The following Report on the ICOM’98 meeting of ICTOP ( the International Committee for the Training of Personnel) has been prepared by the meeting convenor, M. Birtley. Please note that copies of the ICTOP Pre-Print papers can be ordered - see end of this message. =================================================== The ICTOP meeting took as its keynote theme Museum Training and Cultural Diversity. Excellent presentations were received from Rena Kelly (Deakin University), Shar Jones (University of Sydney), Nina Stanton (Norfolk Island Museum) and Ralph Regenvanu (Pacific Islands Museums Association - PIMA). Another theme which attracted a large audience and lively discussion was Training for Management of Museums. The tendency of directors to think that training is only for their staff was widely noted, but both speakers - Dr Sherene Suchy (Duo Plus, Sydney) and Sharon Granville (Tyne & Wear Museums, England) - stressed that a commitment to continuing professional development and life-long learning characterises the ‘new breed’ of directors. At ICTOP’s business meeting, Patrick Boylan (City University, London) was confirmed as the new President. Professor Boylan will host the next ICTOP meeting in July, 1999. Resolutions were passed concerning: * the encouragement of training in the use of broad-based communication techniques, both technological and traditional, to provide information about collections, exhibitions and other museological information to celebrate and nurture the cultural heritage of all peoples; * the revision of Curriculum Guidelines for Professional Development in Museums and the introduction of Standards and Ethics for Museum Training; * new ways of raising awareness of legal issues considered important to professional museum workers; * support for a ‘Training for Trainers’ initiative within the PIMA community of museum and cultural institutions; * the production of a position paper examining the issue of student membership of ICOM; * the promotion of conservation restoration as a discipline covering all categories of cultural property, taught at university or recognized equivalent, as a course of studies leading to an appropriate degree or diploma; * the reinforcement and supplementation of training initiatives in ICOM member nations and international committees and regional organizations. ICTOP also urged ICOM to publicly dedicate itself and its professional and institutional membership to the cause of world peace, and integrate into all its programs, publications and initiatives, mechanisms to encourage and facilitate tolerance, reconciliation and the pursuit of peace. Most of the papers presented at the ICTOP meeting were published as pre-prints. After a sell-out of 180 copies at the conference itself, a reprint of the volume (entitled 'Museum Training & Cultural Diversity') is now available for AUD $10 (post free). A small Silva compass (with the slogan ‘Museum Training – The Way Ahead’) is also available for AUD $12. Payment (in favour of Deakin University) can be made by cheque or credit card. To order by credit card payment, you need to send the following details to the signatory (below): TYPE OF CARD (Visa or Mastercard): CARD NUMBER: NAME ON CARD: EXPIRY DATE: AMOUNT BEING PAID IN AUD $ : Regards, MARGARET BIRTLEY *********************************************************************** Coordinator, Museum Studies Deakin University 221 Burwood Highway BURWOOD VIC 3125 Australia Email: [log in to unmask] Tel: +61 3 9251 7057 Fax: +61 3 9251 7048 ************************************************************************ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html