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Resolution 2100 (2016)
The libraries and museums of Europe in times of change
1. The Parliamentary Assembly stresses
the cultural, social and economic importance of libraries and museums.
As key stewards of culture and heritage in Europe, libraries and
museums have traditionally enjoyed a unique role and special responsibility
within societies. They continue to be relevant in the 21st century, particularly
as places where knowledge is created and transmitted to the population
at large. However, as economic changes and rapid technological innovation
have had a considerable effect, the Assembly believes that the roles
and responsibilities of libraries and museums need to be reviewed
creatively and strategically to respond to emerging needs.
2. While acknowledging the current budgetary constraints facing
governments, the Assembly considers that governments should protect
culture and heritage infrastructure for the benefit of future generations.
With the growing importance of the knowledge economy in Europe,
libraries and museums are well placed to act as a resource for human
development and lifelong learning. They also provide safe and dynamic
meeting places for the local community. In addition, libraries and
museums can be instrumental in creating jobs, attracting businesses
and supporting the overall investment climate. Therefore, the Assembly
affirms that public funding in this sector should be regarded as
an investment that can generate return in the form of social benefits
and economic growth – not as an avoidable cost.
3. The Assembly believes that leadership and vision are essential
for libraries and museums to be able to adjust and develop in times
of change. While libraries and museums need to remain accountable
for public funding, they also need to preserve their entitlement
to raise and allocate funds and therefore retain a certain autonomy
in decision making. This allows them to look for better solutions
in financial and staff management, working with volunteers and engaging
in new partnerships.
4. The Assembly recommends that the Council of Europe member
States:
4.1. recognise the social,
economic and cultural importance of libraries and museums, and their
role in preserving the cultural legacy for future generations and
in presenting new trends in art and in the cultural sphere;
4.2. increase cross-government recognition and support for
libraries and museums;
4.3. provide libraries and museums with the funding required
to fulfil their role in the community;
4.4. ensure that the public service provided by smaller institutions
is maintained as part of the wider cultural and heritage infrastructure;
4.5. promote the concept of leadership and allow libraries
and museums sufficient autonomy to directly manage their staff and
budget;
4.6. help libraries and museums to position themselves as hubs
for digital education and innovation for the benefit of the local
communities, by ensuring free Internet access, allocating resources
and sponsoring national and international information networks that
are mutually compatible.
5. The Assembly also recommends that the member States develop
strategic thinking to reform, wherever necessary, the library and
museum sectors. The process should include pooling wide expertise
and consultation and involve a broad range of partners, including
relevant ministries, national associations of libraries and museums,
local authorities, other cultural institutions and the private sector.
This could involve the following:
5.1. improving
leadership and staffing, in particular by:
5.1.1. establishing
professional recognition of museum curators, similar to that achieved
in the library sector thanks to the International Federation of
Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA);
5.1.2. developing and promoting specific training of staff to
diversify their skills, to better adapt their work and methods to
the changing roles of libraries and museums;
5.1.3. disseminating best practice in the engagement and use
of volunteers in the cultural sector, while acknowledging that volunteers
cannot replace professional staff;
5.2. diversifying sources of funding to enable greater financial
resilience of the library and museum sectors, in particular by:
5.2.1. reviewing existing legal frameworks to remove barriers
to developing public–private funding models;
5.2.2. establishing support and capacity-building programmes
for cultural institutions to develop business planning and fundraising
skills that are compatible with their cultural aims and objectives;
5.2.3. ensuring that public funding is not reduced as a result
of successful fundraising from other sources;
5.2.4. stimulating private individuals and businesses to sponsor
cultural institutions and projects using a wide range of tools from
tax incentives to public–private matching-funding schemes;
5.2.5. disseminating best practices from other European countries;
5.3. strengthening partnerships and networks, in particular
by:
5.3.1. stimulating co-operation within the sector (informal
networking between libraries and museums at city, regional and national
levels) and also within a wider cultural sector (connecting museums,
libraries, performing arts, film, theatre, music, etc.), to create
synergies and maximise the impact of joint efforts;
5.3.2. working across sectors and also outside the cultural sector
to gather new ideas in order to stimulate innovative thinking;
5.4. promoting the use of digital technology and creative media,
in particular by:
5.4.1. developing a proactive approach
to understanding and incorporating new information technologies
into services, so that they continue to meet the needs and expectations
of service users;
5.4.2. fostering partnerships with digital research centres and
commercial providers of digital technology; and sharing information
about best practice in the use of new technologies in collection
management, information sharing and service development.
6. At European level, the Assembly recommends that the Council
of Europe, the European Union and other relevant partners develop
greater international co-operation to share new models and best
practice among the 47 member States of the Council of Europe, develop
a collaborative approach to raising standards to support the sharing
of collections and artefacts across European countries, and stimulate
cross-border projects to increase mutual engagement and cultural
understanding.
7. In the framework of the European Museum of the Year Award
and the Council of Europe Museum Prize, the Parliamentary Assembly
invites the European Museum Forum to consider awarding a special commendation
to small and medium-sized museums which undertake great efforts
and accomplish achievements in a difficult context of scarce resources
and often without a supportive climate for investment in the museum
sector at national and/or regional level.