Samdok - Nordiska museet

connecting collecting: preface
Preface
During two intensive days, 15–16 November 2007, delegates
from nineteen countries gathered for the conference
Connecting Collecting at the Nordiska Museet in Stockholm.
With the conference we also celebrated the thirtieth anniversary
of the Swedish museum network Samdok. This
was founded in 1977 by the museums of cultural history
who wished to cooperate on the collection of material
geared to the present day. There is great need today for
dialogue and collaboration in the international museum
community, and we found it important not just to celebrate
Samdok’s anniversary with an international conference
but also to use this as an opportunity to initiate
cooperation across borders. It was possible to hold the
conference thanks to financial support from the Bank of
Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, and an international
network for the museums’ collecting issues has also been
formed.
When we now publish the papers from the conference,
it is in the hope that this contribution to international
exchange of experience will give rise to new – and
necessary – discussion and collaboration.
Christina Mattsson
Director, Nordiska Museet
Chair of the Samdok Council
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