MUSEUM COLLECTION MANAGEMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGY

Ibroximova Aziza Abbasovna

Westminster International University in Tashkent
Phd student
e-mail: aziza665@gmail.com
+998 90982 81 35

Abstract. This paper presents an outline of the uses of new technology in the museum and
heritage sector for the collection management, access to the collection and the interpretation of
the collection. Despite the ever-increasing attention paid to museums, the storage plays a
marginal role: an invisible resource, whose potential is often little explored and/or valued. What
is the situation of archaeological museum storage in Uzbekistan? Some reflections are presented
here, rising from the results of a recent statistical survey conducted within the IVLP Impact
Award Project by the writer during her research project on the Protection and Preservation of
Archaeological Collections, in collaboration with the State museums of Uzbekistan and Research
Institutions. Results of the survey conducted within the IVLP Impact Award Project. The study
emphasizes the importance of digital inventory and cataloging for protection and preservation.
Key words: cataloging, inventory, technology, museums, collection, management, digital
cataloging system, virtual reality technology, multimedia, mobile technology.
INTRODUCTION
Museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its
development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and
exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his
environment [1].
Museums have an important duty to develop their educational role and attract wider
audiences from the community, locality or group they serve. Interaction with the constituent
community and promotion of their heritage is an integral part of the educational role of the
museum” [2,22]. So by using the new technology, museums are fulfilling their commitment to
the society by attracting them in the museum and opening the excess for the audience and
promoting the heritage sector [3,374].
LITERATURE REVIEW
Museums, as a cultural promoter and heritage-preserving institution, are constantly faced
with the challenges of the modern world, seeking to apply innovative technologies to meet the
needs of visitors and present their collections comfortably and interestingly to a wide audience.
Modern technologies play an important role in this process and provide new opportunities for
organizing the activities of museums and enriching the visitor's experience [4,17]. There is a
range of different technologies currently being utilized in different museum and heritage field
across the word especially in the developed world. Technologies have already revolutionized the
museums and galleries in ways, which would have been unthinkable less than ten years ago.
New technology offers the opportunity to enhance dramatically the way visitors interact with the
Museum as well as the collection management and accesses to the collection and their
interpretation in museums. Museums began using automation technology in the early 1960's
[5,35]. Before the introduction of Information technology, museum used different manual
cataloguing system. For example, museums used multiple card catalogues to create cross-
referenced catalogues and index to deal with mass of information. Drawing, photography also
used for documentation of museum collections. side of the museum, for example University or
State agency. In 1967 Dr. Jack Heller, a professor of computer science at the State University of
New York, has taken very important initiatives to computerization of museums by starting the
Museum Computer Network (MCN).
In 1968 MCN and IBM sponsored a conference on computers and their potential
application in museums. In 1969 David Vance began a standardization project with twelve art
museums. This was one of the pioneering efforts in the standardization of museum information.
Desktop computers and improved storage devices became available early in the decade with a
reduced cost. In 1984, first PC's were introduced and in use at the Smithsonian [3,375].
Museums across the globe have been going online in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The world’s first fully interactive virtual museum launched in September 4. The Virtual Online
Museum of Art (VOMA) presents ‘exquisitely curated’ exhibitions, and is free, fully immersive
museum that anyone, anywhere in the world, can visit. The experience aims to be as authentic as
visiting a physical museum. It will feature classic and contemporary artworks, which are all free
to view. As for the technology involved, VOMA is building the online attraction using the latest
virtual reality (VR) gaming technology, CGI, and network computing [6].
Collections are the defining attribute of museums. Their management is at the heart of any
museum’s operations. Documenting them fully and caring for them well is, in the long run, the
fundamental criterion of a well-managed museum, since the ability of the museum to provide
meaningful experiences for the public today and in the future depends on its collections and the
information about them [7].
New technology for museum can be discussed in different heading such as multimedia,
new media, mobile technology, web and internet, computer device, digital technology.
Multimedia, in the most general terms, serves as a tool for interpretation and for the
documentation and delivery of content. Within the museum context there are two potentially
distinct roles for multimedia: communication tools and documentation tool. As a communication
tool, multimedia helps to structuring and interpreting knowledge about resource, artifacts and
collections. As documentation tools it helps to creating databases and systems that record or
capture and preserved multi-layered information. Particularly in relation to museums,
multimedia aids in the interpretation of collections, which are not accessible, e.g. storage items,
or in the reaching of audiences who are not physically in the museum, e.g. virtual visitors
geographically excluded.
New Media is typically associated with digital technology and electronic multimedia and it
usages is inherently interactive. In the broadest sense, new media is a term which generally
covers the recently created and rapidly evolving new form of communication, such as browser-
based, E-mail, Digital audio and video including video conference and video-on-demand,
Interactive multimedia, Digital TV, Mobile communication, electronic publishing etc. [3,377].
For example, at the exhibition "Blue and white porcelain – a symbol of the greatness of the Silk
Road " opened in 2018, displayed the multimedia presentation of all the items because some
porcelain objects are not exhibited in the display.
People are incorporating digital technology into their everyday lives, devices are becoming
indispensable. Museums have responded to this technology explosion with a multitude of
