About this Event
Metadata and Discovery Group in Scotland AGM, 28th October 2026
MDGS (the Metadata and Discovery Group in Scotland) warmly invite you to their Annual General Meeting, which is being held in person on Wednesday, the 28th October 2026, from 1:30-3:30, in the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
The AGM will be followed by a presentation from Beth Dumas, the Libraries Curator for the National Trust for Scotland.
Post AGM Seminar
We are delighted to host a talk entitled:
Conservation for the Nation: cataloguing Scotland’s collecting history in the National Trust for Scotland
Beth Dumas has been Libraries Curator for the National Trust for Scotland since 2024 and is the first long-term librarian at the Trust in its nearly 100-year history. Her remit is to capture data on the over 100,000 books across over 40 properties in all areas of Scotland, and eventually make that data available for researchers and interpretation.
Cataloguing the Trusts books is no simple task as each property has its own unique story, physical layout, and collecting history. Beth will walk the group through what has become a two-pronged attack on the problem – in the first instance, completing thorough reports on each property’s book collection, then going through and making quick but efficient records to be ingested into the collections management software, Axiell.
This talk is intended to be a conversation, candidly discussing the challenges such as sourcing funding, working in historical environments, and trying to capture metadata in non-ideal situations. Beth would love to hear the group’s opinions on the project, which is constantly being reviewed and streamlined. The team at the National Trust for Scotland is excited to share this significant project with colleagues from across Scotland, and is looking forward to hearing the group’s opinions and advice.
This event is in-person only, at the Edinburgh Futures Institute (Home - Edinburgh Futures Institute) at 1, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9EF.
Committee elections will take place at the AGM, and we would be delighted to hear from members who would like to join the Committee. If you are interested, please contact MDGS at [email protected]
Registration
Although this is a free event, registration is essential; please use the Eventbrite link to register your interest in attending. The AGM and seminar is open to both members and non-members.
The AGM will start at 1:30, and aims to conclude at 3:30.
What: MDGS AGM, followed by a talk from Beth Dumas at the National Trust for Scotland, on cataloguing their collections across varied and multiple sites
When: Wednesday, 28th October 2026, starting at 1:30
Where: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, EH3 9EF
We look forward to seeing you at this year’s AGM!
Event venue & nearby stays
Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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