Developing maintenance and preservation guidelines for the digital heritage management system at the Uganda Museum

Abstract

The aim of the study was to find out practices carried out during maintenance and preservation of digital heritage and designing a maintenance and preservation plan for the digital heritage management system at Uganda Museum. The objectives of the study were to; identify the types of heritage maintained and preserved at Uganda Museum, find out the various practices carried out during maintenance and preservation of digital heritage at Uganda Museum, identify the challenges faced during the maintenance and preservation of digital heritage at Uganda Museum, design a maintenance and preservation guidelines for the digital heritage management system for Uganda Museum. The study used a case study research design while adopting qualitative approaches for data collection. Data was obtained through the use of interviews and observation methods. In the study, heads of sections, archives staff and field based staff were purposively selected to participate in the study. The study established that Uganda Museum preserves and maintains two types of heritage including digital heritage and analog heritage. There were various practices carried out during maintenance and preservation of digital heritage at Uganda Museum including: Reprography of the digital files, Backing up of digital heritage, Digital heritage security and Installation of antivirus The study also revealed different challenges faced when maintaining and preserving of digital heritage such as the process is expensive, inadequate funding, lack of digital heritage preservation and maintenance guidelines, inadequate records preservation and maintenance equipment/materials, changes in technology, online hackers among others. The study established the recommendations for improving maintenance and preservation of digital heritage at Uganda Museum and these included; cope up with new changes in technology, adequate funding, training employees and finally development of digital heritage maintenance and preservation guidelines.