Collection Council – Conditions for Accreditation

Approved at the board meeting on September 17, 2013
Regulations approved by the minister on October 26, 2013

With the Museums Act No. 141/2011, the Museums Council was given the role of discussing 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 by the Museums Council 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.

The conditions for accreditation are based on Article 10 of the Museums Act No. 141/2011, along with further specifications based on other provisions of the Act, the ICOM Code of Ethics, and other laws and regulations. Regulation on the Recognition of Museums No. 900/2013 was approved on October 7, 2013.

Conditions of recognition

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.
   1. The Council on Museums defines a sound financial foundation as follows: that the museum has the means to support professional operations in accordance with the Council's requirements.
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2. The museum shall have an independent budget, separate from the owner's other operations..
   The museum's accounts shall be certified by a certified public accountant. It shall annually submit a report on its activities and a financial statement to the museum board. The museum board will issue guidelines on the report's content.
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3. A museum shall operate in accordance with a founding document or bylaws approved by the museum board, pursuant to Article 7 of the Museums Act No. 141/2011. The founding document or charter shall specify the museum's subject matter and scope of activities, and how the provisions of the museum law regarding the cessation of operations and the liquidation of assets and collections will be met. The charter or bylaws of a recognized museum shall be published in the B-series of the Official Gazette (see instructions on charters here).
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4. The museum shall operate in accordance with the museum board's terms regarding:
   
   1. Housing
      1. The museum shall have an operating permit from the health authority and provide a copy of it to the museum board upon request.
      2. The fire marshal shall conduct regular inspections of the museum premises. A copy of the fire marshal's report shall be submitted to the museum board upon request.
      3. Conditions in exhibition and storage facilities shall be such that the long-term preservation of objects is ensured (see instructions in the Handbook on the Preservation of Museum Collections, Previous volume and later volume)
   2. Security issues 
      1. The museum must have a functioning security system, including fire, burglary and moisture alarms. Confirmation of the functioning of the security systems must be submitted to the museum board upon request.
      2. The museum shall monitor the amount of light, temperature and humidity in its premises, measurements shall be recorded regularly and information shall be submitted to the museum board upon request.
      3. A museum shall have an emergency plan for staff, visitors, and collections (see instructions in the Handbook for the Preservation of Museum Collections, Previous volume and later volume) and submit a copy of them to the collection council upon request.
   3. Collection object registration system
      1. Systems used for recording data at accredited museums must, at a minimum, meet the Museum Council's terms and conditions for recording systems as set out on the Museum Council's website. If a recording system does not meet the Museum Council's terms and conditions, the museum must submit a timed plan for improvements to the Museum Council, which the Council will consider.
      2. see a special checklist published by the Museum Council
   4.  Professional activities (pursuant to Articles 3 and 14 of the Museum Act)
      1. Collection – A collection shall operate according to a collection policy that is published publicly.
      2. Cataloging – The collection shall follow the main library's guidelines for cataloging (see cataloging guidelines). art museums and cultural heritage museum)
      3. Preservation – The collection shall follow the guidelines of the parent institution regarding preservation and preventive conservation (see guidelines in the Handbook for the Preservation of Museum Collections, Previous volume and later volume in addition to instructions on Professional conservation of museum objects and Handbook on the handling of textiles)
      4. A museum shall submit a strategy for its activities to the central museum every four years.
      5. The museum shall be open to the public during advertised hours.
   5. Information about registered objects in the museum's collection shall be accessible to the public.
   6. The museum shall conduct research, outreach, and engage in collaboration., regional, national, and international (must adhere to the criteria of major repositories as set forth in their collection policies).
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5.  A museum shall provide school students who visit the museum on organized study trips with free admission.
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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.
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7. A museum shall operate in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the provisions of law.
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8. The director of a museum must have education in the museum's field of responsibility or have acquired equivalent qualifications in another way.

 It should be noted that according to Article 12. End of operations and disposal of assets and collections Museum Act No. 141/2011

•  The founding document or charter of a recognized museum shall provide for the disposition of its assets and collections in the event the museum is dissolved or its form of operation is changed. If an accredited museum has received public grants under Article 11 or 22, its collections shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of its charter or bylaws and in consultation with the relevant parent institution. Other assets shall be disposed of in consultation with the relevant ministry.

Note – see more details about the data to be submitted at: Application for Museum Accreditation