ROLE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN CONSERVATION OF INFORMATION

MATERIALS IN NAIROBI MUSEUM IN KENYA

CHEPKWEMOI IVONE NAIBEI

DIS-0-2817-3/2021

A Research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of Diploma of

Science in Information Science, Department of Information Science of Kenya Methodist University

MATERIALS IN NAIROBI MUSEUM IN KENYA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 INTRODUCTIONS

This chapter provides the background of the research outlining the broad field of study. The

aim is to inform the reader by laying foundations for the study. It includes a description of

the research problem, its aim as well as objectives and justification for the study.

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Information and Communication Technologies can help to save our heritage. Like

environmental movements for saving endangered species of flora and fauna, there is an

urgent need for saving the endangered heritage items too. Of this in the text sub-domain,

a number of books, paper manuscripts, palm leaves, stone inscriptions and other such

materials stand the risk of loss. Old paintings sculptures and buildings are getting

degraded every day. Traditional folklore items are vanishing without any one taking

interest in practicing and sustaining the art form in these days. Music is also meeting a

similar fate.

Even ancient life styles are getting wiped out. Life support heritage systems

like traditional medicine have already lost considerable knowledge. All these have one

thing in common - along with the loss of physical material heritage, the knowledge

Content in them also are lost. In the case of the material heritage, preservation
ICT for Conservation of Cultural Heritage of Thalasseri Technology has been applied for a

long time. But ICT based efforts concentrating on the preservation of content as well as

digital replica of environment and incidents are relatively new. ICT can help to document

natural resources, heritage buildings; sites etc. create awareness about them as well as help

the technical experts in managing and conserving them.

Looking from the informatics angle, expressions of cultural heritage fall into texts,

images, video and sound categories. ICT can be used to conserve all these items. In a

cultural archives material relating to different varieties in the original and in the other

forms of copies are collected, classified, catalogued, preserved, displayed and made

available for use. Such archives can be enriched by personal collections and cultural

exchange. These archival collections can be digitized conserved, documented and

made available for the purpose of research and reference. The materials that can be

collected can be classified into a few categories as listed below. Details of selected

Sample items also will be provided later.

Conservation is the care and protection of these resources so that they can persist for future

generations. Conservation treatments help to ensure the longevity of objects that have value

for their content, so information can be learned from them as artifacts.

A museum’s prime responsibility must be to maintain its collections and to do everything

possible to delay the natural laws of deterioration. The acquisition of an item almost certainly

brings it into a new and potentially alien environment. Material that has been recovered from

the ground through archaeological excavation may need immediate treatment to stabilize it.
Many of the materials from which objects are made are inherently unstable and undergo

chemical or structural change as they age. A new or shifting environment can accelerate

these changes, and temperature, light, humidity, and human and other biological factors all

need to be controlled. In addition, conservation involves the treatment and, where feasible

and acceptable, the restoration of objects as nearly as possible to their former condition.

Most large museums have their own laboratories where conservation and restoration work is

carried out, and some take on projects for other museums as well. In some cases, as at the

British Museum, a separate department of scientific research supports the museum’s

academic and conservation work, providing advanced scientific equipment for the analysis,

dating, and identification of materials. Some museums are served by independent

conservation laboratories, an example of which is the Canadian Conservation Institute in

Ottawa, which uses a fleet of mobile laboratories to attend to museum collections in many

parts of the country.

A number of museums have developed computerized documentation systems, some online

but others relying on machine-generated indexes, periodically updated, to meet most of their

information requirements. The advantages of computerized documentation have been

exploited in a number of ways—for instance, in exchanging data between museums to

facilitate study and research or in making collection information available for public use in

the museum gallery or over the Internet.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Technologies (ICT) in contemporary museums. ICT play an increasingly important role in

fostering the promotion of arts and cultural heritage educational activities, as well as

programs and actions in museum learning environments, whose aim is to attract and serve

visitors, and to satisfy their needs. Nowadays, museums seek to keep redefining their role

and to continuously transform their cultural communication framework with the help of ICT

methods and tools, so as to become even more accessible and create an even more

participatory environment, enabling visitors to actively engage into learning, educational and

amusing experiences. ICT are tools for both creating and promoting. In terms of creating,

ICT have resulted in applications inside (on-site) and outside (online) of the museum. In

terms of promoting, ICT can be used as part of new museum strategies to disseminate arts

and cultural heritage educational activities, aims, objectives, programs and products via the

web and the social media networks.

