52nd Museum Council Meeting

 

Present were: Ólafur Kvaran, Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Sveinn Kristinsson, Karl Rúnar Þórsson, Álfheiður Ingadóttir, Júlíana Gottskálksdóttir, Anna Guðný Ásgeirsdóttir and Rakel Halldórsdóttir.

 

The meeting was held in Akureyri, but the Museum Council's annual field trip was in Akureyri and the surrounding area that day (see the attached field trip schedule).

 

1.      The minutes of the 51st meeting were approved and signed.

2.      Report of the Director General. A working group on the educational role of museums, which has been operating since July 2006 in connection with a planned consultation meeting, was called to a meeting of the committee on comprehensive revision of the compulsory education law on September 7, 2006, to discuss a new bill to the Compulsory Education Act. Three representatives of the working group, the director, Rakel Pétursdóttir and Guðbrandur Benediktsson, attended the meeting with the committee. The working group's comments highlighted that the only reference to cooperation between the education system and museums in the act (Article 29, Paragraph 2) is deleted in the new bill and the importance of this cooperation was underlined. The Museum Council agreed to send a letter to the Committee on the Comprehensive Review of the Compulsory Education Act in which the council endorses the working group's comments. Work Aviation Heritage Committee, which is headed by the National Heritage Commissioner (NH) and whose executive director is an employee, is in full swing, and the committee will submit a report to the Ministry of Education and Culture by November 1st. Working group on the development of a master's degree program in museology, headed by a managing director, has approached six parties with a request for funding to build the department. An informal response has been received from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture stating that according to the ministry's procedures, the ministry does not fund individual departments within the university, but rather that it is its role to distribute the funding that comes from the ministry. In addition, a refusal has been received from FL-Group. Travel School of the Association of Icelandic Museums and Collectors was held from 27 to 29 September in Egilsstaðir. The Managing Director attended the mobile school and was co-chair of a consultative group on financing, operation and marketing of museums. A report on the results of the group's work at the mobile school will be published by the association. The idea of the mobile school's mediation group was discussed, which suggested that Icelandic museums create a common platform for disseminating educational programs. In that context, the group discussed the Museum Council's website. The council agreed to examine that idea further.

 

3.      Archives Committee under the Ministry of Education and CultureThe Ministry of Education and Culture has established a committee on museum storage issues, which includes the chairman of the Museum Council (ÓK) and the National Museum Curator. The work of the committee was discussed. It was somewhat surprising that no representative of natural history museums is on the committee. Museum Council emphasized the importance and necessity of considering the storage issues of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History and other natural history museums, as well as the storage issues of historical and art museums.

 

4.      Museum Council logo. The cost estimate for a new logo was discussed. The cost estimate for stationery and printing was approved and the general manager was instructed to finalize the matter.

 

5.      Nun's House – presentation regarding the use of a custodial grantNonnahús's report regarding the use of the custodial grant was approved.

 

6.      Consultation meeting of the Museum Council on the status and policy regarding the educational role of museums. The working group for the consultation meeting is now working hard on preparations for the meeting. It will be a two-day meeting (from 12:30-17 on Thursday, October 19 and from 9-17 on Friday, October 20). Registration for participation has been good. The agenda for the meeting was discussed. The Museum Council invites the participants of the meeting to lunch on the second day, October 20, at the National Museum of Iceland.

 

 

 

 

7.       Next meeting and other mattersThe next meeting according to the meeting schedule is October 26th, there was discussion about moving the meeting, a new date will be determined later.

There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM/RH.

 

 

Museum Council field trip to Akureyri and surrounding areas, October 5, 2006. 

 

The Museum Council embarked on its fourth field trip on Thursday, October 5, 2006.

The flight was to Akureyri and the following were on board:

Ólafur Kvaran, chairman

Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Vice Chairman

Karl Runar Thorsson

Sveinn Kristinsson

Júlíana Gottskálksdóttir, alternate

Anna Guðný Ásgeirsdóttir, alternate

Álfheiður Ingadóttir, alternate

Rakel Halldórsdóttir, Managing Director

 

The following museums and centers in Akureyri and the surrounding area were visited, facilities inspected, and discussions were held with the directors and other representatives of the museums about their status and policies: