The Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá and the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida Announce Strategic Collaboration

The Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá (MUCI) and the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida (UF) have signed a new agreement to explore strategic cooperative efforts that will advance the academic, research, and outreach activities of both institutions to preserve and promote the history of the Panama Canal and the Republic of Panama.MUCI exhibicion photo

The MUCI Collection and the Panama Canal Museum Collection at UF are two of the largest and most diverse collections of artifacts and archival materials in the world relating to Panama and the Canal. This collaborative relationship builds on the great work already underway at both institutions to develop exhibitions, to host seminars and other public programs, to provide educational experiences, and to serve the needs of scholars and other researchers with world-class collections. “This alliance with UF strengthens our mission to promote, rescue and study the cultural heritage of Panama and its Canal. Through the careful analysis of historical objects and documents we can learn from the past and preserve its legacy for future generations,” said Ana Elizabeth Gonzalez, Director of the Museo del Canal Interoceánico.

MUCI and UF will exchange information about their collections so that they can better understand their strengths and discover potential areas of growth in certain subjects. Through this exchange of information, the institutions can more easily identify objects that may be loaned for exhibitions, objects that can be digitized and made available in the Digital Library of the Caribbean, and objects that can be transferred from one institution to the other because they are outside of the collecting scope. “This international collaborative relationship enables both institutions to share information about their significant and distinctive historical resources with each other and with the global public in order to create new knowledge and raise awareness,” said John Nemmers, curator of the UF Panama Canal Museum Collection.

MUCI and UF will share considerable knowledge and expertise on the Panama Canal and Panama’s history and culture, as well as expertise in the fields of museums, archives, and libraries. This agreement will provide opportunities for joint research projects and outreach activities, and will enable the institutions to collaboratively seek funding for these initiatives.

To learn more about MUCI visit https://www.museodelcanal.com, and to learn more about the UF Panama Canal Museum Collection visit https://pcmc.uflib.ufl.edu.