Today 19.5.2015 is International Museum Day. To celebrate this day the Network of European Museum Organisation (NEMO) has published a new document on the four values museums best represent. These values are universal, and as applicable to our small museum as for large institutions. Here are the values and descriptors for you to think about:
Social: Our Vision
NEMO believes that museums can change lives. Museums are for and about people. For museums to be truly accountable to past, present and future generations, they must be able to work with and for all sections of the communities they serve. Museums have the potential to strengthen the social fabric of society and act as meeting and dialoguing places for different cultures.
COLLECTION VALUE: Our Vision
Collections
NEMO believes that collections are at the heart of museums; without them, there would be no museums. They help people determine their place in the world and define their identities. They reflect cultural diversity and are a cornerstone for the identity of people and nations. They provide a window to the world and represent our shared European heritage.
The digital shift
NEMO believes that the digital shift had a significant impact on society, and museums have a role to play in this process. Digitisation produces new challenges and opportunities and requires new skills and a changing awareness both on organisational as on individual level. Through digitisation, museums can engage with a wider and more diverse audience and play an increasingly interactive and educational role within society
EDUCATIONAL VALUE
Our Vision
NEMO believes that museums have an impact on people. Museums are learning institutions, offering formal and informal learning to people of all ages by inspiring and engaging them. Museums enable individuals to grow in confidence and creativity and help people understand the world and their place within it.
ECONOMIC VALUE
Our Vision
Urban and Regional Planning
NEMO believes that museums can offer significant opportunities for economic growth. Museums are often at the heart of successful urban regeneration initiatives. They can help revive and diversify the local economy and the competitiveness of their environment. They help regions to assert their identities,bring back investment and consumers and enhance the quality of life.
Cultural Tourism
Museums attract tourists from across Europe and around the world. Cultural tourism is one of the most important contributions to local economies, and is becoming a growing industry in Europe at large.
Creativity and Innovation
NEMO believes that creativity and innovation are fundamental dimensions of human activity and essential to economic prosperity. Museums nurture creativity and innovation, they act as a space for reflection on the present and a source of inspiration for new creative and innovative concepts.
FROM: Values 4 Museums.