Minutes of the 60th meeting of the Museum Council, June 14, 2007, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.,
National Museum of Iceland, Suðurgata, 101 Reykjavík
Present were: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Helgi Torfason, Karl Rúnar Þórsson, Sveinn Kristinsson, Júlíana Gottskálksdóttir, Rakel Halldórsdóttir.
1. The minutes of the 59th meeting will be approved and signed at the next meeting of the Council.
2. Director's report. Committee meeting on the ERA-NET collaborative project on cultural heritage research. At the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, the Chairman (MH) attended the meeting, which was held in Rome on 21 May 2007. The project was presented to representatives of institutions involved in the management of cultural heritage at a meeting at RANNÍS on 6 March. It was agreed at that meeting to examine further participation in the project. Following the meeting in Rome, MH considered that it would be most natural for the Icelandic Archaeological Service to take charge of the project on behalf of Iceland. Anna Þorbjörg Þorgrímsdóttir, who is replacing the Chairman during her upcoming maternity leave, has been appointed to the Icelandic working group on the project on behalf of the Museums Council. Change in the composition of the Museum Council. According to a letter from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, dated 21 May 2007, Dr. Helgi Torfason, the newly appointed director of the Natural History Museum of Iceland, has taken Jón Gunnar Ottósson's place on the Museum Board. The appointment is valid from 1 June 2007 until the current term of office of the board, which is until 1 November 2009. Helgi was welcomed to work with the board. EMF's application for EMYA2008 to the Icelandic Museum of Modern Art and the Icelandic Museum Council for a grant for the jury's visitThe Museum Council confirmed the previous decision that the nominated museum would cover the costs in question, which the museum was informed of at the time of nomination. Committee salaryThe Remuneration Committee of the Ministry of Education and Culture has determined the remuneration of representatives of interest groups on the Museum Council for the period April 2005 – April 2007. The Museum Council agreed to request a further explanation of the committee's calculation of the remuneration for membership on the Council, but the remuneration has not been increased despite the Council's request for a review (dated December 14, 2005 and reiterated on October 26, 2006). Nordic cooperation on accessibilityThe National Museum of Iceland (MH) has nominated Bryndís Sverrisdóttir, the new Director of Communication at the National Museum of Iceland, as Iceland's representative in the project. Museum Council website. Work is underway on a redesign.
3. Special agreements on financial contributions to museums and centers in 2007. In accordance with the decision of the last Museum Council meeting, information was requested from the Ministry of Education and Culture regarding special agreements on financial contributions to museums and centers, without the involvement of the Museum Council. A response was received from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The response was discussed and it was agreed to send the ministry a letter emphasizing the importance of good cooperation and information flow between the Museum Council and the ministry.
4. Issues of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History. In accordance with the decision of the last Museum Council meeting, the Museum Council sent a letter to the Ministry of Education and Culture regarding the issues of the new main museum, the Icelandic Museum of Natural History. A response was received from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The response was discussed and it was agreed to send the Ministry a new letter emphasizing the importance of good cooperation and information flow between the Museum Council and the Ministry.
5. Advertisement for grants from the Museum Fund 2008. Grants from the Museum Fund 2008 will be advertised in June of this year in Morgunblaðið, Fréttablaðið, Sveitarstjórnartíðind, Lögbirtingablaðið, on the Museum Council website and Safnlistan, the collectors' email list. Application forms for the year 2008 are available on the Museum Council website, or at the council's office at Laufásvegur 12, 101 Reykjavík.
6. Handbook on the preservation of artifacts – request for collaboration with the Museums Council. A report was received from Nathalie Jacqueminet, Director of the National Museum of Iceland's Department of Conservation, requesting the Museum Council's cooperation in publishing a general handbook on the preservation of artifacts. The Museum Council agreed that this was an interesting project and a worthy initiative. However, the Council believed that it could be a suitable collaborative project between major museums. Grants from the Museum Fund are subject to the conditions of the Museums Act No. 106/2001, but according to the Act, major museums and other museums run by the state are not eligible for grants from the Museum Fund. The Council then discussed the possibilities related to the publication itself and considered an electronic publication to be suitable. The Museum Council expressed its willingness to host such a publication on the Council's website and participate in its promotion and distribution from there.
7. Next meeting and other matters.
The next meeting according to the 2007 meeting schedule is Thursday, August 30th, 11:30-13:00.
Other issues:
1 Museum Studies at the University of Iceland – position. The working group on the development of a master's degree program in museology at the University of Iceland agreed at its meeting on June 5, 2007 to request formal statements of intent from those parties that have expressed support for the project. The statements of intent will be used to raise funds to develop the program, but lack of funds has prevented the project from being implemented. Statements of intent were requested from the Museum Council, the Association of Icelandic Museums and Museum Owners, the National Museum of Iceland, the Art Museum of Iceland, the Natural History Museum of Iceland, the Reykjavík Museum, the Association of Icelandic Museum Scholars, and the Ministry of Education. The Museum Council agreed to request that the working group present a short statement of intent, which the council and other parties that have expressed support for the project can evaluate with regard to signing.
2 Revision of the Museums Act – status. In accordance with the decision of the last Museum Council meeting, information was requested from the Ministry of Education and Culture on the status of the review of the Museums Act, which is currently being carried out by the Ministry. A response was received from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The Ministry's response states that a working group appointed by the Ministry to review the National Heritage Act No. 107/2001 in close connection with the Museums Act No. 106/2001, the House Preservation Act No. 104/2001 and the Act on the Transfer of Cultural Property from the Country and on the Return of Cultural Property to Other Countries No. 105/2001, has completed its work and submitted its proposals to the Minister on April 30. The result of the work is the following proposals for bills for three acts, which are currently being discussed by the Ministry:
? Bill for the Protection of Cultural Heritage – National Heritage Act
? Bill for the Museums Act
? Bill for a law on the return of cultural property to other countries
There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM/RH.