Study Of Theories And Principles Of Museology

I followed Archaeology for my first Degree in University of Sri Jayewardene in Sri Lanka in 1992. For the first degree in final year dissertation I selected to study ancient architecture in Sri Lanka. After that 2003 I got Master degree in museology in Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology in Sri Lanka. For my master degree research I studied museum collection storage theories and technique. In 2005 I got a good opportunity to come to China to follow my PhD research. According to that I chose Frontier Archaeological Research Center, Jilin University, Changchun, in China, to conduct my PhD research on the topic of"Study of Theories and Principles of Museology".This dissertation is based on the study of theories and Principles of Museology. At the beginning of last century, Museology was a part of Archaeology. After that during the last thirty or forty years it developed as a separate scientific discipline in the field of archaeology, and relating to various scientific subjects. As a result, many specialists of this field have written a lot of books under various topics related to this subject. Thus, in modern world it is developing into a separate and individual body of study. The numbers of museums are increasing day by day throughout the world and the subject of museology quickly developing. Museums are not only centers of displaying objects in galleries in modern world, they also have become research and education centers with valuable information for scholars. Therefore, Museology has now become an essential subject in the modern world. But Museology and archaeology has an unbreakable close relationship. The study of theories and principles of Museology will require the consideration of the following aspects;History of museums and history of MuseologyCollecting and acquiring of museum objectsRecording system of museum objects (registration, documentation and cataloguing)StorageConservationMuseum exhibition Provision of securityMuseum administrationMuseum managementArchitecture related to the establishment of museumsMuseum resourcesServicesMuseum research, Education, publication, communication and public relation ship, etc.Out of above fields I have selected five main topics for a comprehensive study in the doctoral degree.1. Chapter one - History of museums in the world2. Chapter two- Collection and classification Systems of museum objects3. Chapter three - Registration and documentation systems of museum objects4. Chapter four - Storage and handling systems of museum objects5. Chapter five - Exhibition methods and systems of museum objectsChapter one; This elaborates the history of museums in the world. The recent and ancient history of museums in the world will be discussed in this chapter. Firstly, I discuss the term"museum", the first museum in the world and museums of the ancient world. Secondly, attention is paid to describe how museums developed in the modern world (19 - 20 centuries), world museums are divided into seven topics according to regions in the world for the convenience of research in the first chapter; Asia, Asia Pacific region, Africa, Europe, Eastern Europe, Central and South America, and United States of America and Canada.The museum history began from 3rd century BC. Therefore, according to the museum history, museum activities began around same time. Thus, history of the theories, principles and techniques of museology (collecting, classifying, registration and documentation, storing, exhibition, conservation, education, managing, etc) emerged as the museum came into existence. I mainly focused on theories and principles of museology used in present day museums.Chapter One– History of Museums in the World1.1 Introduction1.2 Museums1.3 Museums in the Ancient World (From 3rd century BC. to 18th century)1.4 Characteristics of Museums in the Modern World - (19 - 20 centuries)1.4.1 Asia1.4.2 Pacific Region1.4.3 Africa1.4.4 Europe1.4.5 Eastern Europe1.4.6 Central and South America1.4.7 United States of America and Canada1.5 Inter - active relationship between different regions in history of museums and tradition of museums1.6 SummaryChapter two; This deals with study of collecting and classification of museum objects. Collecting and classification of museum objects is the first and one of the main points of museum duties. Without collecting objects there is not a museum.'The heart of the museum is its collection".( Guthe 1964:34). That is why, all ways visitors build up their connections with museum's exhibiting objects. They come to museums to visit museums objects to enjoy and study. Therefore, I try to study collecting methods in various museums and museums in different countries in the world in this chapter. I discuss the various classification systems of various collections in museums and also I discuss international processes and international methodologies in museology.Chapter Two– Collecting and Classification Systems of Museum Objects2.1 Introduction2.2 Collecting 2.2.1 Museum collecting mission2.2.2 Collection acquisition policy and ethics2.2.3 The collection mandate2.2.4 Scope of collection2.2.5 Collecting methods2.2.5.1 Donation and bequest2.2.5.2 Purchase2.2.5.3 Museum objects exchange or borrow2.2.5.4 Field collections2.2.6 Collection theory2.2.6.1 General and history museum