Applicability of norms, standards and guidelines to museum documentation process in a hybrid environment

Abstract

The Regulations concerning description and access to material in libraries, archives and museums present a theoretical frame for production of functional records of museum objects. It will include core descriptive elements required for identification of a museum object. Also, it will enable the users to access the museum objects, as well as to reach the information and data about the object. This paper investigates which descriptive elements are provided by the existing standards and schemes, such as CIDOC-CRM, CDWA, CCO, ISBD, Regulations concerning the content and management of museum documentation on museum material. Furthermore, it investigates which descriptive elements that are anticipated in the new Regulations concerning description and access to material in libraries, archives and museums can be applied to the description of museum objects. Specific museum objects exemplify its applicability. The aim of this research is primarily to examine the applicability of the Regulations concerning description and access to material in libraries, archives and museums to the description of particular museum objects in order to identify and access the material more easily. Moreover, this paper’s aim is to determine which descriptive elements of the museum object are specific to it (depending on the users’ needs) and to examine the applicability of the Regulations, to provide with the functional descriptions based on the Regulations and to compare them to the existing descriptions in the M++ database. Content analysis of the elements in a catalogue record, descriptive method and comparison were used in order to achieve this aim. This paper will contribute to the better understanding of the significance of formulating quality records on museum objects. Quality process of managing museum documentation is, in a way, a guarantee of cultural heritage preservation for the future.