Call for Papers – Museum International: Museum Collection Storage

ICOM is preparing an issue of Museum International on the theme Museum Collection Storage. Although it forms an essential component of museum activity, museum collection storage has failed to arouse the interest of politicians, researchers and other stakeholders, whose attention is focused on museums’ public spaces. However, most museums store a large part of their collections – up to 99% in certain institutions – in these spaces. A significant number of museum professionals also work in these spaces, ensuring the preservation and correct handling of objects: registrars, conservators, restorers, among others. Although often perceived as dusty, inactive spaces, reserves are in fact essential to the management and preventive conservation of collections. In a context of increasing collections and their growing circulation, storage facilities appear to be a central issue for museum policies. 

This issue of Museum International will open the discussion on museum collection storage in museums worldwide. We will be particularly interested in papers/contributions that address the concept of interpreting museum collection storage and the challenges of this process: guided tours, artists’ invitations, etc. We would also like to hear about special conditions required for sacred objects or sensitive heritage, which are subject to various display rules, and culturally sanctioned collection management practices. 

The issue is expected to be published, in collaboration with Taylor&Francis/Routledge, in June 2021. 

The abstract submission deadline is 15 August 2020. 

All proposals submitted will be assessed for suitability and if chosen, the subsequent articles will go through a double-blind peer review process.

Full details on the submission process are available here.