applications. Within the past ten years, digital technology has become a watchword for museum
planners. Japan has the-enviable position of often being in the forefront of technology
development [8, 4]. Significantly the growth of media channels also has made it possible to
support the dissemination of collections in many ways.
Interactive multimedia defines the combination of text, graphics, sound, animation, video
and interactivity into a single media. The introduction of interactive multimedia in the museum
helps to develop the communication between multimedia system and its users in the museum.
For example, interactive multimedia system needs input from the audience. Through this practice
visitors can engage themselves in the museum experience.
Multimedia Kiosk Installation. The numbers of museum with fixed interactive Multimedia
Kiosk installation has increased rapidly in the recent year, and it has reached a stage where an
interactive multimedia exhibit is a must for all museum new galleries. This technology is very
simple and less expensive and comparatively it does not need great expertise. For instance, in
2014 the State museum of the History of Uzbekistan have employed information kiosks in its
new exhibition named “Independent Uzbekistan” providing all the information about the new
history beginning 1991.
 Use of Mobile technology make the audience more comfortable visiting the museum and
supply them information about the collection. The benefit of using this technology in the
museum is to present necessary information about the collection to the visitors. Disable Visitors
can also get support by this technology. They can just press any key to listen the interpretation.
They also have more option to learn more about the exhibit. This technology is using very
successfully in different museum in Japan [9,19].
Web and Internet provides a fast, cheap and convenient way to share information and ideas
with people all over the world. By using the websites and Internet, museums can develop the
accessibility of the researcher and educator in the museum collection and make more publicity
for its audience. According to ICOM guideline, Internet can provide three important facilities for
the museum. Such as person-to-person service using e-mail, electronic mail to groups, using
mailing and discussion list, Information resource using electronic document servers. By using
the websites and Internet it becomes very easy to see the collection database of the museum form
anywhere of the world. It can also present a virtual tours, online exhibition for the public who are
really far from the museum. World Wide Web (www) are gradually increasing importance to
heritage attraction and museums because they provide museums with new channels of
communication for both actual and the potential visitor, and are an effective way of marketing
both destination and the experience [10, 115].
Collection documentation and interrogation of data. The documentation of the museum
collection therefore means more than their mere registration or catalogue, it also means to
management of the location and movement of all object in the collections. Computer is used for
the documenting the object by data entry, image collection, data storage cataloging the object, its
context and movement, scope for the future research. For example, Digital asset management
system can be used for management of archives and collection. It offers a robust solution to
protect, organize, and share cultural heritage. By integrating digital asset management (DAM)
systems, museums can streamline their operations while preserving their priceless collections
[11]. From ensuring the long-term accessibility of digital files to enabling virtual exhibits that
bring history to life, DAM solutions provide a cutting-edge approach to cultural preservation.
These systems don’t just safeguard the past—they empower museums to innovate, engage
audiences worldwide, and collaborate on a global scale.
Museums are treasure troves of cultural artifacts, but managing and accessing these
treasures can be a challenge. Digital asset management systems step in to solve this problem,
offering tools to organize and streamline the handling of digital collections. Whether it’s
improving accessibility or ensuring compliance, DAM systems play a critical role in
modernizing museum operations. The Digital Asset Management solution plays an essential part
in achieving this goal by helping to manage the organization, provenance, sharing, usability,
rescue, history, and distribution of collections – all requirements for sustainability in the 21st
century” [12].
A museum does not survive if it does not preserve its works. The tools and places essential
for preserving the works are the storages. Unfortunately, despite the ever-increasing attention
paid to museums, the storage plays a marginal role: an invisible (or almost invisible) resource for
the community, whose potential is often little explored and valued. Recognizing the storage – in
the same way as the exhibition spaces – a dynamic and multifaceted role linked not only to
conservation, but also to research and development, today constitutes a fundamental challenge
for museums, if they want to preserve their role as centers of knowledge at the service of the
community. This challenge becomes even more difficult and problematic for storages of
archaeological material, which undergo a continuous and exponential increase [13].
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
What is the situation of archaeological museum storage? What problems do they face? In
2023, a statistical survey was conducted by the writer during the project on the Protection and
Preservation of Archaeological Collections, in collaboration with the State Museum of the
History of Uzbekistan and with the Local Museums and Research Institutions. Results of the
survey conducted within the IVLP Impact Award Project.
In August, 2023 we successfully prepared a comprehensive questionnaire designed for
surveys on the preservation of archaeological artifacts in the central museums of Tashkent,
Samarkand, and Bukhara cities. The purpose of this survey was to create an updated and
comprehensive mapping of the archaeological museum heritage. We have made significant
progress on this task, focusing on:
a) Inventory and cataloging;
b) Preservation: Safety and control of risk parameters;
c) Involvement in the digitalization;
ANALYSYS AN RESULTS
Based on the answers provided by the museums that participated in the statistical survey,
these are the priority areas for intervention:
a) Inventory and cataloguing
Museums were asked to provide the total number of the items (Figure 1) and
archaeological collection (Figure 2) with respect to the total amount of stored goods.
 2000
Institute of Art Studies
State Museum of the His- 138225
tory of Uzbekistan
Samarkand State Museum 351372
Reserve 235415
Bukhara State Museum
Reserve

