• AVICOM - International Committee for the Audiovisual and Image and Sound New Technologies
• CECA - International Committee for Education and Cultural Action
• CIDOC - International Committee for Documentation
• CIMAM - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art
• CIMCIM - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Musical Instruments
• CIMUSET - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Science and Technology
• CIPEG - International Committee for Egyptology
• COSTUME - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Costume
• DEMHIST - International Committee for Historic House Museums
• GLASS - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Glass

• ICAMT - International Committee for Architecture and Museums Techniques
• ICDAD - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Decorative Arts and Design
• ICEE - International Committee for Exhibition Exchange
• ICFA - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Fine Arts
• ICLM - International Committee for Literary Museums
• ICMAH - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Archaeology and History
• ICME - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography
• IC MEMO - International Committee of Memorial Museums in Remembrance of Victims of Public Crimes
• ICMS - International Committee for Museum Security
• ICOFOM - International Committee for Museology
• ICOMAM - International Committee for Museums of Arms and Military History

• ICOM-CC - International Committee for Conservation
• ICOMON - International Committee for Money and Banking Museums
• ICR - International Committee for Regional Museums
• ICTOP - International Committee for the Training of Personnel
• INTERCOM - International Committee on Management
• MPR - International Committee for Marketing and Public Relations
• NATHIST - International Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History
• UMAC - International Committee for University Museums and Collections

AVICOM is composed of two working groups. The AVICOM Working Group on Photography is devoted to the still image, the basis of all audiovisual products. This working group is currently in the process of compiling information for a thematic directory of art and documentary photograph collections in museums and cultural establishments the world over. The AVICOM Working Group on Multimedia is devoted to the moving image and covers such areas as cinema, video, multimedia and the Internet. It offers evening workshops for students and the general public in order to introduce them to new technologies. This working group also organises the International Audiovisual Festival on Museums and Heritage (FAIMP) which promotes and disseminates multimedia products created by museums and cultural heritage institutions, and awards prizes for the most original productions. The working group publishes a catalogue of the multimedia products, museums Internet sites and films presented at the FAIMP.

Contact:

• Jean Marcel Humbert
• Stephen A.H. Done

CECA's members include museum educators and other museum professionals with an interest in education. They come from museums of all types and are concerned with all aspects of museum education - research, management, interpretation, exhibitions, programmes, media and evaluation. The committee's aims are to exchange information and ideas about museum education at an international level, to ensure that museum education is part of the policy, decisions and programmes of ICOM, to advocate the educational purpose of museums around the world and to promote high professional standards in museum education. CECA holds annual conferences for which proceedings are published. It edits a newsletter as well as an annual review entitled ICOM Education.

Contact:

• Ganga S.Rautela
• Alison Heath

CIDOC is dedicated to the documentation of museum collections. The committee provides curators, librarians and information specialists interested in documentation, registration, collections management and computerisation with the opportunity to collaborate. Members receive a newsletter and may participate in annual conferences and a number of active working groups on data standards (for general as well as specific aspects of cultural heritage), multimedia or the Internet, etc.

Contact:

• Adrian Finney
• Lene Rold

CIMAM is a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the collection and exhibition of twentieth-century art. Composed essentially of the directors and curators of modern art museums, CIMAM's members may participate in annual meetings devoted to the practical, ethical and philosophical problems confonting museums of modern art. The minutes of these meetings are distributed to the members of the committee.

Contact:

• David Elliott
• Tuula Arkio

CIMCIM promotes and organises professional activities related to collections and museums of musical instruments of all kinds and from all countries. Members may participate in regular meetings and contribute to the publications of the following working groups: Communications, Conservation, Documentation, Education and Presentation, Traditional Instruments, Training, and the International Directory of Musical Instrument Collections. Members receive the CIMCIM Newsletter in which various studies and bibliographies are published.

Contact:

• Eszter Fontana
• Corinna Weinheimer

CIMUSET is composed of museum professionals from the fields of science and technology. The committee is not only dedicated to traditional museums of science and technology, largely historical and collection based, but also to contemporary science centres, working primarily to popularise and promote science and technology among children and young people. CIMUSET organises an annual meeting.

Contact:

• Paul Donahue
• Gunther Knerr

The mission of CIPEG is to promote collaboration among colleagues for the preservation of Egyptian collections, monuments and sites. In addition, it supports collections of Egyptian art and archaeology, particularly smaller collections, within the framework of ICOM and in close co-operation with the International Association of Egyptologists (IAE). CIPEG has developed an international cataloguing project of Egyptian objects in museum collections, Corpus Antiquitatum Aegyptiacarum (CAA), and a multilingual Egyptological thesaurus. Members of CIPEG also support museological projects in Egypt. These include the development and promotion of educational programmes for children and adults. CIPEG also seeks to promote collaboration between museums, universities and research institutes. Members receive a yearly newsletter and may participate in annual meetings.

