Museums worldwide will be celebrating International Museum Day on 18 May with a Museums and Friends theme. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has decided to dedicate International Museum Day 2003 to museum friends to 'pay homage to the valuable and little-publicised role they play and to strengthen links between museums and their friends.' ICOM says 'friends' are voluntary workers, partners or benefactors: 'Museum friends assist a museum in its daily work, enable it to add to its collection, help build bridges between the museum and the public, or intercede with government bodies on its behalf, acting either as individuals or as members of an association or friends' group.' Jacques Perot, president of ICOM, said: 'Museums must place themselves at the heart of society and ensure that they are open to the communities around them. It is important that museums and their friends work together in a spirit of creativity and innovation.' The World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM), which has a million friends, volunteers and donors worldwide, is joining forces with ICOM to celebrate International Museum Day 2003, when it will offer advice on how a museum sets up a friends' group. Details: www.museumsfriends.org