Introduction
Traditionally,
museums and libraries developed as historically separate institutional contexts
and distinct cultures. TrantTrant, Jennife (2004). Emerging convergence? Thoughts on museums, archives, libraries, and professional training. Museum Management and Curatorship 24(4): 369-387. noted how philosophies
and policies of museums and libraries reflect their different approach to
interpreting, collecting, preserving and providing access to objects in their
care. Bishoff remarked that ‘libraries believe in resource sharing, are
committed to freely available information, value the preservation of
collections, and focus on access to information. Museums believe in preservation
of collections, often create their identity based on these collections, are
committed to community education, and frequently operate in a strongly
competitive environment’Bishoff, Liz (2004). The Collaboration Imperative. Library Journal, 2004. Accessed August 16, 2011. [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA371048.html](http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA371048.html).. In the last century policy
makers have attempted to group and bridge these communities of practices through
‘their similar role as part of the informal educational structures supported by
the public, and their common governance’Trant, Jennifer (2004). Emerging convergence? Thoughts on museums, archives, libraries, and professional training. Museum Management and Curatorship 24(4): 369.. Such
commonalities are increasingly important to the sustainability of museums,
libraries (and archives) in a globalised world. However a theoretical framework
to scope and address such collaborative models still needs to be developed. This
is particularly urgent in the specific context of our transnational and
multicultural societies.
One of the goals of the recently funded EU FP7
SSH MeLa ProjectMeLa – European Museums in an Age of Migrations, [http://www.mela-project.eu/](http://www.mela-project.eu/). The work presented in this paper is being conducted within ‘MeLa Research Field 03 - Network of Museums, Libraries and Public Cultural Institutions.’
[http://wp3.mela-project.eu/](http://wp3.mela-project.eu/). Last accessed September 23, 2011. MeLa Research Field 03 is led by History of Art at the University of Glasgow (GU); the research team include staff members from Politecnico di Milano, Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle/Musée de l’Homme, The Royal College of Art, L’Orientale University of Naples.
is to fill this gap by investigating,
identifying and proposing innovative coordination strategies between public
European museums, libraries and public cultural institutions, for the benefit of
multicultural audiences and towards European integration and European cultural
commons
The definition ‘European Cultural Commons’ has been recently used in relation to digital content within the European Cultural Commons conference ([europeanculturalcommons.eventbrite.com](europeanculturalcommons.eventbrite.com), videos at [http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE244178708CBB62C](http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE244178708CBB62C)) organised by Europeana on October 12, 2011. Europeana, an initiative endorsed by the European Commission, is a single access point to millions of books, paintings, films, museum objects and archival records that have been digitised throughout Europe. In this paper we are using the definition in a wider and more general meaning..
The idea of laying the foundations for a
European network of museums, libraries and public cultural institutions that
address globalisation, migration and new media is particularly fitting for the
configuration of migrant communities, which ‘in the receiving countries can best
be described from a structural perspective as a network of organizations.’Faist, Thomas (1998). Transnational social spaces out of the international migration: evolution, significance and future prospects. Archives Européennes de Sociologie 39: 213-247.
Collaborations between Museums and Libraries: Potentialities and Challenges
In the first phase of our MeLa research, we have been focusing in particular on collaborations between museums
and libraries. Some studies in this areaSee for example: Hannah Gibson, Anne Morris and Marigold Cleeve (2007). Links between Libraries and Museums: Investigating Museum-Library Collaboration in England and the USA. Libri (57): 53-64. Accessed August 16, 2011 [www.librijournal.org/pdf/2007-2pp53-64.pdf](www.librijournal.org/pdf/2007-2pp53-64.pdf); Diane M. Zorich, Gunter Waibel, and Ricky Erway. Beyond the Silos of the LAMs: Collaboration Among Libraries, Archives and Museums. Report produced for OCLC Research, 2008. Accessed August 16, 2011 [www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2008/2008-05.pdf](www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2008/2008-05.pdf); Alexandra Yarrow, Barbara Clubb, and Jennifer-Lynn Draper. Public Libraries, Archives and Museums: Trends in Collaboration and Cooperation. The Hague: IFLA Headquarters, 2008. Accessed August 16, 2011 [www.ifla.org/VII/s8/pub/Profrep108.pdf](www.ifla.org/VII/s8/pub/Profrep108.pdf) . The WP3 team is preparing a selected bibliography for the purpose of the workpackage activities. have
highlighted the benefits of joining forces and resources in a variety of areas,
including but not limited to:
- library activities and programmes related to museum exhibits
- travelling museums exhibitions hosted in libraries
- links established between web-based resources in library and museum
websites
- library programs including passes to museums
- collaborative digitisation and digital library projects enhancing access
to resources in both museums and libraries
- collaborative initiatives to bring in authors as speakers
- museums and libraries partnerships with cultural and education
organisational for public programmes.
