International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts
Société Internationale des Bibliothèques et des Musées des Arts du Spectacle
The
Museums and our Section
par
Olga Milanovic
Résultats de l'enquête internationale concernant les bibliothèques, musées et centres de documentation
Fédération internationale des Associations de Bibliothécaires
Section internationale des Bibliothèques et Musées des Arts du Spectacle
IVème Congres, Varsovie, 13-17 Septembre 1959
Paris
1959, pp.
21-25
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the very beginning I want to lay stress upon the fact that this is our first active contact with the work of the International Section of Libraries and Collections of the Arts of Entertainment of the International Federation of Library Associations. So far, contacts have been made through correspondence with the President of this Section, Mr. A. Veinstein, and the correspondence member of the Section for Yugoslavia, Mrs. Branka Hergesic, the librarian of the University Library in Zagreb.
Intentions to establish closer connections with your Section work are numerous.
In addition to the title of the Section, which has covered under a very suitable term "collections" also the connections kept in theatre museums, - all the actions of your Section till now, in the field of theatre and theatre museums, in many cases have encroached upon our internal problems. On the other hand, no international museum or theatre institution has shown any interest for the work and problems of theatrical museums. Meanwhile, from the inquiry you have made, it is clear, that the questions of theatre museums and libraries, among others, are approached in a scientific way starting from its basis that will, later, make possible wide and precise survey of the existing problems.
The timetable, planned for this meeting of the Section, has again made us sure that this Section has made a closer approach to the problems of theatre museums, and, that in the questions to be treated, there are many common things concerning theatre librares and museums.
When we, on the occassion of this, started the correspondence with the President of the Section of Libraries and Collections of the Arts of Entertainment, Mr. A. Veinstein, we found out that our ideas about establishig closer connections or eventual relationships between theatre libraries and museums are not only ours, because Mr. Veinstein has shown a lot of understanding and gave us his full aid. Therefore, I intend at this meeting to start the discussion on the matter of cooperation of these two institutions and to disclose some suggestions on the decision of this question.
The reasons that induce stronger connections between Theatre Museums and Theatre Libraries.
One of these reasons is the fact that theatre libraries keep the documents from the field of theatre museums and theatre museums from the field of theatre libraries, which means that they have proportionaly the same inventories with some features specific for libraries or museums.
On the other hand, it is a very frequent case, just in the case of theatre, that the problems of a completely identical matter are solved in different organisational manners according to the kind of the prevalent materiel.
Thus, for example, in Yugoslavia do not exist separate theatre libraries, they are within Theatre museum, Theatre archive, Theatre institute or Theatre academy. But, as for as we know, in other countries, theatre ccllections are more frequently attached to theatre libraries, while exhibitions from the field of theatre history are often held at theatre, being independent of archive and library documents.
So, if we consider the things from the point of view of museums or libraries, or theatres there would always be a certain number of similar institutions neglected. I don't believe that these institutions need not be connectd with international organisations with whom they are identical in form, but I think that there should exist an international institution to which they will belong on account of their nature and which will coordinate somehow their work. It is comprehensible that I think that it would be most suitable that the Section of Libraries and Colletions of the Arts of Entertainment take over this duty. About the way of pertaining it I have some propositions.
When writing this exposure I hadn't been acquainted with the results of the inquiry because they were not published yet. But I believe that they will show useful data of the proportion betweon theatre libraries and museums, as well as all the forms in which those inventories are grouped. I hope that we shall learn more about this during the Section work which will make possible bettor understanding of the problem.
After having surveyed these aspects indicating the common traits of these two institutions, it would be useful to examine their differences, discovering their particular features. As the curator of the Museum I am not able to talk about the detailed description of the Library and I think that there is no reason to talk about museum distinctions, although I shall quote some particular museum problems when giving suggestions concerning the way in which the Section can help theatre museums.
International relations among theatre museums.
I have just mentioned about the situation of international relations of theatre museums. Now I should like to say something more about it.
