CHIN and FORUM meetings
March 30, 2006
The OMA took part in the annual CHIN and FORUM meetings in Ottawa
during early February. Each year the executive directors and communications
staff from each museum association across Canada gather to share
technology-based experiences and programs with CHIN.
Staff from CHIN discussed such projects as the Standards Working
Groups,
Collections Development Projects, their Capacity Building Strategy
and the development of a new online museum learning space, which
will be known as Agora, the Learning Centre.
CHIN does wonderful work in monitoring the many uses of technology
in museums and the impact it may have in the future. We invite you
to read the Stakeholders Messages in our e-newsletter and to visit
the CHIN website at http://www.chin.gc.ca.
Executive Director's Meetings
The executive directors also met as part of the FORUM of the associations
of museums of Canada, to discuss issues and items of common interest
in servicing our members. The main topic of dialogue focused on
the almost realized National Museum Policy and in discussing how
continued cooperation and specific concerted actions will be necessary
across the country and across the sector to bring about the new
government's adoption of this much needed policy framework.
Financial challenges are experienced by most association as all
face limited, and in some cases decreasing, government support while
trying to maintain the delivery of quality programs and resources
to our respective memberships. The OMA will participate with the
Alberta Museums Association and the Canadian Museums Association
(CMA) in developing a special working agenda to identify best practices
and common solutions for FORUM members. This will include potential
areas for collaboration beyond professional development, which already
benefits from The Learning Coalition.
As part of the Ottawa meetings, an excellent workshop on advocacy
was offered by the CMA. The OMA is now negotiating to bring it to
Ontario and, quite possibly, to the Owen Sound Conference in a format
modified for Ontario
OMA Executive Director Marie Lalonde was also able to meet with
a number of OMA members in Ottawa. She provided an update on the
Association's projects and programs and learned about regional and
local challenges and other items of interests. The City of Ottawa's
Sustainability Plan adopted by its municipal Council is an important
model in developing approaches for museums and heritage within the
municipal structure. OMA Council member Gilles Séguin has
gathered a Task Force, which will look at the provincial museum
scene and consider the existing and potential sources of support.
Professional Development
For the first time CHIN hosted a one-day information session for
professional development staff from the provincial museum associations.
Société des musées québécois
(SMQ) educator Martine Bernier presented on a mentorship program
they are working on that was of considerable interest to the OMA.
The OMA was asked to present on their online programming and resources,
an area in which we have considerable experience.
The meeting was also an opportunity for The Learning Coalition
(TLC), of which the OMA is a member, to unveil the two Learning
Modules -- storyline development and project management -- and the
accompanying Learning Options guide, which was developed in support
of CHIN's Community Memories program. Of particular interest were
presentations by CHIN staff on some resources they have developed
for the heritage community, including iCohere software for online
learning and the Agora Learning Centre.
The Learning Coalition took advantage of their gathering in Ottawa
to spend two additional days in meetings. The TLC Human Resource
Planning Tool is nearing completion and a meeting was held with
the CMA to discuss its circulation as part of a broader Human Resource
initiative being undertaken by Katherine Pattillo. They also met
with Julie Murtagh, the Canadian Conservation Institute's training
coordinator, to discuss directions for CCI's courses and resource
provision.
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