While it may seem obvious that the IFI Irish Film Archive is (as its name suggests) recognized as an archive, it would probably surprise most people to learn that we are also considered a museum.
This duality reflects the ambiguity that has existed in the moving image preservation profession since its inception. The field of film archiving is a curious mix of archival and museum practice, as it developed in the space between both professions, creating a methodology, terminology and practice of its own in the process. The field of film preservation was formally recognized in 1938 with the establishment of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) the first professional organisation dedicated to this activity.
However, despite adopting the word archive in its title only one of the inaugural members of FIAF was actually an archive. The first meeting of FIAF took place in June 1938 in Paris, with the Museum of Modern Art Film Library, (New York) Cinematheque Françaises ( Paris), the British Film Institute National Film Library (London), and the Reichsfilmarchiv, (Berlin) in attendance.
The criteria for membership was organisations should have "as their prime object the conservation of films, compilation of records, and projection of films for non-commercial purposes".
The IFI Irish Film Archive has been a full member of FIAF since 2001 and takes its adherence to fulfilling FIAF's objectives very seriously. To ensure that we are caring for our collections as diligently as possible we have looked to the museum world for guidance. For over a decade we have implemented Spectrum, the Collections Trust collections management standard for Museums as our care of collections framework.
This standard defines the policies and processes for cultural collections at all stages of their lifecycle. Spectrum is flexible and comprehensive enough to cover all the IFI Archive’s disparate activities not just those relating to collections custodianship; it also helps shape our public and education services, as well as our strategic management.
Spectrum is an internationally recognised standard and is also at the core of the Irish Heritage Council’s Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI) an accreditation scheme that benchmarks museum practice in Ireland while promoting high standards of governance and collections care. The IFI Archive applied for and was awarded full MSPI accreditation in 2020, confirming our status as a museum as well as an archive.
with the IFI's MSPI accreditation certificate.
Applying for accreditation requires applicants to provide evidence that they meet defined standards in 7 core areas, comprising 82 sections. These are examined by external assessors who also carry out site visits. Accredited Museums must prove they have maintained standards every 4 years and accordingly we are in the process of submitting an application for maintenance of our own accreditation. The MSPI programme has been in operation since 2006 and has made a significant contribution to the professionalism of the Irish Museum sector during that time.
The fact that the programme is open to a range of cultural organisations and memory institutions once they meet the MSPI definition of a museum has been beneficial to the IFI Archive. Being able to show that we have met and are maintaining internationally recognised standards is important for us, as it allows us to reassure funders and people who have donated their collections to us that we are worthy of the trust they have placed in us. Additionally having the policies and procedures that we have put in place officially commended is both reassuring and rewarding for the Archive’s staff.
You can learn more about the Heritage Council’s MSPI programme here.
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