The History of the TAKO Network

The TAKO network originated with the Finnish professionals working in history museums who wanted to develop the management of their collections as well as the documentation work between the museums. The first directions on the nationwide division of collecting duties among museums had been given by the Finnish Heritage Agency in the 1980s, but the model did not take on. In 2009 the Finnish Heritage Agency and the National Museum of Finland convened museum professionals from all over the country. The founding decision for the TAKO network was made.

TAKO emulated the Swedish SAMDOK (1977-2011). The themed pools as well as the contemporary documentation projects carried out by museums are based on the SAMDOK model.

The TAKO network activities began in 2010 as a project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and administered by the Finnish Museums Association. Between 2013 and 2015 TAKO administrative costs were covered by the Finnish National Museum and later on by the Finnish Heritage Agency grants. In addition, the network has received separate project grants from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish Heritage Agency.

Over the years the TAKO network has been an essential developer of the collection management of the Finnish museums and the networking among the museum professionals. The efficiency of the activities, however, is challenged by the voluntary basis of the network. The consolidation and the extension of the TAKO activities is now a national objective for the concrete development of collecting duties, as stated in the museum policy programme of the Ministry of Education and Culture (2018).

An external evaluation of the effectiveness of the TAKO network within the museum field was carried out in 2020. Attention was drawn to the factors supporting and hindering the activities and the development of the network, and future objectives were identified. The results encouraged TAKO to improve the network communications and transparency as well as to increase the volume of information on the social significance of museums and collections.

Today TAKO is a collaborative documentation and collection network for museums, developing and maintaining the nationwide division of collecting duties, coordinating contemporary documentation projects, and providing a professional discussion forum for the museums’ collection work.