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INTERNATIONAL MINERALOGICAL ASSOCIATION
COMMISSION ON MUSEUMS
ABOUT
PURPOSE
The Commission on Museums (CM) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) was established in 1958 to provide a forum for the discussion of issues of importance to mineral museums world-wide, to foster cooperation in addressing these issues and to coordinate world-wide mineral museum information and resources toward the benefit of the international mineralogical community and society in general. Thirty countries are entitled to have a representative on the Commission.
MISSION
The International Mineralogical Association Commission on Museums (IMA-CM) is composed of National Representatives (NRs), formally elected by each of the affiliated national organizations of the IMA. Members are a central communication point for matters that relate to mineralogy and museum collections within their country and are expected to coordinate and feedback information between the rest of the IMA-CM group and their own National Organization.
GOALS
The goals of the IMA-CM in an international context are to:​
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Promote mineral museum collections for the benefit of scientific or historic research.
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Formulate and contribute to globally relevant best practice guidelines with respect to processes and policies that directly relate to the scientific study of mineralogical specimens.
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Foster cooperation and coordinate large scale museum related projects, eg information data portals/type catalogues.
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Lobby internationally to ensure the preservation of all important collections, keep them in the public domain and available for study.
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Promote novel, relevant research performed on mineralogical collections to inspire others.
MEETINGS
The commission on Museum meets officially alternatively every two years: at the IMA General Meeting and at the International Conference on Mineralogy and Museum (e.g MM 7 in 2012).
Several times a year, a great mineral show occurs: Tucson (Az, USA) in February and München (Germany) in November give opportunity for coming together of curators, university mineralogists, and other people with interests in mineral. Since 2001 a group of mineral museum curators meets at the Munich Show established by the European Branch of curators. A catalogue of type mineral specimens (CTMS) or a complete listing of type mineral and their depositories can now be found by following the link below.
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