International Museum Day is celebrated on May 18th each year, and ICOM, the International Council of Museums, has sponsored the day since 1977. The day's implementation is a collaborative project between the Icelandic chapter of ICOM and FÍSOS, with strong support from the National Museum Council and the country's museums.

The Icelandic section of ICOM, FÍSOS, and the National Board of Museums organized a 2024 symposium in the run-up to International Museum Day, under the theme "Museums for Education and Research," which was also the theme for Museum Day 2024. The moderator was Arndís Bergsdóttir on behalf of the Research Center for Museum Studies.

The symposium was held at the Reykjavík Art Museum, Kjarvalsstaðir, on Tuesday, May 14, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Light refreshments followed, and a guided tour of Borghildur Óskarsdóttir's exhibition, "Caution," was offered afterwards.

Here you can find a recording of the symposium.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Museum Work in Iceland (2020)

The Council of Museums, the Association of Icelandic Museums and Museum Professionals, and the Icelandic Section of ICOM conducted a survey among the directors of accredited and national museums in May and June 2020. The survey was about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on museum work in Iceland and was also conducted in collaboration with the three national museums.
The aim was to solicit information about the challenges museums were suddenly facing and to assess the well-being of staff. The Museum Council also wanted to gather information about the operations of the museums, gather data for the Council and partners so that solutions could be found and support increased for museums. In addition, the aim was to provide information to relevant stakeholders, government agencies and other institutions.

48 museums responded to the survey, 43 fully and 5 to some extent, but all participants' responses were used. The results of the survey were compiled in a report that has now been published, "The impact of COVID-19 on museum work in Iceland"The authors of the report are Guðný Dóra Gestsdóttir, Chair of ICOM in Iceland, Helga Maureen Gylfadóttir, Chair of the Association of Icelandic Museums and Collectors, and Þóra Björk Ólafsdóttir, Director of the Museums Council.

It is clear that the impact is felt widely, income from foreign tourists, which normally sustain the special income of many museums in Iceland, has almost completely declined, with foreign tourists accounting for about 621% of museum visitors. In addition to the decline in income, museums have had to deal with closures, changes in plans and working methods, and even staff reductions.

C19-report-END

Report on Digital Media in Museums

In 2018, an expert group commissioned by the Council of Museums worked on a special project for the council on the educational role of museums, with a focus on digital media in museums, how digital media is used in education, and what the role of digital media in museums should be.

The Council considered it necessary to review the status of these matters at accredited museums, partly due to developments in this field abroad. The discussion and policy development regarding the use of digital technology in communication is further along in our neighboring countries, and the Museum Council believes it is important both to learn from and to participate in this discussion.

The expert group was appointed, consisting of Þóra Sigurbjörnsdóttir (editor of the expert group), a teacher and curator at the Design Museum of Iceland, Dr. Anna Lísa Rúnarsdóttir, director at the National Museum of Iceland, Ágústa Kristófersdóttir, museum curator and director of Hafnarborg, Tryggvi Thayer, project manager at the Faculty of Education, University of Iceland, Sólrún Harðardóttir, teacher, nominated by the National Museum of Iceland, and Þóra Björk Ólafsdóttir, executive director of the Museum Council.

The report presents the main findings of a survey sent to accredited museums in March 2018. It briefly reviews issues that affect digital museum education and the dissemination of collections. It also discusses copyright laws in relation to online image publishing, the state of technology in primary schools, and the relationship with the National Curriculum for schools. It also mentions examples of how these issues are handled abroad, for example in the Nordic countries.

DigitalReportPrint version

Museum Council symposium on the educational role of museums and digital media

Following the publication of a report on the same subject, the Museum Council held a symposium at Safnahúsið on Friday, October 26, from 2-5 PM, on the educational role of museums and how digital media can support it.

