Minutes of the 22nd meeting of the Museum Council, Lyngás 7-9, 210 Garðabær,
November 13, 2003, at 11:30 a.m.
Present were: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Ólafur Kvaran, Gísli Sverrir Árnason, Sigrún Ásta Jónsdóttir and Rakel Halldórsdóttir.
1. Minutes of the 20th and 21st meetings were approved and signed. A few signatures are still needed and will be taken care of at the next meeting.
2. Director's Report. The director reported on the council's activities since the last meeting. A letter urging financial strengthening of the Collections Fund was submitted to the Budget Committee on November 5.
3. Report to the Board of Trustees:
Request from the City of Reykjavík, on behalf of the Reykjavík Museum of Cultural History, for a construction grant to build an exhibition pavilion for the settlement remains at Aðalstræti. Continued discussion from the 21st meeting. According to Section 11 of the Museum Act, it is the role of the Museum Council to approve the proposed facility and its capital costs. The matter was referred to the National Monuments Authority for consideration of whether the facility meets the requirements for the protection of archaeological remains. Regarding the establishment costs, the matter was referred to a market valuation by the State Real Estate Agency. Further discussion was postponed until responses have been received.
4. Service Agreement. Signing postponed as the Ministry of Education has not completed its review of the agreement.
5. Ólafur Kvaran presented the activities of the Nordic Committee for Museums. It is necessary for the Council on Libraries to monitor and engage with Nordic activities of this kind, e.g., the activities of the Nordic Committee for Libraries and the work of ABM in Norway, an institution that jointly addresses libraries, art and cultural museums, and archives.
6. Letter from Pétur Jónsson, the Museum of the Húnvetningar and Strandamenn. Pétur supports FÍSOS's view that the different circumstances of museums should be taken into account when making allocations. These views will be taken into consideration in the council's work.
7. Annual Report of the Collections Fund for 2002. The report will be submitted to the National Museum's Finance Director. Further discussion postponed.
8. Changed operating model of the Nesstofa Museum. The matter was postponed because the Ministry of Education has not yet completed its review of it.
9. The Board of Trustees decided to purchase a scanner for the board's office.
There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM/RH.