Classification and description of museum collection: a case study of Uganda Martyrs Museum, Namugongo

Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating how classification and description of museum objects is carried out at the museum (UMMN). The objectives of this study were to, to identify the categories of museum collection at the UMMN, to find out how museum collections are classified and described at the UMMN, to find out the challenges faced in classification and description of museum collection at the UMMN and to propose strategies for classifying and describing collection at the UMMN. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and the data collected for this study was from 16 respondents who included 3 administrators, 2 records managers, 4 museum curators, 2 collection managers and 4 users of the UMMN collections. An interview guide with open- ended questions, observation guide and document review guide were used to obtain information from museum staff and users of the UMMN collection. The major findings indicated that the categories of collections at the UMMN include ethnographic, metallic, photographic and art collections. Collections are classified according to the type of collections and events that took place during the massive killing of the Uganda Martyrs. The major challenges faced in classification and description include the lack of an ideal electronic database software, lack of training for museum staff, lack of marketing, lack of online information about the museum collection, lack of textbooks for museum collections and understaffing. From the findings, it was concluded that classification and description of museum collections implemented at the Uganda Martyr Museum, Namugongo is effective and provides easy access to collections in the museum. However it was revealed that lack of an electronic database and information resource center for the museum remains the major problem because the museum has just recently been opened to public few years back on 11th November 2015. The major recommendation is that the Uganda Martyr's Museum, Namugongo should implement an electronic documentation system for better classification, description and collection management. Other recommendations included, identifying the museum's primary source of information, provision of useful museum textbooks, coordinating among museum staffs and funding of the museum.