On 16 January 2024, Our Collections Matter (OCM) Field Projects 2023 participants gathered online to share project results and personal reflections on this experience with ICCROM. From May 2023 to January 2024, 25 professionals working in museums, libraries, and archives in 21 countries around the world - including archivists, conservators, curators, librarians, registrars and collections officers - participated in bi-monthly virtual workshops to explore how they can connect their collections-based work to sustainable development.
Under the OCM team's guidance, participants delved into the UN Agenda 2030 and its 17 SDGs. The team introduced participants to ICCROM OCM Toolkit, an online portal with more than 450 open-access resources. These resources help collections-based institutions make concrete contributions to all dimensions of sustainable development.
Essential to the field project learning experience are the dedicated OCM Field Project Forms, which helped participants articulate their sustainability aspirations, plan their projects, and document and evaluate outcomes. In 2023, we introduced the 'OCM Lounge', a series of informal learning sessions in which participants exchanged ideas with former participants and representatives of OCM institutional partners, such as the University of Valencia, The National Archives of the UK, Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA) and the Canadian Conservation Institute.
The 2023 OCM cohort created projects to address their chosen sustainable development aspirations. Their plans are creative and diverse in terms of scales and types, including impactful outreach activities, enhanced behind-the-scenes procedures and updates to in-house policies.
Some participants have already put their ideas into action at their institutions and received positive feedback from the communities they serve. As the year unfolds, more OCM Field Projects will be implemented worldwide, enabling greater contribution to the SDGs. Project outcomes will be gradually published for wider recognition and to inspire others working in collections-based organizations.
Interested in joining the 2024 cohort? Stay tuned for our call for applications, coming soon.
Words from our 2023 participants
'Through our participation in the OCM programme, we have been able to continuously think about and practice what we can do to achieve the SDGs in our science museum. The various examples and friendly guidance were very helpful, and we will continue to implement them with the OCM toolkit even after the program ends.'
Jihye Lim, Assistant Director, National Science Museum of Korea, The Republic of Korea
'I enjoyed being able to network with other colleagues from around the world... I was able to learn a lot through our sharing sessions and listening to the other participants. I was aware of the SDGs before this program but I did not see how the Museum's collection could be impacted by these goals or could contribute to reaching sustainability.'
Katelynn Best, Registrar, Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum, Canada
We thank all the OCM 2023 Field Projects participating organizations.