Figure 1: State and non-state archaeological museums participating in the survey: a

total number of stored items [14].

Bukhara State Museum Reserve

22741

Samarkand State Museum Reserve

65000

State museum of the history of Uzbekistan

75687

Institute of Art Studies

2000

Figure 2: Number of archaeologic collection (pieces)[14].

The inventory process certifies the existence of a good, with the attribution of a record
number, essential identification data, last provenance and economic value. It is the primary and
unavoidable step to guarantee the existence, protection and preservation of a good. If an item is
not inventoried, technically it does not exist. Without proper documentation, museums are not
able to know exactly what items they keep in the storage, where they are placed, how they are
stored, with obvious complications, even of an economic nature (in case of theft, damage and/or
loss). Although these are average values, the percentage of catalogued items in most museums is
low (Figure 3).
120%
90% 100%
80% 70%
85%
40% 30% 30%
20%
0% 4%

inventoried items catalogued items

Figure 3: Percentage of inventoried and catalogued items (from 0% to 100%) [14].

 b) Preservation: Safety and control of risk parameters
The material part of the heritage, objects and sites, tells us of their activities, their
perceptions, their skills, and their ideas. It is unique, irreplaceable and unfortunately, vulnerable.
Our heritage institutions bear the solemn responsibilities not only of prolonging their survival but
also of making them accessible, so that we can know our past. In practical terms, we must plan
how best to reduce the risks to the heritage in our care, and then act on those plans [15].
Heritage managers and caretakers often have to prioritize and make choices about how best
to use the available resources to protect collections, buildings, monuments and sites. This means,
for instance, having to decide among options such as increasing security against theft and
vandalism, improving building maintenance to reduce water leaks, installing air conditioning in
collection storage areas, hiring specialized pest management services, installing fire alarm and
fire suppression systems, implementing disaster preparedness and response plans, building new
storage facilities, buying ‘conservation quality’ packaging materials, intensifying conservation
and restoration treatments, etc. [16, 55].
The results were obtained considering conservation, preservation, and management issues,
and some problems were identified. According to obtained results 80% of the participated
respondents’ archaeological collection are kept in the right temperature and relative humidity
condition, but only 20% of the respondents’ collection is not stored in a proper condition. Based
on the answers, we can say that a large number of museums’ collections are not stored in a
proper condition.
However, at the time of the survey, there were identified the reason and issue regarding the
proper storage of the items (Figure 4). Some problems were identified including non-compliance
of the foundation's territory with the requirements (66% out of 100%), lack of proper technology
(17% out of 100%), insufficient resource (money) (17% out of 100%).

