Lecture tour in Ofoten
Published 12 October 2026
The museums and libraries in Ballangen, Kjøpsvik and Narvik invite you to a lecture tour with Arne Håkon Thomassen from the Sami Parliament!
27 August 2026
Most of us have visited a museum at some point. For some, museums are an important part of cultural experiences and highlights. But have you thought about what a museum really is, and what responsibility museums have?
ICOMS definition
Let’s start with the International Council of Museums (ICOM)’s official definition of what a museum is:
A museum is a non-commercial, permanent institution in the service of society, which researches, collects, preserves, interprets and disseminates tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The museums are open to the public, accessible and inclusive, and promote diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically and professionally, facilitate broad participation from the community, and offer varied experiences for education, entertainment, reflection, and knowledge sharing.
Knowledge is important
A museum is thus a knowledge company. We in the company will disseminate, manage, renew and research this knowledge. How societies change through time, or do not change, is central. This knowledge is visible through objects, among other things. Knowing what people have been doing before us is necessary for us to be able to find out who we are, and that there are many ways to live life. No one is born in a vacuum. We use old knowledge when we build on our societies.
An old house with lots of life
The former sheriff’s house Parkvoll is today Bø Museum. An old house that is used in a new way. It is Bø municipality’s buildings that Museum Nord operates. We do the same thing as they do at the National Museum, only on a smaller scale: We borrow or create new exhibitions ourselves, we receive objects and register them, do ongoing maintenance on buildings, are visited by groups who are shown around, school classes have their own arrangements in The Cultural Rucksack, we have regular opening hours from June to August and open all year round for those who book in advance. We also arrange lectures, Christmas markets, various workshops and cultural heritage tours.
Museum objects as a storyteller
The fact that a scoop vessel lies still in the same place over time does not make it boring or a museum something static. It is quite possible to move it so that it is shown even better and becomes part of a new story. Perhaps with a modern eye? You still have scoops in your boat, but now it’s most likely made from China and made of plastic, not of local wood with engraved initials on it. Everything wasn’t better before, but maybe something was?