The chapters that make up this book were initially presented as conference papers at the Migrating Heritage: Networks and Collaborations across European Museums, Libraries and Public Cultural Institutions Conference held in Glasgow in 2012, an output of an EU-funded research project, European Museums in an Age of Migrations (MeLa). The focus of the book, therefore, is on the movement of people, whether as a consequence of voluntary or forced migrations, the experiences of refugees, immigrants, nomadic peoples and their contributions to shaping the cultural heritage of different places.
Editor Perla Innocenti provides a very scholarly and detailed introduction to the field of study as a prelude to introducing the four main themes of the collection:
Cultural heritage, digital technologies and transdisciplinary networking.
Transnational and translocal networking of heterogeneous memory institutions.
The emergence of city museum networks and the museo diffuso.
Further initiatives for cultural dialogue and social inclusion.
Interest in migration and its influences on cultural heritage are of significance worldwide. Consequently, although the emphasis is on the European context, there is much here that is relevant to Australia and New Zealand. One chapter even has Australia as its focus: Kim Tao of Sydney's Australian National Maritime Museum provides an account of the exhibition documenting Britain's child migrants to Commonwealth countries.
Another aspect to this collection that makes it well worth reading is the discussion about collaboration. Many of the projects described involve partnerships between different types of memory institutions, notably between libraries and museums. Also explored are collaborative networks which extend beyond the cultural heritage sector, for example in Agnes Arquez-Roth's account of the Paris History of Immigration Project, a national centre administered jointly by no fewer than four government ministries. The book contains many rich case studies, which effectively highlight the realities and complexities of working in the cultural heritage sector today.
There is much that will reward careful reading and exploration here. The book will have obvious appeal for anyone interested in European cultural heritage institutions and activities, but also has much that will be of value to others.
This volume is highly recommended for those concerned with issues relating to migration and cultural heritage, as well as anyone embarking on or considering any collaborative ventures. Given the origins of the contributions as research outputs, the style and tone may not appear particularly accessible to practitioners, but it is hoped that this will not be a barrier to use.