The overall opportunities for
improving collections, increasing the number of users, leveraging experiences
and funding also represent some of the main benefit of such partnerships. These
studies also often included archives as a third player in museums and archives
collaborations. The aims and objectives of collaboration projects between
museums and libraries that have been investigated in previous studies, include:
educational focus (e.g. learning about past civilisations, encourage families
learning together etc.), cross-over visits between institutions, promoting
resources to various target groups, improving coordination between institutions,
demonstrating joint working or training activities, providing models for working
practices.
The International Federation of Libraries Association (IFLA) remarked that
museums and libraries would indeed be natural partners for collaboration and
cooperationYarrow, Alexandra, Barbara Clubb and Jennifer-Lynn Draper.
Public Libraries, Archives and Museums: Trends in Collaboration and
Cooperation. IFLA Professional Reports N. 108. The Hague: IFLA Headquarters,
2008. Accessed August 16, 2011 [www.ifla.org/VII/s8/pub/Profrep108.pdf](www.ifla.org/VII/s8/pub/Profrep108.pdf).. In this context,
a study in the United States observed that ‘collaboration may enable […] museums
and libraries to strengthen their public standing, improve their services and
programs, and better meet the needs of a larger and more diverse cross-sections
of learners.’Charting the Landscape, Mapping New Paths: Museums,
Libraries, and K-12 Learning. Institute of Museum and Library Services. Aug.
2004. Accessed August 16, 2011 [http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/Charting_the_Landscape.pdf](http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/Charting_the_Landscape.pdf)
The nature of this collaboration can be multifaceted and varied, and the
terminology lends itself to diverse meanings, in particular regarding the degree
of intensity of the collaboration and its transformational capacity. Gibson,
Morris and Cleeve noted that ‘“Library-museum
collaboration” can be defined as the cooperation between a library and
a museum, possibly involving other partners. […].’Gibson, Hannah, Anne
Morris and Marigold Cleeve. Links between Libraries and Museums:
Investigating Museum-Library Collaboration in England and the USA. Libri
(57) 2007: 53-64. Accessed August 16, 2011, p.53 [www.librijournal.org/pdf/2007-2pp53-64.pdf](www.librijournal.org/pdf/2007-2pp53-64.pdf). Here, the
authors use the term ‘collaboration’ with the meaning indicated by Diamant-Cohen
and Sherman, as a ‘more involved cooperation where there is a more in-depth
sharing and pooling of resources.’Diamant-Cohen, Betsy, and Dina Sherman.
Hand in Hand: Museums and Libraries Working Together. Public Libraries 42.2
(Mar./Apr. 2003): 102-105.
Museums and libraries seem
well positioned to synergically support and enable multicultural identities of
migration societies.
The definition of culture I am looking at can be found in the UNESCO
Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity: ‘culture should be regarded
as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional
features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition
to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems,
traditions and beliefs’ (UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.
UNESCO: 2002. Last accessed 18 August 2011, [http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001271/127160m.pdf](http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001271/127160m.pdf)).
In this paper the terms “multicultural”, “multiculturalism” and “cultural diversity”
are considered synonymous. As a result, museums are ideally placed to interpret
and preserve culturally diverse heritage. See for example Barker, Emma, ed.
Contemporary Cultures of Display. London: Yale UP 1999; Bennett, Tony, The
Birth of the Museum. History, Theory, Politics. London & New York NY: Routledge,
2009. Gonzalez, Jennifer A. Subject to Display. Reframing Race in Contemporary Installation
Art. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press 2008. Graham, Beryl, and Sarah Cook Rethinking Curating.
Art after New Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press 2010. Karp, Ivan, et al., eds. Museum
Frictions. Public Cultures/ Global Transformations. Durham, NC, London: Duke UP 2006. Knell, Simon J., et al., eds. Museum Revolutions. How Museums Change and Are Changed. London, New York NY: Routledge 2007. As centres for culture, information hubs, learning
and gathering, libraries seemingly represent service providers for culturally
diverse communities, enabling inter-cultural dialogue and education while
supporting and promoting diversity.IFLA - Library Services to Multicultural Populations Section (ed.)
The IFLA Multicultural Library Manifesto: The Multicultural Library. 2006.
Accessed 18 August 2011: [http://www.ifla.org/VII/s32/pub/MulticulturalLibraryManifesto.pdf](http://www.ifla.org/VII/s32/pub/MulticulturalLibraryManifesto.pdf).
