on 01334 462417 or email: iac@st-and.ac.uk.

Press and photographers are very welcome to attend the launch at the Hunterian Art Gallery between 12 - 2pm. Please contact Mike Findlay in the University Press Office on 0141 330-8593 or email: m.findlay@admin.gla.ac.uk.

Opening Doors to Learning shows some of the ways in which universities through the country have widened and deepened access to their collections in many different ways. UMIS hopes that this will inspire people to visit these museums and suggests means to increase their resources to make these great collections accessible to everyone.

Glasgow University?s Hunterian Art Gallery won the UK Museums and Heritage Show Award for Excellence for the marketing of Whistler2003, the cross-city festival of exhibitions and events led by the Hunterian and based on their great Whistler collections, the best outside the USA. The Festival attracted over ?200k external funding, increased visitor numbers at the Hunterian alone by 88% and brought almost ?6m to the local economy.

First published: 17 June 2004