Departments > Museums

Evaluation of documentation practices in museums of sub-Saharan Africa

Date:
20-21 September 2007

Place: Ecole du Patrimoine Africain, Porto-Novo, Benin

Context:
In order to better help museums of developping countries, ICCROM and UNESCO (Museums Section) have developped a three year programme which aims at preparing pedagogic material in four key areas: documentation of collections, risk and deterioration assessment, collections storage, Museum Emergency Programme (MEP).

EPA's expertise in Documentation was sollicited. A survey on the state of documentation systems and initiatives carried out in the past 20 years was carried out in a douzen museums of sub-Saharan Africa.

The results of this survey will be analysed and discussed during the Porto-Novo meeting. They will be the basis for in-depth discussions on the way to best meet the needs of museums from developping countries, to best help them in the implementation of accessible and efficient documentation tools.

Objectives:
Using the data gathered by the survey, evaluate the documentation practices in African museums to best help them in the implementation of accessible and efficient documentation tools.

Expected results:
- a knowledge of the situation of documentation of collections of museums of sub-Saharan Africa;
- an evaluation of documentation projects carried out in the past 20 years in African museums;
- suggestions to improve documentation practices in museums of developping countries in general, in Africa in particular.

Participants:
About 10 African museum professionals, ICCROM and UNESCO representatives.

Coordination:
Ecole du Patrimoine Africain-EPA / ICCROM

Financing:
UNESCO, ICCROM, EPA