Nevertheless, the fruitful convergence between museums and libraries faces a
number of challenges. Some authorsGibson, Hannah, Anne Morris and Marigold Cleeve. Links between Libraries and Museums: Investigating Museum-Library Collaboration in England and the USA. Libri (57) 2007: 53-64. Accessed August 16, 2011 [www.librijournal.org/pdf/2007-2pp53-64.pdf](www.librijournal.org/pdf/2007-2pp53-64.pdf); Walker, Christopher, and Carlos A. Manjarrez. Partnerships for Free Choice Learning: Public Libraries, Museums and Public Broadcasters Working Together. The Urban Institute and Urban Libraries Council. 2004. 22 May 2008 [http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/410661_partnerships_for_free_choice_learning.pdf](http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/410661_partnerships_for_free_choice_learning.pdf). have highlighted
the risks and obstacles encountered on the road to establish a successful
collaboration between museums and libraries with respect to their different
missions, cultures, organisational and funding structures. In terms of change
management, Zorich, Waibel, Erway suggested that it is important to
differentiate between coordination and cooperation, and pointing to the
organisational changes required for a deep collaboration between libraries,
museums and archivesZorich, Diane M., Waibel Gunter and Ricky Erway. “Beyond the Silos of the LAMs: Collaboration Among Libraries, Archives and Museums”. Report produced for OCLC Research, 2008. Accessed August 16, 2011, p. 5, [www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2008/2008-05.pdf](www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2008/2008-05.pdf).. In particular for
collaboration on digital libraries, BishoffBishoff, Liz. “The Collaboration Imperative”. Library Journal, 2004. Accessed August 16, 2011 [http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA371048.html](http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA371048.html) and
Innocenti et aliiInnocenti, Perla, MacKenzie Smith, Kevin Ashley, Seamus Ross, Antonella De Robbio, Hans Pfeiffenberger, John Faundeen. Towards a Holistic Approach to Policy Interoperabilityin Digital Libraries and Digital Repositories. The International Journal of Digital Curation 6 (2011): 1, accessed August 16, 2011, [http://ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/view/167/235](http://ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/view/167/235) remarked
that interoperability is critical to the digital library community. Innocenti
et alii further stressed the diverse organisational,
semantic and technical interoperability levels that need to be addressed in a
digital library, using the classification of the European Interoperability
Framework for eGovernment services.IDABC. “ European interoperability framework for pan-European eGovernment services”. Luxembourg: European Commission 2004. Achieving
effective organisational interoperability between digital libraries can imply a
radical change in the way that organisations work, manage and share their
digital assets.
Towards a European Network of Museum,
Libraries and Public Cultural Institutions
In the MeLA project, the ongoing research programme on a Network of Museums, Libraries and
Public Cultural Institutions is articulated through a series of enquiries that
intend to:
-
Investigate the relations between transnational museums, library and
public cultural institutions collaborations and the society of
migration.
-
Identify and describe how transnational museums, library and public
cultural institutions collaborating together present themselves to
various public communities.
-
Understand and evaluate the effects (benefits and disadvantages) of
transnational museums, library and public cultural institutions
collaborations.
The results of this research will be made available in three books (a
source book, proceedings of an international conferenceMore information on the forthcoming International Conference for MeLa Research Field 03 are available at [http://wp3.mela-project.eu/wp/pages/research-field-03-international-conference](http://wp3.mela-project.eu/wp/pages/research-field-03-international-conference). and a reference book), including a coordination framework and
policy briefs for the museum Community, policy makers and for European
Commission. It is our wish that this coordination framework will contribute to
new collaborative models of museums and libraries, testing the possibility of a
European ‘imagined community’For the concept of ‘imagined communities’ see the seminal book by Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities. Reflections on the Origina and Spread of Nationalism, Verso, London and New York, new edition 2006. and the idea of
European cultural commons, encompassing both cultural and scientific expressions
and artefacts.
At the DH 2012 Conference we are presenting an overview of the desk and field
investigation on selected case studies, organised in four thematic clusters:
Collaboration models, European cultural and scientific heritage, Migration and
mobility, Narratives for Europe. Each cluster includes case studies articulated
in primary, secondary and tertiary level, with additional information from an
online survey on museum collaborations with libraries and public cultural
institutions.Research Field 03: Online Survey, [http://wp3.mela-project.eu/wp/pages/research-field-03-online-survey](http://wp3.mela-project.eu/wp/pages/research-field-03-online-survey).
Accessed March 12, 2012. Areas of collaboration explored in our
research include the core activities of archiving, preserving and framing memory
and the associated categories of hierarchies of cultural value and historical
identity. The geographic coverage comprises trans-national and trans-local
connections of museums and libraries, to allow more flexible and heterogenic
connections to be considered, both within Europe – where for example public
libraries are at the forefront of leading initiatives addressing multicultural
diversity – and outside its assumed confines (for example the Mediterranean),
also in terms of European Union legitimacy and identity.See for example
Fuchs, Dieter and Andrea Schlenker. “European Identity and the Legitimacy of
the EU“. EU FP6 Consent Network of Excellence, 2006. Last accessed September
23, 2011. [www.eu-consent.net/click_download.asp?contentid=1258](www.eu-consent.net/click_download.asp?contentid=1258). We
will provide an overview of differences and current tension points between
museums, libraries and public cultural institutions investigated in our
research, and will discusssome initial suggestions on how they may overcome the
challenges built into their infrastructureKarp, Ivan, et al., eds. Museum
Frictions. Public Cultures/ Global Transformations. Durham NC & London:
Duke University Press, 2006. and manage the change conveyed by
collaborations and use of ICTs.