Blog from the Basement: Meet our new Collections Care Assistant

My name is Ben, and in November 2025 I joined the Conservation and Collections Care team at the National Science and Media Museum as a Collections Care Assistant.

I have always had a fascination with museums, the objects that they display and how they enable us to understand our world better. I completed a History of Art degree at the University of York and in February 2025 I joined the museum as a Visitor Experience Assistant, before becoming Collections Care Assistant later in the year.

Since beginning the role, I have learnt that no two days are ever really the same. I have always loved museum objects and being able to gain greater insight into the work it takes to ensure they are visible has been incredibly exciting. I have also seen many fascinating objects which are kept in storage.

When I first joined the conservation team, I had a lot of object-focused training to complete, such as object handling and trying to get my head around how to use Mimsy, our collections management software. I also learned about how to deal with object hazards that I may encounter.

Shortly after joining I was a part of a huge team effort to protect the collections ahead of building works that were needed in the stores. This involved me writing risk assessments and making sure that all staff and collection objects were safe while we accomplished this. I also had the exciting opportunity to visit the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester and to see more of their stores and collections.

Each week Vanessa, our conservator, and I check the Sound and Vision galleries before we are open to the public and make sure there is no damage to the objects or the showcases. Once a month we clean the objects on open display with a long duster and the backpack vacuum that makes me feel like I’m a ghostbuster. I also check the conditions of the showcases in the Kodak Gallery to see if any of the cases need any extra care.

I’m not always working with the objects. I have spent a lot of time in this role using Excel to help create a new pest management spreadsheet for 2026 and to keep track of the measurements of the stores and suppliers of the racking. This is just some of what I’ve been up to in the role so far!