Publications

ICOM’s publications provide a platform for the development of expertise and knowledge in the museum field. ICOM’s publications include a peer-reviewed journal and research book series. ICOM’s Committees also regularly publish journals, books, e-newsletters and more.

Museum International is ICOM’s peer-reviewed journal, which promotes the exchange of expertise and knowledge in the museums and heritage field on an international level. The journal aims to foster knowledge-sharing and provoke debate through interdisciplinary research and best practices for the protection of heritage in a fast-changing world. If you are an ICOM member you can access the journal here.

Find the current issue and full archive of Museum International

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The French edition of this reference book is jointly published by Armand Colin (Dunod) and ICOM, and edited by François Mairesse. It covers the following aspects of the museum profession and museum studies: exhibition, research methods, collections management and conservation/restoration, museum education and mediation, management/marketing, history and critical analysis of the museum.

The Dictionary of Museology is the product of several years of research and contributions by an international team of experts and authors. More than 1,200 entries analyse and contextualise terms used in the museum field, from the most academic (exhibition, artefact, intangible heritage, cabinet of curiosity) to the most contemporary (NFT, memory spots, cybermuseum…).

ICOM members are entitled to a 30% discount on this publication. If you are interested, please contact the Publications Department: publications@icom.museum

The English edition of the Dictionary of Museology will be published by Routledge in Spring 2023.

This monograph book series developed by ICOM in collaboration with scholarly publisher, Routledge, draws on the expertise of ICOM’s worldwide network of museum professionals, representing a range of museum- and heritage-related disciplines. Bridging theory and practice, the series’ multi-perspective approach ensures its relevancy for academics, researchers and students of museology. The first book in the series,  The Future of Natural History Museums,was published in 2017.

More information on The Future of Natural History Museums

Key Concepts of Museology is a reference tool, developed by ICOM’s International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM), which provides museum professionals worldwide with a common language. It presents 21 fundamental concepts of museology. Key Concepts of Museology is available in 11 languages.

• Key Concepts of Museology
• Concepts clés de muséologie
• Conceptos claves de museología
• Ключевые понятия музеологии
• Muzeoloģijas Pamatjēdzieni
• Conceitos-chave de museologia
• Βασικές Έννοιες της Mουσειολογίας
• 博物館学のキーコンセプト
• Concetti chiave di museologia
• Museoloogia põhimõisted
• Các khái niệm cơ bản về bảo tàng học

The ICOM Publishing Manual was developed to assist ICOM committees in fostering their editorial activity. It provides practical guidelines on each step in the publishing process, addressing both print and digital publications, and all formats from e-newsletters to book series. The manual will be updated regularly.

Contact the publications department

In 2018, ICOM published a first catalogue presenting the publications carried out by the Secretariat, such as the journal Museum International, reference tools and collective works.
In 2019, a second catalogue added the publications of ICOM committees and regional alliances.

The books, journals and other documents published since 2019 by the Secretariat and the ICOM network are recorded in the Online Library. The complete list for each year can easily be found by filling in the free search space as follows: ICOM + year (ICOM 2022, ICOM 2019…)