Minutes of the 69th meeting of the Museum Council
March 13, 3:00 PM – 5:15 PM
National Museum of Iceland, Suðurgata, 101 Reykjavík
Present: Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, chairman, Helgi Torfason, Sveinn Kristinsson, Rakel Halldórsdóttir and Anna Þorbjörg Þorgrímsdóttir. Halldór Björn Runólfsson and his deputy, Júlíana Gottskálksdóttir, announced their absence. Karl Rúnar Þórsson announced their absence.
1. Ms. (RH) was welcomed back to work after maternity leave and her deputy (AÞÞ) was thanked for her excellent work on behalf of the Museum Council during her replacement period. The scope of the Museum Council's tasks often creates problems since there is only one employee involved. It was agreed to utilize the important overview and experience that AÞÞ has gained during her replacement period by seeking her as a contractor/expert to assist with various temporary projects when needed.
2. Comments were made to the minutes of the 67th and 68th meetings, they will be amended for signing at the next meeting.
3. Director's report. Export of cultural relicsConfirmation has been received from the Ministry of Education regarding a permit to export carved horns to an exhibition at Bozar. New FÍSOS representatives on the Museum CouncilThe formal appointment of new representatives of the Association of Icelandic Museums and Art Collectors to the Museum Council is in the final stages, according to information from the Ministry of Education and Culture. Meeting of the Minister of Finance with the Parliamentary Education Committee. Ms. was invited to and attended a meeting of the Education Committee of the Althingi on March 11 and presented in more detail the Museum Council's comments on the draft laws on preschools, compulsory schools and high schools. The Museum Council believes it is important that this law includes a reference to cooperation between the education system and museums and other cultural institutions, as the tradition of such cooperation is very weak in Iceland, but museums are an important, underutilized means of educating children and young people, as has often been pointed out and research has shown. Institutional agreement with the Museum Council-Museum Fund. A draft of an Institutional Agreement has been drawn up with the Museum Council-Museum Fund on the basis of an agreement between the Minister of Finance and the member associations of the Icelandic Museum Fund, as the National Audit Office has asked for such an agreement in the preparation of the Museum Fund's annual accounts. The National Audit Office was tasked with examining the importance of such an agreement with the National Audit Office, as the agreement includes a certain recognition of the definition of the Museum Council as a formal institution, but the Ministry of Education and Culture has considered that the definition does not apply to the Council. The working arrangements for the Museum Council's Executive Director, who can work up to 20% of his working hours from home, were approved, in accordance with the Museum Council's family-friendly policy. EDUCATION FOR ALL onlineThe Icelandic Museums Council's report on the educational role, status and policy of museums, EDUCATION FOR ALL, is now available on the council's website. The report is the result of extensive consultation with museum education staff from across the country. Certificates for collections and a uniform appearance of reportsThe Ministry of Finance is working on the matter in collaboration with the designer. Collaboration between Statistics Iceland and the Museums Council on collecting statistical information on museumsThe Minister of Finance will meet with a representative of Statistics Iceland in the near future and work on the matter.
4. Parliamentary resolution proposal on a marine biology museum. The Museum Council discussed a proposal for a parliamentary resolution on the establishment of a marine biology museum in Akureyri, which could even become a new main museum. The Museum Council is not among the commenters on the parliamentary resolution proposal, but nevertheless approved a comment on the proposal in accordance with the comment of the National Museum. The Icelandic Museum of Natural History, the main museum in the field of natural history, did not receive the proposal for comment. The Minister of Culture was instructed to inform the parliamentary committee division about the Museum Council and the Icelandic Museum of Natural History as possible commenters.
5. A symposium by the Museum Council in collaboration with the National Museum of Iceland, on access for all to museumsfnum. The symposium is scheduled for the National Museum of Iceland on April 23rd. Bryndís Sverrisdóttir, Director of Media at the National Museum of Iceland, is the project coordinator. Representatives of museums in rural areas, appointed by the Museum Council, will give a presentation on improving accessibility. The Museum Council agreed to support museums that send representatives over longer distances by 10,000 kr. for the trip. The plan is to publish the results after the symposium.
6. Information from collections following the postponement of allocations. The Whale Center has requested a deadline to submit additional information following the postponement of the allocation to the museum. The deadline was approved. Information has been received from the Industrial Museum. It was agreed to provide the museum with an operating grant in the amount of 1,050 thousand kr.
7. Ministry of Education's response to the Museums Council's report on copyright issues in museums. The Ministry of Education and Culture refers the Museum Council's proposal that the ministry establish a working group to discuss copyright issues in museums on a broad basis back to the Council. The Museum Council does not consider this to be its role and the Council does not have the necessary prerequisites (such as funding and access to lawyers) to discuss such a comprehensive and legally complex issue. The Council agreed to point this out to the Ministry of Education and Culture and to express its readiness to consult, such as to discuss this issue at a symposium, seek the voices of museum professionals on the issue and/or guide law students on projects based on this issue.
8. Report from the Kópavogur Natural History Museum on a 2007 project grant for a collaborative project on a registration system for natural history museums. A report was received from the Kópavogur Natural History Museum on the utilization of the 2007 project grant for a collaborative project on a registration system for natural history museums, which was requested in accordance with the conditions for granting the grant. The Museum Council will continue to monitor the development of the project, which will fall under the jurisdiction of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History.
9. Message regarding allocations 2008Submissions were received from the following parties regarding the 2008 allocations:
Dalabyggð Regional Museum
The Living Museum
Icelandic Herring Museum
Þingeyingi Regional Museum
Icelandic Design Museum.
The papers were discussed and it was agreed to entrust the Ms. Board with making proposals for response letters and a short report on the allocation in accordance with the council's discussion. The Museum Council will approve the letters and report electronically. Informal letters that have been received by the council were also briefly discussed.
10. Other issues:
Museum policy in the field of national heritage preservation for the years 2003-2008. It was agreed to entrust the Ministry of Culture with the task of working on a renewal of the museum policy for 2009-2012, which will be published by the Museum Council. The aim is for the museum policy to be ready for publication in October.
New talk:
* Information from the director of the East Skaftfellinga Regional Museum regarding the postponement of the allocation. The matter could not be discussed due to lack of time.
* Information from the Sheep Farm in Strandir regarding the postponement of the 2008 allocation. The matter could not be discussed due to lack of time.
* Request from the Association of Icelandic Museums and Collectors and the Icelandic Section of ICOM for collaboration regarding the Icelandic Museum Awards 2008. The matter could not be discussed due to lack of time.
The next meeting of the Museum Board is scheduled for Thursday, April 17th, from 3-5 pm.
There was no further discussion and the meeting adjourned at 17:15/RH