Minutes of the 62nd meeting of the Museum Council, October 9, 2007, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
National Museum of Iceland, Suðurgata, 101 Reykjavík
Present were: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, chairman, Halldór Björn Runólfsson, Helgi Torfason, Karl Rúnar Þórsson, Sveinn Kristinsson, Anna Þorbjörg Þorgrímsdóttir
1. Minutes of the 61st meeting approved and signed.
2. Director's report. Committee salary: Two letters were sent to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports in accordance with the decision of the Museum Council on September 11. The first letter requested information on committee salaries for comparable committees. The second letter requested an explanation of why committee salaries were reduced without any change in workload or meeting hours. Kristján Runólfsson Museum. Since the last meeting of the Museum Council, the Council has obtained further information from the Skagfjord residents, including copies of the agreements that Kristján made with the Skagfjord residents. At a meeting of Lýður Pálsson, Sigríður Sigurðardóttir, Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, Eiríkur Þorláksson and Anna Þorbjörg Þorgrímsdóttir on September 18, it was decided to put the Skagfjord residents in charge of testing the provisions in the agreements that protected the Skagfjord residents' right to the museum objects without obligation if Kristján left the museum. The Council is continuing to monitor the matter. FÍSOS mobile school was a success. There were no facilities to present the Museum Council's consultation project. Museum Council website. Is in the process of being developed. Editorial policy Safnastarf.is Draft editorial policy submitted. Approved to continue on that path. Copyright issues in museums were discussed on a broad basis. This is a complex issue that needs to be defined and examined from many angles. Accessibility for everyone – a new consultation project by the Museum Council. Presentation postponed.
3. Changed meeting times for the Museum Council. Sveinn Kristinsson presented ideas for longer work meetings and field trips to take place in the evenings and on weekends. Also that regular meeting times be brought forward to 8:00 or back to 15:00. The proposal was discussed.
4. Revised meeting schedule 2007. It was agreed that the meetings of the Museum Council until the end of the year would take place: Monday 22 October, Tuesday 13 November and Thursday 13 December. The working meeting which, according to the decision of the Museum Council on 9 September, was to take place on 9 October but was postponed at the request of Sveinn Kristinsson, will be held on Monday 22 October.
5. UNESCO Committee Expert Meeting. Discussion adjourned.
6. Possible consultation projects. Discussion adjourned.
7. Consultation meeting between FÍSOS and the Museum CouncilApproved proposal from Karl Rúnar Þórssson for a joint meeting organized by FÍSOS and the Museum Council in connection with the FÍSOS annual meeting on November 9th. The topic of discussion at the meeting will be access to museums.
8. Copyright issues-introduction. Knútur Bruun, chairman of Myndstef, came to a meeting of the Museum Council and presented animal rights issues in museums. Knútur wants the Museum Council to promote the conclusion of a single agreement with Myndstef that can be adapted to the different needs of different museums. The Museum Council will investigate the matter.
9. Lecture – Icelandic Technical Museum, preparatory committee. The report was postponed until the next meeting of the council on October 22nd.
10. Charter of the Icelandic Design MuseumThe Executive Director was instructed to prepare a draft letter to the Ministry of Education for the next meeting of the Council on October 22nd.
11. Next meeting and other mattersThe next meeting was scheduled for October 22nd in connection with a full-day working meeting of the Museum Council.
There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 1:15 PM/UTC.