73rd Museum Council Meeting

Minutes of the 73rd meeting of the Museum Council

September 1, 12:30 – 2:00 PM 2008, Hotel Framtíð, Djúpivogur

The meeting was held during the Museums Council's field trip to East Iceland, 1 and 2 September 2008 (see attached).

Present: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, chairman, Helgi Torfason, Sveinn Kristinsson, AlmaDís Kristinsdóttir, Anna Guðný Ásgeirsdóttir, Júlíana Gottskálksdóttir, Helga Bjarnadóttir and Rakel Halldórsdóttir. (Halldór Björn Runólfsson, Eiríkur Páll Jörundsson and Steinunn Ó. Kolbeinsdóttir announced their absence).

1. The minutes of the 72nd meeting were approved and signed.

2. Director's report. Icelandic Museum Day 2008. Icelandic Museum Day went well. There was some media coverage of museum issues surrounding Museum Day, in newspapers, radio and television. National Audit Office – information on budget allocations to museum staff. Ms. Minister sent a message to Viðar H. Jónsson at the National Audit Office requesting that the National Audit Office review and confirm figures regarding funding for museum work in the budget. It is the Museum Council's opinion that too large a portion of the funding for museum work in the budget is provided independently of the Museum Fund and the Museum Council's professional review, but the fund was established for the purpose of ensuring professional review and equality in funding for museum work. According to information from Viðar, the National Auditor has assigned Þorbjörg Guðnadóttir to the matter. Copyright issues of collections. In continuation of the discussions of the last meetings. Erla S. Árnadóttir, attorney at law, is working on the matter. Presentation of the Museums Council's new accreditation documents. The Ministry of Culture has sent museums that received grants from the Museum Fund in 2008 a certificate of recognition from the Museum Council. The document states that the museum in question received a grant from the Museum Fund in the year and has been confirmed by the Museum Council as a recognized museum according to the Museums Act No. 106/2001.  Structure of a master's program in museum studies at the University of Iceland. A working group, led by the Vice-Chancellor, at the University of Iceland continues to work on preparing the program. An announcement will be made for an assistant professor in September. Museum statistics – collaboration between Statistics Iceland and the Museums Council. A collaboration between Statistics Iceland and the Museums Council was established to collect statistical information from institutions involved in museum work in accordance with the decision of the Museums Council at the 68th meeting of the council on 14 February. During the implementation of the collaboration, doubts have arisen among the Minister of Culture regarding the Museums Council's authority to such collaboration on the collection of information in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act and the Museums Act. Furthermore, some institutions involved in museum work have been reluctant to submit information to Statistics Iceland, knowing about the collaboration in question. In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act and the Museums Act, the Museums Council agreed to withdraw from the collaboration. The information that has been collected will be submitted to Statistics Iceland. At the proposal of the Minister of Culture The Museum Council also agreed to reintroduce application forms similar to those in previous years to ensure that the Museum Council has all the information it needs to assess the eligibility and amount of grants for museums applying to the Museum Fund. In light of the aforementioned collaboration with Statistics Iceland, the Museum Council had significantly simplified application forms for applications to the Museum Fund.

3. Export of cultural property – procedures – distribution ticket. The Minister of Culture presented a proposal for changes to the Museum Council's procedures for the export of cultural property. The changes were approved with comments. A presentation by Lilja Árnadóttir was presented, in which she presented a distribution label from ABM-utvikling, Norwegian Customs and UNESCO, which points out the current rules regarding the export and import of cultural property. The Museum Council agreed to begin examining the processing of a comparable distribution label with information on permits for the export and import of cultural property in Iceland. The Minister of Culture was instructed to continue working on the matter, and the Ministry of Education will be approached for cooperation on the project.

4. Message from the Industrial Museum – Museum Friends Association (Museum Council's allocation rules). A report was received from the Industrial Museum, pointing out the importance of the work of volunteers for the museum and that such work does not fall under the new rules of the Museum Council on the calculation of operating grants to museums. It was agreed to examine the matter in connection with the 2009 allocation. The Museum Council's new method for calculating operating grants is under development and the council welcomes comments from museum members that can contribute to improved methods.

5. Application by John M. Steinberg for the export of bone samples from archaeological excavations in Skagafjörður. The Museum Council received an application from John M. Steinberg for the export of bone samples from archaeological excavations in Skagafjörður. The comments of the curators of the National Museum of Iceland and the Icelandic Archaeological Conservation Agency were sought. The comments of both were positive regarding the export. It is pointed out that samples that are not destroyed during research are required to be returned to the country. The Museum Council agreed to authorize the export.

6. Kevin P. Smith's application for the export of samples and artifacts from the archaeological excavation at Gilsbakki. The Museum Council received an application from Kevin P. Smith, regarding the export of samples and artifacts from the archaeological excavation at Gilsbakki. The comments of the curators of the National Museum of Iceland and the Icelandic Archaeological Conservation Agency were sought. The comments of both were positive regarding the export. It is pointed out that it is mandatory to return all artifacts and also samples that are not destroyed during research back to the country. The Museum Council agreed to authorize the export of artifacts for one year, provided that the artifacts are registered in advance at the National Museum of Iceland and a detailed list of artifacts is sent to the Museum Council before the export. The application will be sent to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History for processing with regard to zoological artifacts for which a permit for export and research is applied for.

In connection with the presentation, the Museum Council discussed the importance of artifacts from archaeological excavations being registered in the relevant main museum before any possible export occurs.

7. Next meeting and other mattersThe next meeting of the Museum Council is, according to the meeting schedule, Thursday, September 25th. It was agreed to move the meeting and the Board of Directors will make a proposal for a new meeting time. 

Other issues:

Icelandic Museums and Collectors Association Travel School 2008. The Collectors' Travel School was discussed 17-19. Sept. 08.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 2:00 PM/RH. 

Museums Council field trip to East Iceland, September 1st and 2nd, 2008.

The Museum Council conducted its fifth field trip on Monday and Tuesday, September 1 and 2, 2008.

The flight took place on the morning of September 1st to Hafnarfjörður in Hornafjörður and the following people were on board:

Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Vice Chairman

Helgi Torfason,

Sveinn Kristinsson,

AlmaDís Kristinsdóttir,

Júlíana Gottskálksdóttir, alternate

Anna Guðný Ásgeirsdóttir, alternate

Helga Bjarnadóttir, alternate

Rakel Halldórsdóttir, Managing Director

The following museums and centers in East Iceland were visited, facilities inspected, and discussions were held with the directors and other representatives of the museums about the status and policies: