2025 Irish Museums Association Annual Conference

In the continually evolving field of museum practice, the journey of objects within collections is marked by dynamic cycles. These objects enter collections through various channels, such as donations, acquisitions, or archaeological finds, and subsequently are marked by various phases of engagement from research, interpretation, display, and storage. Critical decisions regarding the object’s future, whether to remain within the collection, be deaccessioned or become obsolete, are integral to an object’s journey. Each of these phases presents its own set of challenges, opportunities, and ethical considerations.

This conference will explore strategic solutions and good practice associated with the life cycle of collections, addressing themes relating to ethical stewardship and policy development, innovative approaches to collection management and access, and community engagement and shared ownership, among others. It will invite delegates to, through discussions, consider what are the ethical implications and management strategies associated with these processes within the museum sector: how do museums navigate these complex phases while maintaining ethical integrity and public trust?

The call for individual or session presentations proposals for the IMA Annual Conference 2025 is now closed.