The Organisation
Introduction to the International Committee for Documentation of the International Council of Museums (ICOM-CIDOC)
CIDOC is the international focus for the documentation interests of museums and similar organisations. It is a constituent committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), established during the 1950 ICOM General Conference in London. CIDOC now has over 450 members from 60 countries. These members include documentation specialists, registrars, computer managers, system designers, advisors and trainers.
If you are not already a member, CIDOC would welcome your involvement in its work. For additional details, see the CIDOC membership page or contact the CIDOC Secretary.
Benefits of membership include:
Mission Statement
CIDOC provides a forum for discussing and providing advice on the application of documentation standards, and information and communication technologies, for the gathering, management and sharing of the knowledge carried in heritage collections.
Objectives
The following objectives are used by the Board as a basis for developing action plans aimed at fulfilling its mission.
- Provide effective advocacy and advice for CIDOC's members and for ICOM, ensuring benefits for, and participation from, all areas of the membership and promoting an understanding of international and cross-cultural issues.
- Represent the community in relevant discussions and projects (those relating to the documentation, presentation, and dissemination of museum information), influence the process of standards development and ensure that appropriate standards are made available to the membership.
- Ensure that the representation, expertise and resources of CIDOC are channeled effectively reflecting the changing information environment.
A bilingual newsletter has been published by CIDOC since 1989. This includes news from the Board; reports from the Working Groups; reports of previous conferences; contributions related to the theme of that year's conference; and papers by individual Committee members. Copies are distributed to all members.
If you are interested in contributing an article to the next issue, contact: Maja Sojat-Bikic (maja_sojat_bikic@net.hr), the CIDOC Editor.
Committee members are welcome to join one or more of the Working Groups, details of which are given on a separate page.
CIDOC has produced a number of publications in recent years. Most of these publications have been developed by one or more of the Working Groups.
CIDOC organises an annual conference, details of which are given on a separate page.
Standards policy developments
CIDOC is working with a number of bodies to pursue the development and adoption of museum information standards. These bodies include:
Committee management
CIDOC is managed by a Board, elected by the membership at the ICOM Triennial Conference.