The keynote speaker of the symposium was Merete Sanderhoff, who is the curator and head of digital media at SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where she works for open access and reuse of digital cultural heritage. She is a popular speaker and moderator at international conferences on digital cultural heritage. She has also worked on open access in the GLAM* community, with the "Sharing is Caring" conferences she has developed. Merete has published extensively on digital use in museums, including the anthology *Sharing is Caring: Openness and Sharing in the Cultural Heritage Sector*. She is the chair of the Europeana Network Association and sits on the advisory board of OpenGLAM.

Other speakers were Ingibjörg Hannesdóttir, Education Project Manager at the Reykjavík Art Museum; Vala Gunnarsdóttir, Head of Sarp; Anna María Þorkelsdóttir, teacher and project manager; and Tryggvi Thayer, project manager of MenntaMiðja at the Faculty of Education, University of Iceland.

The program was streamed live on the council's Facebook page, and there is a direct link to the symposium. for a break here and after a break here.

AGENDA:
2:00 PM Opening and introduction
14:10 Merete Sanderhoff – What is the social impact of digitizing museums?
3:00 PM Coffee break (The Maritime Museum of Reykjavík introduced the use of virtual reality goggles at the exhibition Melckmeyt 1659 – an underwater archaeological investigation.)
15:20 Vala Gunnarsdóttir – Sarpur.is and its use for education
15:40 Ingibjörg Hannesdóttir – Communicating Cultural Heritage in the Language of Technology
15:55 Anna María Þorkelsdóttir – Genius Workshops – 21st-century skills and creativity in elementary schools
16:35 Tryggvi Thayer – In Tune with What Time? Looking Ahead in Education and Training
5:00 PM Light refreshments

*Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums

A study conducted by the Research Center in Museum Studies at the University of Iceland and the Economic Institute of the University of Iceland.

The Centre for Museum Studies at the University of Iceland and the Economic Institute of the University of Iceland, at the request of the Museum Council, conducted a study on the interaction between museums and tourism during the year and submitted a report with the study's findings. The main objective of the study was to analyze the status and economic impact of cultural tourism, with a focus on museums and museum-related activities, and to conduct surveys of stakeholders in the museum and tourism sectors. The report examines three factors: the interplay between museums and tourism in public data, the economic contribution of museums and museum-related activities, and finally, the attitudes of stakeholders (cultural representatives, marketing agencies, tourism industry players, and the museum sector).. The study sheds light on the current state and opportunities for further development in the field of museums and tourism. It also highlights key factors that are important for the successful implementation of museum-related activities in relation to tourism and points to a lack of knowledge and understanding among stakeholders. The report presents recommendations for ways to further develop the interaction between museums and tourism in the coming years.

The main findings of the study are that there is a significant lack of specifically considering museums and museum-related activities in public policymaking as important participants in tourism. Findings from the Economic Institute indicate that the size of the museum sector has increased in recent years; for example, museum attendance has increased by 90% since 1996. Government grants to so-called tourist museums exceed one billion krónur per year but have decreased in real terms in recent years. Four attitude surveys conducted among cultural representatives, tourism boards, tour operators, museums, and museum-related activities indicate that while museums are considered an important part of the tourism industry, their role and standing within the sector appear to be weak. Tourism operators do not seem to utilize the diversity of Icelandic museums, instead directing their visits to a few select institutions. Additionally, museums can improve various aspects of their operations to better accommodate the growing influx of tourists. Although significant work has been done in the fields of tourism and museums in recent years, there is a lack of a foundation and a comprehensive overview among the parties involved in integrating the two sectors.

The research is specifically intended to benefit the following parties:

• Museum Council
• Public bodies such as ministries and local governments
• Tourism organizations such as the Icelandic Tourist Board and the Icelandic Tourism Administration
• Tourism stakeholder organizations, such as the Icelandic Tourist Board (SAF) and the Icelandic Tourist Board
• Iceland Office and regional marketing offices
• Museums and museum-related activities (museum guides, exhibitions and installations)
• Cultural and museum organizations
• Tourism stakeholders such as tour operators and guides
• Educational institutions and students
• The report "Museums and Tourism," prepared by the Research Center for Museum Studies at the University of Iceland and the Economic Institute of the University of Iceland in 2015.

