CIMCIM is one of 25 international committees of ICOM, the International Council of Museums, and was established in 1960.
CIMCIM aims to promote high professional standards in the use and conservation of musical instruments in museums and collections.
CIMCIM meets every three years during the ICOM General Conferences and in each of the other two years organizes a special meeting, usually including symposium papers and museum visits. Meetings are held in different countries of the world: recent venues have included Austria/Slovakia/Hungary, Norway, U.K., Belgium, Canada, Japan, U.S.A., Netherlands, Germany and Argentina.
Professional matters where international co-operation is advantageous are discussed in detail in CIMCIM's Working Groups, which are set up as needs arise. The deliberations of Working Groups are usually published as CIMCIM Publications.
Membership of CIMCIM is personal, and is open to personal and institutional members of ICOM. Under special circumstances, non-members of ICOM can be co-opted. To join ICOM, apply to your national committee or the ICOM Secretariat. If you are already an ICOM member, you need to advise ICOM that you wish to join CIMCIM. If you are not a member of ICOM, you need to join ICOM and specify CIMCIM as one of up to three international committees you will be able to join.
Benefits of membership include invitation to annual meetings, the CIMCIM Bulletin (issued several times per year), voting rights at business meetings (held during the annual meetings), and the opportunity to participate in Working Groups.
Services offered by CIMCIM to members and non-members alike include a series of publications (see separate page) and CIMCIM-L, an e-mail discussion forum devoted to topics of relevance to the use and care of musical instruments in museums.
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This page updated: 30.9.03