ICOM is promoting a debate about the museum definition. The current museum definition dates from the 1970s (with changes introduced at the 2007 General Assembly in Seoul). Fifty years have meanwhile passed and ICOM is compiling contributions from museum professionals all over the world.
The importance of the ICOM’s museum definition should not be underestimated. Governments, accreditation agencies, among others, in many countries, derive national legislation, regulation and standards for the museum sector from the definition.
When the debate opened, we made an announcement here and we strongly encourage UMAC members to participate. More than 150 proposals from all continents can be read here.
UMAC wants to contribute:
Is there anything we can — and should — contribute as a collective? Does the current museum definition reflect the needs and aspirations of university museums and collections? What should we add? What is our agenda, if any?
Please send your views to Marta Lourenço, or leave your comment below before the end of April.
The current ICOM Museum Definition is:
The museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.
Museum is a Phisical or virtual space manifested for the service of the society which acquires, documents, conserves, exhibhits, researches and safeguard heritage for the purpose of edutainments.
For the first time, I would like to thank you for being able to join ICOM, at least I can understand the development of the form and mission of the UMAC. I strongly agree if the university museum is related to libraries and even to the archive section so that synchronization of the museum’s development as a data and information center is synchronized. however, a mechanism will be created that not every visitor can access. confidentiality must also be considered. this is a bit of my ideas and ideas.