A museum is a building full of old stuff, but it’s so much more than that. The best museums are sanctuaries of culture, places to slow down and learn about our shared heritage, from ancient civilisations to contemporary art and complex conflicts. They’re places that matter to people and help create communities – because they make connections – person to person, object to object, collection to community. But how do we define a museum? There’s no one answer, of course.
But there are a few things we can agree on. For starters, museums are cultural institutions that research, collect, conserve, interpret and exhibit tangible and intangible heritage for the benefit of society. They are open to the public and are accessible, inclusive and sustainable. And they operate and communicate ethically and professionally.
It’s this last point that is at the heart of a new definition for museums that was approved today in Prague, at an ICOM Extraordinary General Assembly. The new definition aims to be more meaningful and more relevant to our times, and it is the result of an 18-month participatory process that brought together hundreds of museum professionals from 126 National Committees around the world.
The definition includes, for the first time, the notions of inclusivity and sustainability. It also calls for museums to be active partners in their communities, to connect with their visitors in meaningful ways and offer varied experiences for education, enjoyment and reflection. It’s a bold vision for the future of museums, and it’s one that was supported by 92% of participants at the meeting.
What’s more, the new definition challenges museums to do a better job of connecting with their communities and finding innovative ways to share their collections. It’s a reminder that museums are part of our civic infrastructure, alongside libraries and hospitals. And that we should be looking at how to best support them so that they can continue to deliver a crucial service.
The new definition was developed by a Working Group that included representatives of ICOM’s disciplinary and regional sections, as well as members of the ICOM Define Standing Committee, ICOM’s body responsible for developing and managing the museum definition process. The working group was supported by ICOM’s Executive Board and the 91st Session of the Advisory Council, which agreed to recommend the selected proposal for a vote at the next Extraordinary General Assembly in 2022. The methodology used to develop the proposal was based on four rounds of consultation, divided into 11 steps and had a total duration of 18 months.