Skilgreiningar

Collection

The term „museum“ is used in the sense of an institution or place that selects, researches, and displays material and immaterial traces of humanity and its environment. The organization and operation of museums have undergone various changes throughout the ages. Their subjects are very diverse, as are their objectives, as well as the ways in which they operate and are managed. Many nations have defined what a museum is, in legislation or through institutional arrangements. In Iceland, the term „museum“ is defined in the Museums Act No. 141/2011. The law states that museums are: "permanent institutions that operate in the public interest and are not run for profit. They shall be open to the public." According to the law, their mission is "to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of Iceland, shed light on the country's cultural, natural, and art history, strengthen their collections and documentation within their specific field, and make their collections and documentation accessible to the public and scholars. In their work, museums shall be guided by the aim of enhancing the quality of life for people by promoting the understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, or science." This definition is based on that of the International Council of Museums, ICOM. Academic definitions of what a museum is often reference this definition but tend to place different emphases, such as on their social and educational roles.

In general usage in Iceland, the term 'safn' is used in a much broader sense than is discussed here.

Collection and collection items

Collecting refers to the selection, acquisition, and holding of material and immaterial sources from the past and present. The collecting activities of archives have been divided into two types of functions: active and passive. Active acquisition refers to staff seeking out specific materials to build the museum's collection. Passive acquisition includes all other means by which materials become part of a museum's collection, such as through donations.

Active and passive collecting is generally conducted based on a collecting policy established by the museum. In the Museum Act No. 141/2011, collecting is one of the defined roles of museums, which states that museums shall „conduct a targeted acquisition of objects and sources of information so that their collections as a whole provide the most comprehensive picture of their specific area of focus.“ Museums generally follow a specific collection policy, which serves as a guideline for evaluating whether a particular object or source of information should be acquired for preservation. The materials collected are referred to as acquisitions. Through this process, museums build their collections. A collection, in short, is therefore the sum of all the material and immaterial sources that have been gathered.

Collection, documentation, preservation, research, dissemination

The definition of a museum by ICOM, the International Council of Museums, is that a museum is „a permanent institution that is not run for profit but in the service of and for the community, is open to the public and collects, preserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits—for the purpose of study, education, and enjoyment—objects and specimens testifying to the people and their environment, both tangible and intangible.“ (ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums).

In the museum act, this is worded as follows: „Through collection, registration, preservation, research, exhibitions, and other outreach, it is the role of museums to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of Iceland, shed light on the country's cultural, natural, and art history, strengthen their collections and documentation within their specific field, and make their collections and documentation accessible to the public and scholars. In their work, museums shall be guided by the principle of enhancing the quality of life for people by promoting an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, or science.“ (from Article 3)

Collection (n.)

Museums collect tangible as well as intangible heritage. Examples of tangible heritage include objects such as a chalice or a book; entire buildings can also be artifacts. Examples of intangible heritage include, for instance, folklore, narratives collected in ethnographic research, or the practical knowledge of past generations. Most artifacts are collected to be preserved for the future, but the nature of some artifacts is to be perishable. For example, many botanical gardens are collections, and the plants housed there are artifacts, even though they are subject to the cycle of nature.

In the database Sarpi You can find a wide variety of different exhibits.

Cataloging

Cataloging is the process of recording information about the resources that are part of a library's collection. The initial registration of objects is done in an accession book, where they are assigned a number (an accession number) and the main information describing where the objects came from, what they are made of, and other relevant details is recorded. The further process of registration involves a more detailed cataloging, where the objects are measured, described in as much detail as possible, their condition is noted, and they are photographed. Today, object records are maintained in digital databases and are Attic the system that most museums in Iceland use for that.

Preservation

Preservation refers to the actions and conditions involved in protecting an original or copies from threats to their existence, such as destruction, deterioration, separation, and theft. Preservation activities are diverse, but they include, for example, collection, transfer to a secure location, documentation, and restoration of the items to be preserved.

Conditions are an important factor in preservation, but storing records in a secure facility at optimal temperature and humidity levels is a prerequisite for extending the lifespan of the material being preserved. Conservation is a component of a museum's preservation measures.

Research

A general definition of research is a systematic investigation—of data, subjects, methods, or theories—for the purpose of creating knowledge and new understanding. Museums have a defined role in conducting research, as stipulated in the Museum Act No. 141/2011. Research is important for museums, for example, to better understand the collections they preserve and, not least, to be able to communicate knowledge in exhibitions or by other means. Museum types (art museums, cultural heritage museums, and natural history museums, to name a few) have different research traditions, which is related, among other things, to their diverse relationships with their local communities, international connections, and separate groups of specialists who conduct academic research at the university level. The National Museum Council conducted a study on the scope and organization of research in Icelandic museum work in 2014; see the report for more details. Museums as centers of knowledge.

Exhibition

Museums play an important role in communicating their activities. Communication refers to the presentation and accessibility of information and knowledge to the public. Museums primarily communicate through exhibitions, but they also fulfill this role by organizing events, publishing various materials, and participating in discussions related to their fields, to name just a few. Communication is the aspect of museum work that is most visible to the public. In the Code of Ethics of the International Council of Museums, ICOM, it is stated regarding exhibitions: „Exhibitions, whether physical or virtual, must be in accordance with the museum's stated aims, policies, and objectives. They must never jeopardize the quality of the museum's collection, its proper care, or its preservation.“ The same can be said of other forms of museum communication: that it be in accordance with their goals, policies, and purpose.