Policy on museum work

Museum Policy – approved 2021

Policy on museum work was approved in June 2021 by Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education and Culture but the strategy was developed in collaboration with the Museum Council and the three main museums, the Art Museum of Iceland, the Natural History Museum of Iceland and the National Museum of Iceland. According to the Museums Act No. 141/2011, one of the Museum Council's roles is to work on a strategy for museum work in collaboration with the main museums and must be approved by the Minister.

At the beginning of 2019, a steering group was established to review the strategy, and in December 2020, Policy on museum work prepared and sent to the Minister for approval.
The steering group included:

  • Harpa Þórsdóttir, Director of the National Gallery of Iceland, on behalf of the National Gallery of Iceland
  • Helga Lára Þorsteinsdóttir, Director of RÚV and representative on the Museum Council, on behalf of the Museum Council
  • Hilmar Malmquist, Director of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History, on behalf of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History
  • Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, National Museum Curator, on behalf of the National Museum of Iceland
  • Þóra Björk Ólafsdóttir, Director of the Museums Council, on behalf of the Museums Council

The Museum Council and the main museums have worked on the strategy under the leadership of consulting firm See who has overseen the strategic planning activities on behalf of the Museum Council and in close collaboration with museum professionals, including directors of recognized museums and state museums, as well as other stakeholders in museum work.

Guiding light Policy on museum work are:

  • It is the collective responsibility of society to protect the country's cultural and natural heritage, promote professional interaction, and ensure equal access to the heritage.
  • Museums actively participate in social debate, they take the lead and create dialogue on socially important issues. Strong connections between museums, museum resources and society provide driving force and value creation.
  • Museums play an important role in education, understanding and awareness of cultural and natural heritage. Museum human resources play a key role in this.
  • Museums collaborate closely with each other and with a variety of parties, both domestically and internationally.
  • Museums preserve primary sources about the country's culture, history, and nature and provide access to them for the advancement of research, for the acquisition of knowledge, and for enjoyment.
  • Museums are socially responsible, they consider sustainability in all areas of museum work, and are a platform for innovation.
  • Museums operate according to the Code of Ethics of ICOM, the International Council of Museums.

The strategy was developed through detailed data collection and analysis, and the strategy was based on internal work and data, legislation, and comparable policies at other domestic and foreign cultural institutions. Policy on museum work will be useful to the museum sector, ministries, state and local administration, museum councils, central museums and all museums, both recognized and other museum activities, but last but not least, museum owners.

The Museum Council would like to thank all the many people who participated in discussions, review meetings and surveys about the strategy, and we look forward to continuing to have a good conversation about the next steps, including an action plan and how the strategy can benefit museums in the country and their support institutions.

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