AIMA Executive Committee Met in Reading, England

From the desk of EIU’s Dr. Debra Reid, AIMA’s First Vice-President, webmaster and minute-taker:

The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), headquartered at the University of Reading, provided plenty of stimulation for the executive committee meeting of the International Association of Agricultural Museums (AIMA) July 2-5, 2015. Attendees represented nine countries (Canada, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and the United States, and the delegate from Indian connected virtually). The meeting began with discussions about diversifying financial support through heritage lottery funds and capital development campaigns and continued through conversations about broadening visitor access to museum collections using digital means and social media outlets. Representatives from the UK’s Rural Museums Network also participated. Executive Committee business included review of statutes, planning for future meetings including the 18^th triennial Congress scheduled for May 2017 in Tartu, Estonia at the Estonian Agricultural Museum, and formation of additional professional networking opportunities focused on agriculture and art; digital media; and rye and other crops. These networks join already active working groups focused on bread and on living animals in museums [the topic of a conference planned at the National Museum of Agriculture and Food Industry in Szreniawa (scheduled May 13-16, 2016)]. For information: http://www.agriculturalmuseums.org