collections2.2.6.2 Scientific collection2.2.6.3 What to collect and what not to collect2.3 Classifying of museum objects2.3.1 Collection analysis2.3.2 Classification examples in Asian countries museums2.3.3. China - Classification system of Liaoning Provincial Museum2.3.4. Korea - Classification system of Korean National Museum2.3.5. Sri Lanka - Classification system of Colombo National Museum2.3.6. Various classifying systems in different museums in the world2.3.7. Historical objects classification system in North America2.3.8 Classification systems used in the museums for different subjects2.5 SummaryChapter three; This focuses on the study of the registration and documentation systems of museum objects. This is the recording system of museum objects. If there is a proper recording system in a museum, it is very convenient for managing and handling its objects. In the modern world field of Museology specialists have developed many new methods to record museum objects. Thus, I try to study those new methods in this chapter.Chapter Three– Registration and Documentation Systems of Museum Objects3.1 Introduction 3.2 Registration3.2.1 Numbering system3.2.2 Inventory3.2.2.1 Types of inventories3.2.2.2 Essentials of inventory3.2.2.3 Inventory in different institutions3.3.1 Documentation of museum objects3.3.2 Documentation for communication3.3.3 Type of files3.3.4 Documentation– computerized systems3.4 SummaryChapter four; This chapter considers studying what are the storage and handling systems of museum objects. The museum has the responsibility to care for and to use all of its objects, whether being exhibited or not. The care of collections is the primary responsibility of all museums. There are a number of methods of storage for museum objects. On average 70 - 80 percent of museums collections are in storage. Thus, all museums should possess proper storage facilities to store acquired objects into the museum. This chapter discusses how to plan storage building for a new museum, how to create new storage facilities in the old museum with modern facilities, and the security methodologies adopted in museum storage area.Chapter Four– Storage and Handling Systems of Museum Objects4.1 Introduction4.2. Building planning for museum stores4.2.1 Storage required4.2.2 Design of storage space4.2.3 Water damage in museum storerooms4.2.4 Basic construction of Museums storage areas4.2.5 Climate4.2.6 Temperature and humidity 4.2.7 Lighting system4.2.8 Security system4.2.9 Fire safety of museum storage4.3 Handling and storage systems of museum objects4.3.1 Museum storage equipments4.3.2 Cabinet, shelves and racks4.3.3 Box and specimens trays4.3.4 Folders4.3.5 Bags and envelops4.3.6 Double loaded storage system4.3.7 Shallow wood open– drawer system4.3.8 Open adjustable drawer system4.3.9 Costume storage cabinets4.3.10 Paintings4.3.11. Textile4.3.12 Ethnographic collection4.3.13 Box, paper, photographs and negatives4.3.14 Mounted specimens4.3.15 Ceramic, glass and pottery4.3.16 Sculpture4.3.17 Metal objects4.4 SummaryChapter five; This chapter discusses exhibition systems, theories and methods of arranging a good exhibition in a museum. In fact there is a close relationship between exhibitions and museums audience. Therefore, museum authority should arrange attractive and knowledgeable exhibitions in the museums for their audience. Thus, when arranging museum exhibitions it is necessary to introduce new advance suitable exhibition systems into the museum. This chapter elaborates types of exhibitions in the museum, the procedures to be considered for arranging a good exhibition, and the new methods and systems of designing a museum exhibition. It is not possible to display every acquired object in one time at an exhibition gallery. We should select suitable objects from store rooms. Thus we should design various displaying systems which may vary from objects to objects and gallery to gallery. Therefore, designing exhibition galleries and objects is a very difficult task in the museum. Also, museum management should consider and respect the visitor's and museum staff's proposals and ideas. And from time to time it is useful to change some displaying objects and methods. Also exhibition specialist should create suitable environment for displaying objects for protection of objects. They should consider lighting systems, spaces, security systems, floor plan and human factors, labeling methods, and every thing in side and out side of the museum galleries. This chapter provides details of matters which are of greater significance to museum.Chapter Five– Exhibition Methods and Systems of Museum Objects5.1 Exhibition5.2 Types of exhibits5.2.1 Permanent exhibitions5.2.2 Temporary exhibition5.2.3 Mobile exhibition5.3 Exhibition methods5.3.1 An overview of the exhibition planning process5.3.2 The Exhibition proposal5.3.3 The Exhibition committee5.3.4 Exhibition planning and design5.3.5 Exhibition production5.3.6 Exhibition operation and evaluation5.3.7 Design museum exhibitions5.3.8 Human factors in exhibition design5.3.9 Designing of the floor plan in the museum galleries5.3.10 Objects arrangement for display5.3.11 Presenting design ideas5.3.12. Various displaying systems 5.3.13 Labels5.3.14 Exhibition environment5.4 SummaryFinally, Conclusion, Bibliography, Appendix and Pictures add into the thesis.