ReportSleepAndTravelServicesOct2015

Following a report on museums and tourism, a working group on the interaction between museums and tourism was established, its members were:

• Kristjana Rós Guðjohnsen, Project Manager in Tourism and Creative Industries at Íslandsstofa
• Magnús Karel Hannesson, Director of the Operations and Publications Department of the Association of Icelandic Municipalities
• Sif Jóhannesdóttir, Director of the Cultural Center of Þingeyjar
• Thóra Björk Ólafsdóttir, Executive Director of the Collection Council

The Council of Museums, Íslandstofa, and the Association of Icelandic Municipalities organized a symposium on museums and tourism at the National Museum on November 18, 2016, where the role and status of museums and related activities in Icelandic tourism were discussed. The symposium was sponsored by the National Museum of Iceland.

A recording of the panel discussion can be viewed. here.

Report on a symposium about museums and tourism

The secretary of the symposium was Sigurlaug Dagsdóttir, an ethnologist, master's student in museology, and part-time lecturer at the University of Iceland. She also worked on writing a report about the symposium, which was published in March 2017. The report can be found. here.

2014 Council for Museums Report: Museums as Centers of Knowledge

A survey of the scope and organization of research in Icelandic museum work. The report was prepared at the request of the Museum Council to examine the scope and organization of research in museum work in Iceland. It presents the results of a survey conducted among the directors of accredited museums, and also discusses research and knowledge creation in a broader context.

The goal of the collection council is to better support this area of work and create a platform for critical discussion on research to advance the collections. The findings will be used by the Council of Museums to shape a vision for the field, as well as to highlight the importance and raise awareness of this function as one of the cornerstones of museum work.

The author of the report is Ólöf Gerður Sigfúsdóttir, an anthropologist and doctoral student in museum studies at the University of Iceland, director of research services at LHÍ. See the report. here.

Symposium on Museum Research 2014

A symposium on museum research was held at the National Museum November 6, 2014. The focus was on the role of research in the work of museums and on the contribution of museums to enhancing understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and science through their research and its dissemination. 

The characteristics of museum research and the academic community's expectations of museums as research institutions were examined.

Olof Gerdur Sigfusdottir, PhD student in Museology at the University of Iceland and Director of Research Services at the University of Iceland: Museums as knowledge centers: An investigation of the scope and organization of research in Icelandic museum work. Report of the Board of Trustees  Presented.

Sophie Brown, an expert from the Danish Agency for Culture in Copenhagen: On the status of research in museums in Denmark

Sigurdur Gylfi Magnusson, Associate Professor of Cultural History at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Iceland, based at the National Museum: Time and passion – concepts in university and museum research

Orri Vesteinsson, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Iceland: Archaeological research and museums

The value and role of research in museums

• Hilmar Malmquist, director of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History
• Godny Zoega, Head of the Department of Archaeology, Skagfjorden Regional Museum
• Nathalie Jaqueminet, Curator at the National Museum of Iceland

Research Collection and Dissemination

• Harpa Þórsdóttir, Director of the Design Museum of Iceland
• Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Hafnarfjörður Museum of Local History

Education for All – The Educational Role of Museums. Status and Strategy 2007

On October 21, 2005, the museum council held a symposium on the educational role of museums with domestic and international speakers.program) The discussions at the symposium demonstrated the importance of working towards the targeted development of this aspect of museum work. Following the symposium, the Council of Museums began preparations for the planning and implementation of a comprehensive strategy on the educational role of museums in the fall of 2006, in collaboration with a broad group of museum professionals. The result of that work is the report Education for all which was released in 2007.

Education for All I
Education for All II