insufficient resource (money) 17%

lack of proper technology 17%

non-compliance of the foundation's territory with

66%
the requirements

Figure 4: Percentage of problems regarding to storage (from 0% to 100%) [14].

 c) Involvement in the digitalization;
As technology has rapidly advanced, so have many museums endeavored to employ newly
available methods of organization, presentation, and education to their exhibits. Although digital
methods of documenting museum specimens for collections based scientific research have been
less explored, they are certainly no less imperative. The two main functions of museums are not
mutually exclusive and digitizing museum specimens and their associated data can only serve to
propagate both: cultivating education and preserving cultural history [17,45]. Over the past
decade, many museums have taken strides to incorporate digital methods of documenting their
collections [18, 54]. It has proven a blanket term that has been used to describe anything from
computer data input (transcribing information from catalog cards into an electronic database), to
digital photography to the creation of virtual reality systems and everything in between.
Electronic collections and archive databases are quite common in museums. Entries for
specimens are not always complete (containing data from all sources) and as a result strides to
fill in the blanks and include digital images and document scans are being undertaken. These
kinds of digital projects: data migration, imaging, and georeferencing, are essential steps in the
process of building comprehensive digital databases. Digital documentation can be applied to
organize collections and forge new frontiers in research [19,70].
The inventory process certifies the existence of a good, with the attribution of a record
number, essential identification data, last provenance and economic value. It is the primary and
unavoidable step to guarantee the existence, protection and preservation of a good. If a good is
not inventoried, technically it does not exist. It does not even exist for the economic patrimony
of the State. Without proper documentation, museums are not able to know exactly what goods
they keep in the storage, where they are placed, how they are stored, with obvious complications,
even of an economic nature (in case of theft, damage and/or loss). On the base of results obtained
quite a large number of museums use a digital inventory.

digital inventory
40%
digital and paper inven-
trory 60%

Figure 5: Type of used inventory (from 0% to 100%) [14].

 During the survey involvement in the digitalization of the museum collection has been
identified. Questions including “Is the museum actively involved in the digitalization?”, “What
percentage of your permanent archaeological collection has been digitized?” were asked, the
following results were obtained. According to results obtained more than a half of the museums
(80% out of 100%) are involved in collection digitalization, and smaller number of museums
(20% out of 100%) are not actively involved in (Figure 5). On the base of the given answers the
reason of the problems of digitization of archaeological items were the lack of relevant personnel
and the weak qualifications of researchers.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The statistical survey carried out among museums of Uzbekistan has allowed to develop an
exhaustive and updated mapping of the archaeological collection of museum’s heritage that is
not the subject of exhibition.
The results, presented briefly here, are not only noteworthy but also acquire particular
relevance in consideration of the historical moment in which they are located, picturing the
museum situation. The statistical survey has revealed that the implementation of the inventory
and cataloguing is the priority area of intervention, which is the indispensable step for all other
functions and activities linked to protection (even in the case of damage and/or theft),
conservation, protection, accessibility, enhancement. In this sense, it is necessary to carry out
computerized inventory management, which will allow: simplification of documentation;
management and traceability processes; rationalization of resources; reduction of management
times and costs; improvement of the quality of the processes; guarantee of widespread access to
data and their circulation.
Statistical studies have shown that digital technology intervention of is a priority in
inventory and cataloging, which should be a mandatory step for storage and all other functions
and actions related to preservation. This improves protection and usability. In this sense, it is
necessary for cultural heritage and related organizations to issue regulations on the introduction
of a computerized ancestral and cultural heritage preservation system, which will simplify
documentation; manage and control processes; improve the quality of processes; and widely use
and disseminate information.
In this sense, it is necessary for cultural heritage and related organizations to issue
regulations on the introduction of a computerized ancestral and cultural heritage preservation
system, which will simplify documentation; manage and control processes; improve the quality
of processes; and widely use and disseminate information.
 In conclusion, it should be noted that the problem of conservation and preservation is
extremely complex and requires a systematic approach, strategic planning at the national level
using criteria, methodologies and common standards.

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