Call for Papers: “Defining the Museum of the 21st Century: Evolving Multiculturalism in Museums in the United States”

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has called for a new definition of "museum" for the 21st century world. In response, the International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM) has hosted symposia around the world (France, China, Argentina, Brazil, and the United Kingdom) to discuss and debate local perspectives on the museum as an institution and on the practices of museology.

On September 14, 2018, ICOFOM and Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) will host the latest symposium to discuss and define the "museum" from the perspective of the United States. This symposium will include three themes: Nation-Building in Museums in the United States, Collecting Tangible and Intangible Heritage in Museums in the United States, Serving Nearby Heritage for All in Museums in the United States.

Abstracts are due by March 9, 2018 and should be a maximum of 300 words, plus a list of at least 10 references, on any one of the three sub-themed panels listed above. Abstracts, papers, and presentations should be written in English. Only one abstract per person will be accepted. Additionally, please include a biography of 100 words. Accepted abstracts for presentation and publication will be notified by March 23, 2018. You can submit your abstracts to y.chung1@snhu.edu.

Completed papers should be a maximum of 2,500 words, with proper footnotes, bibliography, and other formatting per the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Completed papers must be submitted by August 17, 2018 to be included in the ICOFOM publication and the SNHU Academic Archive. The symposium organizers will distribute the final schedule for presenters in advance of the symposium. Each presentation should be a maximum of 15 minutes to allow time for all presentations and for comments from the chair and audience afterward.