International Committee for Museology

ICOFOM is the main international forum for museological debate. In its broadest sense, museology is concerned with the theoretical approach to any individual or collective human activity related to the preservation, interpretation and communication of our cultural and natural heritage, and with the social context in which a specific man/object relationship takes place. Although the field of museology is much broader than the study of the museum itself, its main focus remains the functions, the activities and the role in society of the museum as a repository of collective memory. ICOFOM also studies the various museum professions. Practical aspects of museum work are referred to as museography or as expography. All papers of the annual conferences are published in the ICOFOM Study Series. A newsletter keeps members informed about what is going on.