Although ICTs play an important role in museum operations they require a permanent plan

and continuity of staff supervision (Poole, 2007). In any information society there is a need

for technical staff to operate technical works. Marty (2003) interviewed 21 information

professionals who worked in the museum, asking them about their background and

experiences with information resources, tools and technologies in the museum. The results

indicate that the museum operated with no information professionals. He underscored the

need to run museum works by employing technical staff capable of applying ICTs in their

daily duties. Indeed, the effective use of ICTs requires people and staff to have basic

knowledge of ICTs. Although the development of museum seems to benefit from the
application of digital technology, digitization of the museum has also brought with it some

disadvantages. For example, the physical museum is becoming more isolated and

functionless without visitors participation; meanwhile, the audiences are also losing the

opportunities for sharing and communicating their viewpoint with others. From the user’s

point of view, the digital museum is not to replace the traditional museum; conversely, the

digital information should complement the physical museum.

1.3 AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of the study is to investigate the role of ICT in conservation of information materials

safely in Nairobi Museum in Kenya by proposing the best ways of conserving information

materials using ICT methods.

1.3.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The following objectives will guide the study:

1. To collect and conserve our objects and materials of religious, cultural and historical

value;

2. To preserve the specimens and associated data that form the basis of natural science;

3. To enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment;

4. To collect, to organize (or classify), to display, to instruct its audience, and to project a

sense of the nation;

1. How to collect and conserve our objects and materials of religious, cultural and historical

value?

2. How to preserve the specimens and associated data that form the basis of natural science?

3. How to enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment?

4. How to collect, to organize (or classify), to display, to instruct its audience, and to project

a sense of the nation?

1.5 ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY.

This study was based on the following assumptions;

1. Technology brings physical changes to art museum exhibitions. Lighting for

display cases has improved with new technology. Advances in lighting systems

allow art museum visitors to view masterpieces without the harm caused by old-

fashioned light bulbs.

1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY.

Through technology, museums can manage their collections better, offer

unforgettable experiences to their visitors and exceed their physical limits by

using online distribution and communication channels. Technology provides a

unique, engaging experience for visitors, engaging them in ways that standard

exhibits cannot do. Physical experiences make museum exhibits more

memorable, and the best use of technology is not to make visitors aware of the

technology, but to make them aware of the exhibit.

The study will critically examine the importance and role of ICT in

conservation of information materials in museums in which our research

dwells at Nairobi Museum in Kenya. Information Communication

Technology has many advantages and benefits in museum; enhanced the

modes of communication, Cost-efficient, Paperless: Eliminate the usage of

paper, A better teaching and learning methods, Enhanced data and information

security, Minimize cost and save time. Easy student management. From the

above advantages of using ICTs in museum this makes the study more

relevant in my research.

1.8 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY.

The assessment of the role of ICTs in undertaking the Nairobi Museum in

Kenya was conducted in Nairobi Museum. The Scope of Information and

Communication Technology (ICT).It is the convergence of telephone and

computer networking through a single cabling system with ease of data

storage, manipulation, management, and retrieval. It is concerned with

database management, computer programming, and software development.

The limitation of the study is that while undertaking the research the

respondent might not answer all the required questionnaires honestly and the

negative attitude imposed by the respondent. The organization may limit the

information they are passing this is because some information is regarded to

leave and hence data retrieving may be limited.

1.9 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

A conceptual framework is an analytical tool with several variation and

context. It is used to make conceptual distinctions and organize ideas. It

represents the researcher’s synthesis of the literature on how to explain a

phenomenon also conceptual framework are the researcher’s understandings

of how the particular variables in his study connect.

There are two types of variables Independent variables and Dependent

variables.

An Independent variable is manipulated in order to determine its effect or

influence on another variable (Mugenda 2008:117) Mugenda continues to

state that a Dependent variable varies as a function of the independent

variables or varies in study.

Figure 1 1 Conceptual Framework

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLE

ICT skills

Conservation of information
ICT tools and services
material in museum

ICT roles and benefits in

Information Communication Technology

ICT, or information and communications technology (or technologies), is the

infrastructure and components that enable modern computing.

Although there is no single, universal definition of ICT, the term is generally

accepted to mean all devices, networking components, applications and

systems that combined allow people and organizations (i.e., businesses,

nonprofit agencies, governments and criminal enterprises) to interact in the

digital world.

Conservation

A careful preservation and protection of something. Especially: planned

management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or

neglect. Water conservation. Wildlife conservation. : The preservation of a

physical quantity during transformations or reactions.

Museum

“A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society

that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and

intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums

foster diversity and sustainability.

Cultural heritage

Cultural heritage can be defined as the legacy of physical artifacts (cultural

property) and intangible attributes of a group or society inherited from the

the future with the application of particular approaches in the present.