Minutes of the 26th meeting of the Museum Council, January 29, 2004, at 11:30 a.m., National Gallery of Iceland, Laufásvegur 12, 101 Reykjavík
Present were: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Ólafur Kvaran, Jóhann Ásmundsson, Gísli Sverrir Árnason, Álfheiður Ingadóttir, Ragnheiður H. Þórarinsdóttir and Rakel Halldórsdóttir.
1. The minutes of the 24th and 25th meetings were approved and signed.
2. The Director of the National Archives reported on the status of the upcoming chairmanship transition, as ÓK will take over the chairmanship of the Board of the National Archives from MH, effective February 1 of next year.
3. Report of the Executive Director. The Executive Director reported on the Council's activities since the last meeting. The European Museum Forum has informed the Herring Museum that it has been selected for continued participation in the competition for the 2004 European Museum Awards. Of the 601 nominated museums, a total of 40 advanced in the competition. The results will be announced at the EMF annual meeting in Athens in early May. The Museum Council nominated the Herring Museum, the first Icelandic museum to be nominated, for the competition in February. The Herring Museum has requested support from the Museum Council for the costs of the trip to Athens. The council members were very pleased with the museum's achievement but felt that the Council's responsibility was limited to the nomination and therefore declined the request for travel-cost support.
Along with the change of chair, the executive director will move the office of the Council of Museums to the office space of the National Gallery of Iceland at 12 Laufásvegur on February 2nd.
4. Report to the Board of Trustees:
a. Request from the Glaumbær Folk Museum regarding an application for a grant for the installation of storage facilities in the Minjahús in Sauðárkrókur. According to Section 11 of the Museum Act, the awarding of an establishment grant is subject to the Museum Council's approval of the budget and the premises. The Council approved the submitted cost estimate and building plans, subject to adequate security, fire protection, and preventive conservation measures.
5. The 2004 operating plan was approved.
6. Approval of the 2004 Service Agreement. A one-month extension of the 2003 Service Agreement with the National Museum was approved and signed. OK submitted the 2004 Service Agreement to the Finance Department of the National Gallery of Iceland for review and verification.
7. Allocation system of the Collections Council. After some discussion, it was agreed to consider the idea of a new allocation system for calculating operating grants for the Collections Council, with reference to the Danish allocation system. The Executive Director will request simple information from last year's annual report from all applicants. This information will be used as a reference for future strategic planning.
8. Cooperation between the National Museum Council and Statistics Iceland on statistical registration of museums, as per the proposal by Jóhann Ásmundsson. Discussion postponed until the next meeting.
The next meeting according to the schedule is on February 26, 2004, but it is planned to be a full-day meeting.
There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 2:00 PM/RH.