In contrast to the conventionalized cataloguing methods in Bangladesh, the first step of the project was to devise and elaborate a metadata standard for digitalized museum documentation. Various metadata standards for digital documentations are well known in different international organization and institutions. An understanding and knowledge about the current standards devised and followed by different international organizations and institutions was sought at this stage. For example, the units of information devised by Museum Documentation Association of UK known as SPECTRUM (Standard ProcEdures for CollecTions Recording Used in Museums) and by International Committee for Documentation (CIDOC) known as CIDOC Guidelines for Museum Object Information: The CIDOC Information Categories were good starting points for the evaluation and assessment work and consequent building of a standard suitable for the condition of Bangladesh. A metadata (literally ?data about data?) standard for documentation, digitization, multimedia manipulation and web building will be devised by constructing a data structure to correlate physical data and digital data. Different metadata standards that are being followed internationally will be consulted to achieve this Those standards (i.e CIDOC) were consulted and the data standards for Dinajpur Museum were constructed after careful consideration of available logistic and financial support and critical contextualization. Our primary observation on Dinajpur museum suggested a methodology of cataloguing which will be meticulous in details and metrical measurements at one side, and appropriative and accommodating to the ?fictious? narratives, on the other side, to some extent, which are usually excluded in the dominant discourse of museum cataloguing. We have included, for example, the local stories and legends surrounding the object (if any) with the view that ?pure scientific facts? sometimes obscure and dissociate the humanness and alternative ?facts? connected closely to the biography of the object being catalogued. Under such premises, the fundamental theoretical concerns of cataloguing were not only to record various formal attributes of the ?objects?. We tried to incorporate the notion of ?biography of the object?, which is a concept elaborated upon by many archaeologists these days. Various qualitative data along with quantitative ones were defined and incorporated into our ?metadata standards? for digital cataloguing. However, conventional and accepted norms and parameters of museum cataloguing were not rejected. Rather they were appropriated into the above wider methodological framework. The objects were classified into 5 classes: Sculptures, Coins, Inscriptions, Small objects and Miscellaneous objects. Each class was then categorized into several units. For example, sculptures were categorized into Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Others categories. Recording sheets or index sheets were formatted for each of the classes with the coverage of various formal, spatial, temporal and cultural aspects. We tried to follow an open ended approach in this formatting. Data which could not be anticipated or devised before the cataloguing, were also included in the form of several descriptive and interpretive entries. Digital photographs were taken to record the details of various formal components and complete wholes. The digitalized database was created with the input of text, numeric and image data (max. 6 images). The output or visible module of the database has been built on a web platform; so that user friendliness and accessibility are increased. At the same time, future incorporation of the database in any URL is facilitated. Attempts were made to collect contextual information regarding each object, to cross-reference with texts and museums. Data regarding the available find spots were collected. Finally, all the collected data have been feed first into index sheets through several computers. A distinct reference code was developed for cataloguing in the format of abbreviation.number. The abbreviations those were devised are: DNPMS: Dinajpur Museum Sculptures DNPMFS: Dinajpur Museum Fragment of Sculptures DNPMI: Dinajpur Museum Inscriptions DNPMC: Dinajpur Museum Coins MNPMSO: Dinajpur Museum Small Objects DNPMMO: Dinajpur Museum Miscellaneous Objects After cross checking, the data were transferred into the platform database. The features of the database are as follows: A Software Application has been developed to input Museum Object Data to the database. The feature of the Application as follows: Application Type - Windows Application Framework - .Net 2.0 Programming Language - C# IDE - Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Database - MS SQL Server 2000 After completing the input Data to SQL Server Database, the data was exported to MySQL Database. It will be done using MySQL Migration Toolkit. Considering the fact that one of the main objective of the project was to launch the entire database to the web for greater accessibility and dissemination, a Web Application has been developed to show the Data in MySQL Database. The features of the Application are as follows. Application Type - Web Application Framework - Apache/MySQL/PHP Webserver - Apache 2.2.6 Database - MySQL 5.0.45 Serverside Language - PHP 5.2.5 List of catalogued Objects:
|