35th Annual Pre-Conference of Parliamentary Research and Library Service “Supporting Dialogue for Change” Hellenic Parliament (22/08/2019) Exhibitions at the service of Parliaments: The case of “Glossopolis” Dr Maria Kamilaki Head of the Parliamentary Library Department
[email protected] 1. Introduction If I were to use a metaphor to describe what a library -or any cultural organization for that matter- looks like during the preparation of an exhibition, I think you agree with me that an apt metaphor would be that of a beehive, swarming with activity, until everything is put in place and the long-awaited day of the opening arrives. But what visitors see at the opening is merely the tip of the iceberg. During the “beehive period” that I’ve just described, there is a whole amount of research, documentation, selection and preservation/conservation of the holdings to be displayed, coupled with experimentation with new museological practices, in order to create updated and enriched content that casts a critical glance at the past and the present. Undoubtedly, exhibitions also provide an ideal framework for extroversion, openness, and transparency, fostering collaboration and networking with other public and private cultural bodies. Overall, they form a powerful tool of cultural innovation, promoting reflection upon one’s own collections and archives and sharing of our cultural heritage. 2. Exhibitions at the service of the Hellenic Parliament The Library of the Hellenic Parliament has a long-standing tradition of organizing exhibitions. As of 1994 the Parliament has been making a systematic effort to come closer to the citizens, and mostly the youth, by organizing exhibitions, addressing a wide audience ranging from elementary, junior and senior high school students, members of associations, senior citizen clubs etc., to official delegations visiting the Parliament House, which is the main venue of such events.