THE MUSEUM LIBRARY AND INFORMATION CENTRES
WORKGROUP REPORT
This Workgroup met once during the ICOM Triennial in Stavanger 1995.
Leonard Will, who has been a very active and able Chair of the Workgroup
since its formation, retired at this meeting. After thanking him for his
work on behalf of the Workgroup members, I was voted in as Chair of the
Workgroup, after being nominated for the post by Leonard Will and Berit
Elgaard, Secretary of the Group.
The Workgroup identified three types of library function represented
in the Group:
- Museum Information Centres Providing information for and about museums
in a region or country. These are not necessarily attached to a museum,
and focus on museology as their core subject-matter.
- Museum Libraries Museums of all types and sizes have library and
archive collections. In larger institutions these are professionally staffed
by information specialists. Such libraries actively support the work of
other museum staff and may act as an engine for research in their particular
subject area, e.g. geology or local history.
- Public Museum Information Centres I.e. where collections-based and
library-based resources are brought together to provide an integrated information
service to museum visitors and others.
The role and functions of the Workgroup were considered:
- Meetings In the past very successful day-meetings in Copenhagen in
1991 and Ljubljana in 1993 have provided stimulating papers and much useful
discussion. The WG plans to talk to its colleagues in Germany about the
possibility of arranging a similar meeting in Nurmberg in 1997. Suggestions
for discussion topics at this meeting and proposals for papers are welcome.
- Networking Many of the libraries represented in the WG act as a regional
or national information point for museum information, that is, about the
existence and activities of museums in their country. The WG plans to explore
the possibility of setting up a network of such centres to respond effectively
to enquiries about museums in other countries. This already happens on
an informal basis between some establishments represented in the WG.
- Mission Statements The WG is asking members on the mailing list to
submit their library mission statement, if one exists, so as to map and
gauge the changing role of museum libraries worldwide. These statements
should be sent to Rhoda S. Ratner, Branch Librarian, Smithsonian Institution
Libraries, National Museum of American History, Washington DC 20560, USA.
- Examination of the role of museum libraries and librarians At a time
when new developments in techno-logy such as the Internet and multimedia
are encouraging museums to explore new ways of communicating with their
visitors, there will clearly be a constant demand for information manage-ment
specialists to channel that information for the benefit of the museum community
and the general public. We hope to promote and strengthen the role of the
infor-mation management specialist within museums, through, for example,
the circulation of case studies and examples of the innovative and imaginative
ways in which integrated museum library resources have been developed.
While recognizing the existence of related specialist groups, for example
those within IFLA and ARLIS, and the need to maintain good contact with
these groups, the importance of preserving this group within CIDOC and
the wider museum community must be emphasized.
If you would like further information about this Workgroup, contact:
Wilma Alexander
at the Scottish Museums Council
County House
20-22 Torphichen Street
Edinburg EH3 8JB
UK