Contact:

• Regine Schulz
• Krzystof Grzymski

The Costume Committee of ICOM is a forum for museum professionals committed to the study, interpretation and preservation of all aspects of apparel. Participation in the committee is open to those who wish to share their expertise in research projects, exhibitions, conservation, storage techniques, etc. Information is disseminated through the projects of working groups, bibliographies, newsletters and the publication of selected research projects. At annual meetings papers are given and discussions take place around an established theme.

Contact:

• Joanna Marschner
• Katia Johansen

DEMHIST is an international forum for debating problems and solutions particular to the conservation and management of historic house museums. One aim of the committee is to create a methodological classification system of the numerous kinds of historic house museums in order to assist professionals in understanding their houses better so that they may formulate more effective "mission statements"; goals; conservation, restoration, and security choices; and communication with other professionals and with their visitors. Some desired results are transparency in presentation, improved community relations, and increased visibility and tourism, often in areas that are less well known. Considering the artistic, architectural, cultural, and social wealth present in historic houses, the committee organizes conferences to address these issues common to all kinds of historic house museums, and publishes the results in order to give its members a professional platform for sharing their ideas, as well as to disseminate as widely as possible the solutions reached in order to increase their effectiveness.

Contact:

• Rosanna Pavoni
• Hugh Maguire

The International Committee for Museums and Collections of Glass is dedicated to the study of hollow glass from all countries and periods. Its members are curators and restorers whose primary field of study is glass. Members receive a newsletter and participate in annual meetings.

Contact:

• Jutta Annette Page
• Gunnel Maria Holmér

ICAMT offers a forum for the exchange of ideas and expertise for all those interested in museums architecture, planning, construction and programming or in any aspect of exhibition production and design. The committee discusses everything from the basic materials used for exhibition construction to the philosophical aspects of interpretation. ICAMT publishes a newsletter entitled Brief twice a year. Annual meetings and the meetings of the committee's board or working groups offer members the opportunity to work together.

Contact:

• Diana Pardue
• Marja Liisa Pohjanvirta

ICDAD is devoted to museums and collections of applied and decorative arts conserved in museums, houses, castles and historic monuments. The committee is interested in historic interiors, applied art collections and contemporary design. Members participate in annual meetings during which they may give short lectures on proposed themes. During these meetings, members may also participate in organised visits to museums, historic houses and monuments, artists' and designers' workshops, galleries and private collections.

Contact:

• Elisabeth Schmuttermeier
• Derek Ostergard

ICEE is a forum for the dissemination of knowledge and experience about exhibitions. The committee deals with many different aspects of exhibition development, circulation and exchange. It also collects information about potential as well as existing travelling exhibitions. Annual meetings feature discussions and valuable networking opportunities for museum professionals involved in exhibition planning. A recently launched publication series will offer information and practical solutions to concrete problems in order to help professionals organise exhibitions that are useful, informative and cost-effective.

Contact:

• Francois Tremblay
• Monique Horth

ICFA's membership is made up of professionals who work in museums and art galleries that collect old master and nineteenth century oil paintings. Each year, the committee organises a meeting so that members can discuss problems and exchange opinions. Subjects recently considered have included collections in Eastern Europe, museums design and architecture, and illicit traffic in artworks.

Contact:

• Samuel Sachs II
• Roselyne Hurel

ICLM's principal aim is to develop activities such as research, publishing, exhibition and education for literary historical/biographical museums and composers' museums. Its members receive one newsletter per year and have the opportunity to participate in annual conferences and in the activities of a number of working groups.

Contact:

• Erling Dahl
• Yves Gagneux

ICMAH is dedicated to museums of archaeology and history. As the interpreters, mediators and repositories of cultural heritage, these museums illustrate man's complex relationship to the society and environment in which he lives. ICMAH is concerned with the interpretation of history and works to develop various research methods in a multidisciplinary framework. The committee also considers archaeology as an essential aspect of historical research. It offers museums of archaeology and history an opportunity to communicate with each other, providing them with advice and information. ICMAH publishes a newsletter, ICMAH Information, as well as the proceedings of its meetings. The committee has also created a number of working groups and organises an annual meeting.

Contact:

• Jean-Yves Marin
• Antoni Nicolau I Marti

ICME is devoted to ethnographic museums and collections from local, national and international cultures. The committee is concerned with the challenges facing ethnographic museums and collections in a changing world. ICME informs its members of its activities through a newsletter. It also organises annual meetings on a particular theme and establishes working groups to pursue important topics.

Contact:

• Per B. Rekdal
• Joris Capenberghs

Contact:

• Wulff-Eberhard Brebeck
• Jan Erik Schulte

ICMS includes professionals and specialists from the fields of security, fire protection and disaster preparedness. The objectives of ICMS are to provide education, training and assistance and to protect persons and cultural property from theft, vandalism, fire and destruction. ICMS has established working groups on Physical Security, Technical Security, Fire Security, Disaster Preparedness, Training, Publications and Rules. Committee members receive security publications and newsletters. Members may participate in annual meetings during which the international situation of museum security and recent thefts are discussed and analysed. These meetings are hosted in a different country each year. In addition, ICMS presents a trade show in Washington D.C. in conjunction with the US National Conference on Museum Security. The committee acts as the principal advisor to ICOM and its membership in matters of security, fire protection and disaster preparedness.

