The Designation Scheme is an English system that awards "Designated status" to museum, library and archive collections of national and international importance. The Scheme is administered by Arts Council England (ACE).[1] As of 2012, 140 collections are officially recognized.[2]National museums are not eligible for Designated status.
The Scheme was first launched in 1997 under the auspices of what eventually became the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and originally covered only museum collections. Harewood House became the first stately home to be awarded Designated status in 1998.[3] The scheme was expanded to cover libraries and archives in 2005. Responsibility was transferred to the Arts Council in October 2011 following the closure of the MLA.[4]
Leeds University Library Special Collections (The English Literature Collection, The Romany Collection, The Cookery Collection, The Leeds Russian Archive)
The Library and Museum of Freemasonry, Freemasons' Hall, London
Lincolnshire Archives, Lincoln (Episcopal Rolls and Registers)
Liverpool and Merseyside Record Offices (Photographic image collection)
London Metropolitan UniversityThe Women's Library (the Printed, Archive and Museum collections were Designated in their entirety - the first cross domain to be Designated in this manner)
Norfolk Record Office (Collections relating to the history of Norfolk)
Northampton Central Museum and Art Gallery (Boot and Shoe Collection)
Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery
Oxford University Library (Special collections at the Bodleian Library: Rare books, Manuscripts and Archives, Maps, Music, and Oxford University Archives)
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
People's History Museum, Manchester
Petrie Museum, London
Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery (The Cottonian collection)
Royal Academy of Music, London (The Special Collections and Archives of the Royal Academy of Music Library)
Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter (The world cultures collections)
Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham
Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) (All geographical collections)
Royal Institute of British Architects, London (The British Architecture Library)
The Royal Mail Archive, London
Royal Pavilion, Libraries and Museums (Brighton and Hove) (Decorative arts, World Art and Anthropology, and Natural History)
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
Royal Pavilion
Preston Manor
Booth Museum of Natural History
St John's College, Cambridge (Old Library collection)
Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum (The archaeology collections)
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Cambridge
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Upon Avon (All collections relating to Shakespeare’s life and times)
Sheffield City Museum (Metalwork collections)
Sir John Soane's Museum, London
Southampton City Council Cultural Services
Southampton City Art Gallery
Museum of Archaeology, Southampton
Stoke-on-Trent Museums Service
Potteries Museum
Etruria Industrial Museum
Ford Green Hall
Tyne and Wear Archives (Shipbuilding, Marine and Maritime Trade Collection)
Tyne and Wear Museums (Fine and Decorative Arts, Natural Sciences, and Science and Technology Collections)
Unilever Archives & Records Management (Unilever plc), Manchester (Archive of the United Africa Company)
University of Birmingham Library (The Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern Manuscripts)
University of Cambridge Churchill Archives Centre
University of Nottingham (The D. H. Lawrence collection; collections related to the Portland (London), Portland of Wellbeck and Newcastle of Clumber families)
University of Reading (Archive of British Publishing and Printing)
Library (The Beckett Collection)
Museum of English Rural Life
University of Sussex Library (The Mass-Observation Archive)
