Minutes of the 92nd meeting of the Museum Council –
March 9, 2010, 12:00 – 14:00, National Museum of Iceland
Present: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, chairman, Helgi Torfason, Jenný Lind Egilsdóttir, Guðný Dóra Gestsdóttir, Rakel Halldórsdóttir, Ágústa Kristófersdóttir. Halldór Björn Runólfsson announced his absence.
1. Director's report:
The Museum Board's review of the Data Protection Agency's bid for storage space for the Reykjanesbær Museum of Local History. The comment requested further explanations of the service and offered assistance in drafting a contract.
The Museum Board's opinion regarding the involvement of the Hvalfjörður Association in the operation and ownership of the Regional Museum at Görður, Akranes. In its statement, the museum council encourages the Hvalfjörður Municipality to continue its participation in the operation of the Folk Museum at Görður, but that the collaboration with Akraneskaupstaður be confirmed by a detailed agreement. Committee salary 2009. Request sent to the Ministry of Education to determine committee salaries for the term. Icelandic Institute of Natural History at sjaffnastarf.is. Membership approved. State Bank Artwork – Memorandum and Agreement. Postponed. Review Museum policy in the field of national heritage preservation. The work is going well. Distribution ticket for the export of cultural property. Almost ready for printing. The Museum Council's involvement in a consultation project organized by the Reykjavík Art Museum. Consultation project on children's visits to the museum, the director sits in on the meetings and participates in the conceptual work. Replacement of the position of Ms. CEO – temporary employment contract of Ágústa Kristófersdóttir. The agreement was announced. The Museum Fund's allocation rules have been revised with the inclusion of draft Museum Board procedures for monitoring the use of grants from the Museum Fund. Two new comments. In Article 2, it is stated that museums that receive operating grants from the budget should not receive operating grants from the museum fund. It is proposed that further discussion of project grants should be under project grants and not in the general section on applications. Charters of 20 museums reviewed – comments. The review has been successful and will be completed this spring, with comments presented to the museum board and then sent to the relevant museums. Bid for a document classification system for museum councils. Approved, but work will not begin until the manager returns to work after his leave. Draft bill to amend Copyright Act No. 73/1972. Briefly presented. Agreement between Fjölís and the University of Iceland. Presented as the only agreement of its kind. RH and ÁK meeting with Kristín at Myndstefi: It is proposed that the acting director consult with art museums that are aiming to put a list of their art holdings on the World Wide Web and that these museums negotiate a modest fee with Myndstef. It is intended that this work will be limited to images in online databases, while other agreements on fees will remain with each museum individually.
2. Items for discussion and decision:
1. Presentation on the 2010 Museum Book. Agreed to provide professional assistance.
2. Hildur Gestsdóttir's application to the Icelandic Archaeological Institute for permission to export samples of human bones for carbon dating and isotope studies has been processed. The Museum Council received an application from Hildur Gestsdóttir at the Archaeological Institute of Iceland for the export of human bones for carbon dating and isotope studies. Comments were requested from the National Museum of Iceland and the Archaeological Conservation Agency. Both comments were positive regarding the export. A permit for export has been issued.
3. Kevin Smith's application for permission to export samples from the archaeological excavation at Gilsbakki for research purposes has been processed. Kevin requested that the application be postponed.
4. Application by John Steinberg for the export of copper artifacts from an archaeological excavation at Stóra-Seyla in Skagafjörður. The Museums Council received an application from John Steinberg for the export of copper artifacts from an archaeological excavation at Stóra-Seyla in Skagafjörður. Comments were requested from the National Museum of Iceland and the Icelandic Archaeological Conservation Agency. The Icelandic Archaeological Conservation Agency's comment was positive regarding the export. The National Museum's comment is awaited.
5. Application for permission to temporarily export a work by Guðmundur frá Miðdalur for exhibition abroad. The Museum Council received an application from Íslandsbanki for the temporary export of the work Grímsvatnagos by Guðmundur frá Miðdalur for exhibition. A review was requested from the National Gallery of Iceland. The review from the National Gallery of Iceland was positive. Permission granted.
6. Application by Guðrún Ölda Gísladóttir to the Archaeological Institute of Iceland for the temporary export of artifacts for safekeeping abroad. The Museum Council received an application for the export of artifacts for safekeeping abroad. Comments were requested from the Icelandic Archaeological Conservation Agency and the National Museum of Iceland, and in light of the negative comment from the National Museum, the export was stopped. The Archaeological Institute requested that the matter be reconsidered and the National Museum was asked for a new comment. The National Museum's comment was positive regarding the export of some of the artifacts, but suggested that some of them be preserved in Iceland. Permission granted with the restrictions proposed by the National Museum.
3.Next meeting. Allocation meeting March 9 at 2:00 p.m. RH