Mathematics is applied throughout all measurement systems. A measure is related to something in the real world, such as length, temperature, position (GPS), heart rate, humidity, wind speed, direction, angle, weight, etc. These measure all are numbers where the number is an indication of the feature being measured, and done in accordance with a particular measurement standard, so that we all agree that 13cm means the same thing no matter where we measure this and what instrument is used.

The school curriculum places an emphasis on measurement and its associated calculations, both in core Mathematics and in Mathemematical Literacy.

Our collection includes an original sextant, which is in working order, together with books on how to use this.

Programme Vision

This programme will develop a repository of measurement systems as the are used as the basis for mathematical calculations., and to support the educational objects in Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy.

This vision also encompasses the ethical discourse on measurement including privacy, ownership of data, the right to publish and reproduce, and the usage of measurements to support human society and the sustainability of our planet.

Programme Outcomes

• Collection of measuring equipment, including scales, sextants, rulers, etc.
• Linkage to the measurement standards , both current and historical, and how these are maintained.
• Historical articles on measurement, such as the metric vs imperial systems of measurement.
• Articles on how measures are used.
• A modern view on digital-based measurements which are possible with new technologies, such as satellites, drones, mobile phones, remote sensing, etc.
• Articles on how measurements are being used to improve society, such as in agriculture, medicine, in emergency situations, and in modern cities.

Programme Actions

• Defining the collection development objects, since this is potentially a vast field, and we want to limit this to those which are most relevant, and to leave out measurement equipment which is too specialised.
• Sourcing and acquiring measurement equipment.
• Cataloguing the equipment.
• Storage and preservation of the equipment.
• Research and writing on the history of measurement equipment, standards, and the uses of measurements.
• Research and writing on the modern trends in measurement, including the “big brother” scenarios concerning the ethics of our personal data such as where we are.

How You can Help

We would like to find measuring equipment which may be useful and which tells a story about the history of measurement. If you have anything please contact us and we will analyse this to see if this fits into our collection development goals. For example, older scales which used the brass weights, etc.