Questions and Answers Regarding Accreditation

• Confirmation from the owner and/or board of the museum that recognition is requested.
• Copy of the annual report for the last fiscal year.
• A copy of the current policy.
• Copy of collection policy.
• Copies of emergency plans.
• A copy of the last fire safety inspection.
• Copy of operating license from the health inspectorate.
• Copy of the latest security systems audit.
• A copy of confirmation of secure financial contributions for the next five years that will ensure the basic operations of the museum.
• A copy of the operating plan for the next five years.
• Applicant Summary Report for recognition, filled in Museum Council application website.

The museum shall have proper security systems, i.e., alarm systems for fire, break-ins, and moisture (water damage). Confirmation of the effectiveness of the security systems shall be submitted to the museum board upon request.

The Museum Council requires that museums have such alarm systems in their facilities. Confirmation of the effectiveness of these systems is, for example, the most recent inspection by the service provider. The terms of the Museum Council include the proviso that, in its evaluation of applications for accreditation, the Museum Council will take into account special circumstances that may be present if they are adequately justified and/or an improvement plan is presented.

The museum shall monitor the light, temperature, and humidity levels in its facilities, and measurements shall be recorded regularly and the information reported to the museum board upon request.

The Council for Collections requests that collections monitor the conditions in their facilities, that light, temperature, and humidity levels be measured regularly, those measurements recorded, and that action be taken if the values conflict with the reference limits for the objects preserved on-site. The Museum Council points out that such portable meters exist and that museums in the same region could pool resources to acquire them if they do not already exist. See, e.g. http://www.samey.is and http://www.rj.is/

The museum's accounts shall be audited by a certified public accountant. It shall annually submit a report on its activities and a financial statement to the museum board.

In the explanatory memorandum for the bill that became the Museums Act, the following is stated about this matter:
„Item 2 states that a museum shall have an independent budget that is separate from the owner's other operations. This provision also applies to museums owned by municipalities, but it has been noted that the museums“ accounting has not been separately distinguished in their accounting... Furthermore, the museum's accounts shall be certified by a certified public accountant to ensure that the financial statements are prepared correctly."

Although the accounting for collections is not separated from other operations in municipalities' shared accounting systems, it was the consensus of all parties that municipalities should not have difficulty extracting the relevant information from their accounting systems. (based on accounting codes, institution numbers, etc.) and prepare and certify the annual accounts for the museums on their behalf in an acceptable manner.

It shall not be considered that this provision of the Museums Act contains a requirement that the annual accounts of museums must be presented in full compliance with the Annual Accounts Act No. 3/2006.

An emergency plan is a plan that an organization develops, either on its own or with the help of external professionals, for responding to an imminent threat.

Information is available at Handbook on the preservation of museum collections  and on the homepage Civil defense and The Labor Inspectorate. Such plans vary greatly depending on the size and scope of the organization, and it is a matter of judgment how detailed such a plan needs to be.

Here you will find guidelines for creating emergency plans for cultural institutions, which were developed by the Reykjavík Photograph Collection over a decade ago.

It is important that the plan exists, is regularly updated, and is practiced according to it as needed. It must include information on all contacts and service providers for security systems, a description of procedures and responsibilities in case of an emergency, along with information on who has key authority and the like.

It is useful to familiarize yourself with the methods for risk assessment on the Occupational Safety website; information can be found. here.

According to the law and regulations on public health, an operating permit is required for the activities of assembly halls, and according to the operating permit conditions for assembly halls, museums are defined as such. The operating permit is applied for from the relevant health board (the public health authority in each region).

Some museums have restaurant licenses; such licenses will be revoked.

Information about the health surveillance area can be found here.

Health boards issue operating permits in accordance with laws and regulations on public health and oversee the enforcement of their provisions.

Fire safety inspections are addressed in the Law on Fire Protection 75/2000 and its accompanying regulations. They stipulate specific fire safety inspections in commercial premises. Commercial premises is defined as follows: Premises where the public gathers, stays, receives services, and where any type of commercial activity takes place. The Board of Trustees requests a copy of the certificate confirming that such an inspection is conducted in accordance with the law.

See: Fire Protection Act

Regulations on fire protection and fire inspection

Here you can see Instructions from the Capital Region Fire and Rescue Department.

If a collection operates at more than one location, data is to be submitted for each location separately, or the director must justify why submission for a particular location is not required. Data may also be submitted for all locations collectively if, in the director's judgment, it is appropriate and is adequately justified.

Please note that if the public is received at more than one location, you must check whether all locations require a separate business license. This does not apply, however, if the locations are multiple houses in the same area.

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