Introduction

Prof. Monika Hagedorn-Saupe studied mathematics, sociology, psychology, and adult education at the Ruhr–Universität Bochum, at Kings College London, and at the Freie Universität Berlin. Since 1994, she has been Head of the Visitor-related museum research and museum statistics department in the Institute for Museum Research. She is responsible for several European projects and acts as the Deputy Director of the Institute. Currently she is a board member of the German Museum Association and represents ICOM-Europe at the EUROPEANA-Foundation. Since 2006 she is Honorary Professor at the University of Applied Science HTW in Berlin and teaches museology.

Maria Śliwinska is the director of ICIMSS, and has expertise in library and information science, teaching, and editing. She studied library and information science at the Nicholas Copernicus University (NCU) in Torun, and holds a Ph.D. in bibliology from Wroclaw University. From 1993 to 1999, she was the Deputy Director of the Nicholas Copernicus University Library in Torun, responsible for its computerization and modernization. From 1989 to 1992, she also served as a lecturer in the Department of Librarianship and Scientific Information of the NCU. Later she worked as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Politics and International Studies, where she taught journalism studies and cultural studies in the Faculty of Polish Philology.