The Whale Museum welcomed a group of master's students, together with teachers, in museum studies at the University of Iceland last Thursday. The purpose of the visit was a joint project between the Whale Museum and museum studies taught under the course 'Museums and society'. Upon arrival, the students were divided into four groups where they worked on specific subjects within the museum for the three days of the visit.
One group discussed the Whale Museum and the local community, and the group explored the existing relationships with the local community and made suggestions for further relationships. Both a focus group and a questionnaire were used. Another group reviewed the museum's exhibits and came up with important and constructive criticism of the exhibits and how they could be improved. Then the third group took care of the museum's marketing and promotion issues, researched target groups and put forward proposals for promotion issues. The fourth group discussed the museum and possible partners and collaborative projects. All the groups work on the projects on academic grounds and the student group as a whole submits a completed, theoretically substantiated report in April, where the results of the visit and the group work are presented.
There was general satisfaction among the participants of the project, whether it was the staff of the Whale Museum or the students and teachers of the University of Iceland. Got on well with the groups and worked both in the premises of the Whale Museum and in the premises of the Þingeyingi Knowledge Center.
The whale museum and the local community was the subject of this group.
The project is extremely important to the museum, and the board and staff have high hopes of using the group's report for the further development of the museum. Such academic insight also provides the museum with a professional basis for further activities in the world of museums, here at home and abroad.
On Saturday, the groups presented the initial results of their work, which will then be further developed into a final report.
However, such a visit would not be possible without the participation and goodwill of the community, and on behalf of the event, the Whale Museum would like to express its thanks to the following parties: Cape Hótel Húsavík for welcoming the group and accommodating the project with a subsidized price for accommodation, Samkaup Nettó for support the project with breakfast, Fosshótel Húsavík, Hvalbakur and Salka Restaurant for accommodating the project and offering delicious dinners and lunches for a small fee. The participants in the focus group, as well as those who answered the student survey on the streets of the town, also receive a big thank you.
