What is a recognized museum?

An accredited museum is a museum that has gone through the accreditation process of the Museums Council.

According to Article 10 of the Museums Act No. 141/2011 Recognized museums must meet the following conditions:

  1. A museum shall be owned by a public entity, a non-profit organization, a society or a company that ensures the financial basis for the museum's normal operations and appoints a board of directors. A museum shall not be operated for profit.
  2. A museum shall have independent finances, separate from the owner's other operations. The museum's accounts shall be signed by a certified public accountant. It shall submit an annual report on its activities and financial statements to the museum board.
  3. A museum shall operate in accordance with a charter or bylaw that has been approved by the museum council, cf. Article 7. The charter or bylaw shall specify the museum's subject matter and area of operation. The charter or bylaw of a recognized museum shall be published in Section B of the Government Gazette.
  4. A museum shall operate in accordance with the terms of the Museum Council regarding housing, security, registration systems and professional activities. Information about registered artifacts in the museum's custody shall be accessible to the public.
  5. A museum shall provide school students who visit the museum on organized study trips with free admission.
  6. Accessibility to museum premises shall be in accordance with laws and regulations and take into account the needs of people with disabilities as much as possible.
  7. A museum shall operate in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the provisions of law.
  8. The director of a museum must have education in the museum's field of responsibility or have acquired equivalent qualifications in another way.

According to the Museums Act, the role of the Museums Council is to discuss the recognition of museums and the withdrawal of recognition before proposals are sent to the Minister. In addition, the Museums Council shall set conditions regarding housing, security, accessibility, registration systems and professional work that museums must meet in order to receive recognition from the Museums Council. Recognition is a prerequisite for museums to apply for operating grants from the Museums Fund and only recognized museums can become responsible museums. The aim of the recognition is to strengthen the activities of museums in preserving Iceland's cultural and natural heritage, ensure that it is passed on intact to future generations, provide people with access to it and promote increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its relationship with the outside world.

The Museum Council shall supervise the activities of accredited museums, and if a museum does not meet the requirements for accreditation, the Museum Council may submit a proposal to the Minister for the withdrawal of accreditation.

Recognized museums use the distinctive logo of recognized museums, which can be seen above.

The annual deadline for applications for recognition is usually August 31st each year.

You can read more about Museum Council's requirements for museum recognition which were approved at the council meeting on 17.09.2013, as well as additions to the conditions from 26.06.2018.

 

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