Contact:

• Pavel Jirásek
• Wilbur C. Faulk

ICOFOM is an international forum for museological debate. In its broadest sense, museology is concerned with the theoretical approach to any individual or collective human activity related to the preservation, interpretation and communication of our cultural and natural heritage, and with the social context in which a specific man/object relationship takes place. Although the field of museology is much broader than the study of the museum itself, its main focus remains the functions, the activities and the role in society of the museum as a repository of collective memory. ICOFOM also studies the various museum professions. An important topic is the interrelationship between theory and practice. Practical aspects of museum work are referred to as museography or as expography. All papers of the annual conferences are published in the ICOFOM Study Series. A newsletter keeps members informed about what is going on.

Contact:

• Hildegard K. Vieregg
• Anita Shah

The purpose of ICOMAM is to foster the study of arms, armour, artillery, fortifications, uniforms and flags and to develop and maintain relations between museums and institutions concerned with the conservation of such artefacts. It is the only international organisation of its kind dealing comprehensively with this particular subject matter in the field of museology. ICOMAM holds triennial congresses and symposia on relevant topics. Its approach to the conservation and study of artefacts is scientific, objective and humanistic. The committee examines weaponry within its aims at historical context, stressing its importance in world history. ICOMAM is equally interested in taking a look at weaponry within its sociological context, examining its role in politics, economics, society and art. The committee hopes to demonstrate the extent to which military history and the collections of military museums are part of our cultural heritage.

Contact:

• Guy M. Wilson
• Jan Piet Puype

With its 23 working groups, ICOM-CC offers conservators, scientists, curators and other professionals the opportunity to collaborate, study and promote the conservation and analysis of culturally and historically significant works. Members are kept informed of the committee's activities through the newsletters of the Directory Board and working groups and Preprints, published for triennial meetings. They may also participate in specialised international meetings. Approximately 1000 professional papers have been presented and published in the past decade.

Contact:

• Jørgen Wadum
• Isabelle Verger

ICOMON was created for museums of numismatics (either as completely independent institutions or as part of larger and more general collections) and museums of financial and economic institutions or companies. ICOMON is exclusively dedicated to the museological problems of its members and is a forum of discussion for problems regarding the acquisition and conservation of objects, theft, management, educational projects, conceptual questions, presentation and display, control of climatological conditions, etc. The committee offers its members broad or in-depth discussions. It also organises annual meetings.

Contact:

• Richard Doty
• Albert A.J. Scheffers

ICR was created for regional museums that are amongst the most numerous in the world. They exist in both small and large regions. ICR is interested in the role of regional museums in their community with respect to culture, history, environment, social development and language. It is particularly concerned with the challenges, philosophy, methodology, and international co-operation of regional museums in a period of social and political change that has affected the fundamental identity of millions of people. ICR distributes a newsletter twice a year and its members meet once a year.

Contact:

• Hans Manneby
• Irena Žmuc

ICTOP's primary aim is to promote training and professional development and to establish standards for museum personnel throughout their careers. ICTOP works closely with other ICOM committees to achieve this aim. Its activities include the publication of a newsletter twice a year; the periodic publication of the International Directory of Museum Training, and the organisation of annual meetings/conferences. ICTOP also acts as an advisor for the establishment of syllabi for personnel training.

Contact:

• Patrick J. Boylan
• Margaret Birtley

INTERCOM works toward the development of sound museum management throughout the world. The committee's main concerns are the managerial aspects of policy formulation, legislation and resource management. It also watches over the implementation of ICOM's Code of Professional Ethics.

Contact:

• Nancy Hushion
• John Mcavity

MPR is composed of museum professionals working in marketing, communications and development (fund-raising). MPR provides its members with the opportunity for professional growth, works to develop good communications and marketing practices, and encourages professional networking amongst colleagues. It acts as an advisor to ICOM when required. MPR provides information to its members and other professionals through the pulbication of books and newsletters as well as through the electronic media. It plans and conducts annual meetings that bring together communications and marketing professionals from museums and other fields.

Contact:

• Grahame Ryan
• Lena Millinger

NatHist is concerned with the conservation of biological diversity in museums collections as well as in the natural environment, the scientific study of the world's natural heritage and the education of the wider public through museum displays, conferences, field trips, etc. A newsletter ensures contacts between members of the committee which should be increasingly called upon considering the ever-increasing interest in nature and its protection. The committee organises an annual meeting.

Contact:

• Leonard P. Hirsch
• Gerhard Winter

UMAC is a forum for all those working in, or associated with, academic museums, galleries and collections (including herbaria and botanical gardens). UMAC is concerned with the role of collections within higher education institutions and the communities they serve. It provides its members with a forum to identify partnership opportunities concerning the resources in the collections, to share knowledge and experience, and to enhance access to the collections. The aim is to protect the heritage in the care of universities. UMAC communicates with its members through all available means throughout the year in order to deliver its aims. UMAC, when required, advises ICOM and other professional bodies on matters within its jurisdiction.

Contact:

• Peter Stanbury
• Peny Theologi-Gouti