Having never really given much thought to how many people visit a museum on a daily basis - hundreds, maybe dozens on a weekday? - I was suitably impressed to hear the news that, north of the border, the National Museum of Scotland welcomed a whopping 100,000 visitors though its doors in less than a week, when it reopened recently.
Wow. I suppose though, seeing as the summer holidays are in full swing, other big name museums are also doing just a good job of pulling in the crowds.
Sadly, the other news concerning the museum sector hasn't been so rosy lately. It has emerged that a fifth of UK museums have had their funding cut by at least 25%, according to a survey assessing the impact of the government's spending review.
Unfortunately - but unsurprisingly - this has led to jobs being shed.
Guardian writer Maev Kennedy recently summed up how, as the recession gnaws at funding sources, the pinch is being felt in museums. She wrote: "...a half-day closing becomes a full day, a summer crafts project for children or a community oral history scheme is cancelled, an education officer is not replaced and no appointment is made to fill the vacancy left by a retired senior curator."
But, what does all this mean for anybody wanting a career in museum services? Plus, what roles are available within museums and what skills will you need to get them? We're bringing together a panel of sector experts who'll be offering you an insight into their career paths while offering advice about how you can follow in their footsteps. Join us on Thursday 18 August - advance questions are welcome.
To keep up-to-date with our regular Q&A sessions, you can now sign-up for our newsletter here.
Our panel:
Charlotte Holmes is museums development officer for the Museums Association. Charlotte supports the professional development of more than 500 museum professionals, providing careers advice and training.
Arran Rees is a collections assistant at Cardiff Story Museum, which was created by Cardiff Council. Arran coming to the end of his MA in Museum Studies at Leicester University.
Victoria Rogers is museum officer at Cardiff Story Museum. Victoria leads the collections, learning and research team in the development of the museum's content.
Carl Warner is research and interpretation manager at Imperial War Museum Duxford, which is a working airfield. Part of Carl's role is assisting in the development and management of permanent displays. The museum also provides information relating to the history of the site and aviation in general.
Julie Finch is head of Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives. Her remit covers the management of seven sites and the international collections.
Grażyna Ciuksza has been the schools' learning officer at the Horniman Museum and Gardens for four years and before that was schools' learning assistant at the Museum of London.
Christine Beckton has been a schools learning officer at the Horniman Museum for two years. Christine originally trained and worked as a primary school teacher.
Jessica Hope has worked in public relations for more than five years and is currently the PR manager at the Jewish Museum in Camden Town.
Amanda Phillips has been exhibition manager at Eureka! The National Children's Museum for three years. Amanda helps design and coordinate new exhibits and content for galleries.
Joining us from the Natural History Museum are Max Barclay, the collections manager for beetles and bugs, and Beulah Garner, who is a beetle curator. Both are taking part in the Science Uncovered event at the museum in September, which gives visitors the chance to find out more about life as a scientist.
We'll also be joined by two representatives of the Science Museum. Selina Hurley is assistant curator of medicine and Alison Boyle is curator of astronomy and modern physics.