Theatre museums, as museums, belong to the international organisation of museums, ICOM, that has its branch office in Yugoslavia. But this is only formal. In the internal organisation structure of ICOM there is no Commission or Committee that would united theatre museums within the international field. It is probably due to the fact that theatre museums are rather new institutions as well as theatre science, that, so far, has not go its international corporation. I believe that it would be logical, if, after so important events for the development of theatre science, the activity of theatre museums is embodied in an international institution. The results of the inquiry will show that the moment for it has come, I believe.
As for the other international relationship of theatre museums within the theatre, that is within the international theatre organisation of ITI. It is obvious that the problem is more complex because it is connected with the very actual topic of the relation "theatre - museum and museum - theatre". It seems to be of interest for both sides that ITI dedicates one Congress specially to this question, but we don't believe that it would be possible to achieve it without the international institution which would state the most urgent problems and evaluate their priority.
It is evident frcm the afore-mentioned statement that it is necessary to make the first step, after which, many contacts would be logically established and new ones made, that would promote the further devolopement of these institutions.
From our point of view it appears quite natural that this step were made within your Scction in the way I am bold to suggest.
Kinds of participation of theatre museums in International Section of Libraries and Collections of the Arts of Entertainment activity.
Again, I must point out that these proposals originated from the profitable correspondence with Mr. A. Veinstein, that many of them are his initiative and that on many occasions they resulted from the very similar way of considering things.
Through closer cooperation and identical joining of theatre museums to the International Section of Liöraries and Collections of the Arts of Entertainment, it seems to me that the foundations are already made. I think of the inquiry which offers a rich material for study. According to this inquiry, making the separate list of theatre museums in the world, I suggest to organise an separate meeting of museum curators under the auspices of this Section. There, specific theatre museums problems and the way of establishment of closer cooperation with this and the other international organisations could be discussed. I believe that this meeting could be very useful, better to say indispensable. The problem how to provide for this meeting could perhaps be solved by some greater theatre museum. If your Section undertake the organisation of this meeting in the time not too far, I think that the most difficult problem will be solved. It seeins to me that perspective of this Section leads to the establishment of particular groups of different sorts including the conception of "Entertainment", as well as realizing the mutual cooperation.
The second proposition is somehow simpler. I mean the appointment of a permanent representative for theatre museums to the Section, who will be personally in contact with theatre museums in the world, so that he can represent these institutions in the Section work and coordinate them. I want to point out that this solution doesn't exclude the previous one.
The third proposition pertains to the change of the title of the Section. The word "Collections" could be replaced by the word "Museums" which would automatically include theatre museums. I am not quite sure if it could be made now, but I suppose that it is one of the first things planned for the future. For, irrespectively of other connections and priority given to the libraries, theatre museums will always have the good grounds to activate the cooperation with theatre libraries. This Section could help a lot for development of their cooperation in this sense.
And the fourth: if the questions previously exposed as the suggestions made to this Congress and for the future timetable of this Section are not accepted during the discussion at this meeting and if the inquiry evidence displays the situation contrary to our presumption, I believe that a lot could be done through ICOM. Namely, we would suggest that due to the Section initiative a Comission is formed within ICOM, which would prepare the future meeting of theatre museum representatives to be held in Holland in 1962.
Before I finish, I want to give a few themes which would be taken to consideration, if the proposition about organizing the meeting of museum curators would be accepted.
- Relationship
museum
- theatre and vice versa.
a) What the contemporary theatre has to store to theatre museums.
b) International instructions for keeping theatre documents. - Theatre museums and public: kinds of educational work.
- System of theatre libraries in theatre museums.
- Cooperation of theatre museums.
- Theatre museum
publications.
Olga
Milanovic,
Curator of the Museum of Theatre Art,
Beograd (Yougoslavie)
URL:
http://www.theatrelibrary.org/sibmas/congresses/sibmas59/warsaw_1959-07.htm
02/09/04Information about this site: Maria Teresa Iovinelli, Secretary General
Last updated: August 31, 2005
02/09/04Information about this site: Maria Teresa Iovinelli, Secretary General
Last updated: August 31, 2005