CIMAM

How to become a Member of CIMAM?

This can appear difficult, but if you follow the steps set out below, everything should work. If you do not hear back from us within a decent time do not hesitate to get in touch. The whole process should take no longer than eight months.

a) First you should become a member of ICOM. You can do this by approaching your National Committee for details and an application form. If you do not know who the Secretary of your National Committee is, you can find out by contacting Eloisa Zell, Membership Service Officer at ICOM's Head Office in Paris; email: secretariat@icom.org ; fax: + 33 1 43 06 78 62.

b) If you do not have a national committee of ICOM you can join ICOM through the Paris Head Office.

c) If you live in the USA you should contact the Head Office of the AAM (American Association of Museums) for details and forms for ICOM membership. It is possible to be a joint AAM/ICOM member.

d) When you receive your application form to become a member of ICOM you will be asked in which International Committees of ICOM you wish to become either a voting or non-voting member. At present you may be a Voting Member of only one International Committee. If you want to be an active member of CIMAM you should specify that you wish to become a Voting Member of CIMAM. (If you become a Non-Voting Member you will only receive conference details every three years at the time of the Plenary). The Paris Head Office will then promptly forward your application to the Secretary/Treasurer and Board of CIMAM for consideration. CIMAM will then contact you if you are accepted as a member of it.

e) If you are already a member of ICOM and are not sure whether you are a Voting Member of CIMAM you should contact the ICOM Head Office stating that you wish to be a Voting Member of CIMAM, and send a copy also to the Secretary/Treasurer of CIMAM.

f) If for any reason you are not eligible to become a member of ICOM, all is not lost. If you are an independent or freelance curator you may be eligible to become a co-opted member of CIMAM without having ICOM Membership. Please look through The Rules and Regulations of CIMAM (1999) which are attached to this document to see whether you fit into the membership profile. Any further enquiries or an application for Co-opted Membership should be addressed directly to Manuel J. Borja-Villel, the Secretary/Treasurer of CIMAM, or to Pilar Cortada, the Coordinator of CIMAM, at pilarcortada@cimam.org. Of course you may contact any Board Member to find out more about CIMAM.

g) Your museum or gallery can be an Institutional Member of CIMAM which gives the Director to nominate one or two staff members to attend a conference with voting rights. The Board of CIMAM is keen to encourage this category of membership as it promotes a continuity of contact between CIMAM and institutions. Technically Institutional Members of CIMAM should also be Institutional Members of ICOM but this is proving to be too onerous a burden for some. The Board is currently looking at ways in which institutional affiliation to CIMAM can be promoted without excluding potential new members. Further details of this are available from the President or Secretary/Treasurer.

What does it Cost?

a) The annual individual membership of ICOM is the equivalent of US$55 (Euro 46). The annual institutional membership of ICOM varies from $293 to $598 according to the size of the institution.

b) CIMAM does not charge a membership fee but levies an affiliation charge that covers part of administrative costs as well as the production of Newsletters, Publications, Conferences, Special Grants, Working Groups etc. The annual fee is at present 35€ per year, and is usually paid in three yearly instalments of 105€. The Board approved, at the meeting held Friday 18th February, 2005 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, that Members resident in countries considered as low-income or as lower-middle income by the 2004 World Development Indicators Database of the World Bank would pay 40% of the CIMAM's regular service fee, that is 21€ per year, usually paid in three yearly instalments of 63€. In addition CIMAM has a number of Patron Members who help cover these costs, and actively fund raises from charities and trusts. In cases where members are unable to pay the affiliation charge, payment may be waived at the discretion of the Board.

c) CIMAM also offers Institutional Membership to Institutional Members of ICOM at a cost of 300€ to cover three years. This gives the Director of the institution the right to send any of his staff members to a conference and to give them voting rights by proxy. It also promotes an important continuity of contact between CIMAM and institutions as delegates report back to their institutions.