The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has recently launched preparations for the International Museum Day 2018. As always, celebrations will be held on or around 18 May. The theme chosen for 2018 is "Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics". The International Museum Day was established in 1977 to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society, and it has been steadily gaining momentum ever since.

This year's topic

Hyperconnectivity is a term invented in 2001 to design the multiple means of communication we have today, such as face-to-face contact, email, instant messaging, telephone or the Internet. This global network of connections becomes each day more complex, diverse and integrated. In the hyperconnected world of today, museums join the trend. This is the reason why ICOM has chosen the theme “Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics” for the International Museum Day 2018. It is impossible to understand the role of museums without taking into account all the connections they make. They are an inherent part of their local communities, their cultural landscape and their natural environment. Thanks to technology, museums can now reach way beyond their core audience. They can also find new publics when approaching their collections in a different way. It can be the digitalisation of their collections, adding multimedia elements to the exhibition or something as simple as a hashtag that allows visitors to share their experience in social media. However, not all these new connections are due to technology. As museums strive to maintain their relevance in society, they shift their attention to the local community and the diverse groups that make it up. As a result, these past years we have witnessed the birth of countless common projects organised by museums with the collaboration of minorities, indigenous peoples and local institutions. To engage these new publics and strengthen their connections with them, museums must find new ways of interpreting and presenting their collections.

What can you do?

Participation in International Museum Day is growing among museums all over the world. In 2017, more than 36,000 museums participated in the event in some 157 countries. ICOM invites museums and cultural institutions of all types around the world to join in this celebration and shift their approach to their collections, by exploring all the connections that tie them to their communities, cultural landscape and natural environment. A wide range of activities can be organised in this context. ICOM has provided a set of practical tips to prepare them, and an online registration to inform of activities will soon be available. For additional information about International Museum Day 2018 and regular updates, please visit http://network.icom.museum/international-museum-day/