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Designation benefits

How the Scheme benefits England's cultural heritage:

• identifies nationally significant cultural assets in museums, libraries and archives and builds a strong understanding of our shared heritage
• reveals the strengths of England's leading collections described by geographic area, subject and quality
• guards against the neglect or disposal of the nation's treasures
• helps to ensure that funding can be directed rationally

Identification of Designated collections brings many benefits to individual organisations, including:

• strengthened support from their governing bodies
• enhanced ability to raise funds to support the collection
• added profile-raising at national level through MLA's promotional materials and press coverage
• the creation of a focus for advocacy and awareness-raising

The Scheme also sets out to raise standards across the sector. Designated collections recognised by the Scheme are expected to work towards the provision of high quality services, which deliver the fullest possible access to their collections. Those in the Scheme are expected to help other institutions by sharing expertise, offering advice or lending objects or material. In wider terms, the promotion of Designation also gives a strong and important message that many of the richest museum, library and archive collections in the country are not necessarily held in National organisations.