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PORTRAIT 1497
Information and Knowledge. Management of Cultural Heritage Case Studies from the Work of the Foundation for Information Society by Lia Bassa
Information management related to the UNESCO World Heritage and other cultural heritage issues is an additional research area for our scientific staff, which deals with the elaboration of the IT support for tangible (natural and man-made) and intangible heritage, with the help of data collection technologies applying remote sensor and/or information technology. Thereby, it contributes to decision making in the areas of heritage protection, with the use of leading-edge IT and knowledge management tools. Although World Heritage is a common treasure, in the absence of modern information management it is unable to catch attention, unable to become public domain. We are able to organise this, to elaborate and implement the necessary technical background because we possess the appropriate knowledge, tools and experience. Professional and technical assistance can be offered to the sites included in the World Heritage List or the Tentative List, in the areas of obligations prescribed by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention (monitoring, Periodic Reporting, state of conservation), in the tasks of the local administration prescribed by the Hungarian laws (e.g. document archiving) and also in world heritage, scientific and general touristic issues. Using the results achieved in other research areas we are able to produce a kind of technology transfer to areas that from this aspect are under-financed and therefore not sufficiently supplied with state-of the-art technology solutions. 1. ICHEPIS – Inventorisation for a Cultural Heritage Periodic Information System The direct objective of this two years long project (2001-2003) was to define the scope and structure of relevant information and data that could provide flexible and user friendly information and knowledge management solutions of major importance for individual site managers, all State Parties, as well as for the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO, including their Advisory Bodies. During research, effective methods were to be found in order to integrate all text documents containing valuable scientific data into one data system base and to make them easily available and searchable. In connection with the above, a review of the basic thesaurus of relevant areas and organisations, as far as possible, had to be integrated into a flexible Internet based structure, to provide conversion keys, including search engines, for more effective use of the present knowledge base. It was also of great importance to analyze the utilization of remote sensing images, including a wide range of already accessible public data on world heritage sites. Thanks to the growing interest of space agencies, an increasing number of State Parties to the Convention, Hungarian and international research institutes had been collecting relevant public data on world heritage sites for more than a decade to follow regularly the state of conservation of their own and other cultural and natural world heritage sites. Concerning the authenticity and the legal use of the collected data, these technical problems also require coordinated research since there has not been any methodologies or procedures for such activities approved yet. State Parties have to be capable of creating comprehensive site, regional or even thematic collections, learn and create data processing and knowledge management standards, as well as rules to update information and provide metadata services on their own sites. At the same time these models are to become a suitable basis for an approved system by the individual State Parties’ World Heritage Information and Knowledge Management System that has to be developed on a step-by-step and incremental basis. Such system enables the State Parties to recognize any relevant changes, including improvement or deterioration or even disaster of world heritage sites in due time. It also enables them to attract partners for mutually beneficial co-operation in protection and development of the sites so that the research can lead them to integrated data models, a structure for training and education, collection, distribution and use of such data, as well as recommendations on data migration. Nowadays, more and more research centers, authorities, civil organisations, councils and private persons are requiring having an integrated, centrally maintained but decentralized database, which contains updated information regarding the state of conservation of national cultural and natural heritage sites. The most important goal of the research and development project was to produce a technologically sound, professionally accurate and internationally acceptable model basis and data sample. In the course of research we have explored which basic elements of cultural and natural heritage have to be included into the site, national, regional and international systems. The scope of data to be recorded regarding the stored elements had to be determined in this phase, along with the points of connection to the adjunct databases as well as the theoretical solution to ensure data authenticity and safety. It has also been a research task to explore the circle of the potential users of the heritage database and to determine and register the changing and evolving demands for such databases (Figure 2). 2. The Heritage Reporter The Heritage Reporter, based on the results of the ICHEPIS project, a pilot software was also developed providing unified, searchable information about a Hungarian World Heritage Site “Millenary Benedictine Monastery of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment” demonstrating the full scale of aspects of manageable information on it. The system is made up of the following components: • Web-based user environment including preference driven multi language support; • Menu system available in English, French and Hungarian. German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese versions can be attached; • Map-based navigation system using about 100 maps; • A database specially developed to contain the documents, multimedia files, maps, pictures, drawings, photos, aerial and space photos, internet links, all the information about the World Heritage site, intangible heritage (folkloric and historic texts, dance and music); • Search engines for separate search functions: on-map searching (by regions, sub regions, continents, states, initials of states and sites, site numbers) and an advanced, multiple topic search mode (by combining two functions: search for data in world heritage web sites and simultaneously for words or expressions in the world heritage documentations); • Interface to the Hungarian National Heritage Protection System; • Interface and integration pilot to a facility management software; • Demonstrating in-depth site representations; • Information structure for description, values, exhibits, environment, related bibliography, links, access and other touristic data; • Authentication and access right management; • Representation of network sites. We also have to face the well-known problem that the same term has different meaning in different countries and cultural societies. The different languages, folklore customs, music and dance are the common areas of intangible heritage and the development of their science is interrelated. The researches of these fields are of universal value and must be included in an archiving system that can be used world wide and made accessible for experts involved. The establishment of such a multifunctional archive raises a lot of technical problems. It is evident that results of professional researches and discoveries cannot be made public without predetermining the conditions and legal background for access rights and regulations. The establishment of a joint archive supposes the existence of a joint basic system, as only data arranged accordingly are applicable. If the basis can be well and unanimously identified and the participants are able to fill it in with all available data, a generally exploitable, professional digital heritage archive will be created. Thus, different types of heritage like buildings, artifacts, historical texts but even musical and dance productions could be recorded and accessed by all participants for further work, research, co-operation and other functional purposes. Another basic requirement of this system is that it should be suitable for later extensions. Some parts of the contents should be accessible for the general public in the future but its main objective is that it should be able to satisfy professional users that is also a complex task. Namely, the work of university students, research workers, authorities and experts has to be considered and a legally clarified, scientifically appropriate access has to be assured for each layer of them. Subject maps and thesauri are necessary for the adequate handling of metadata and in the same time, for the establishment of a conception structure, the systems of environment, contents and classification have to be carried out. (Image 3) 3. The “Rural Heritage” program The “Rural Heritage” program has aimed to draw the attention of any visitor arriving from any country, from any social background, to make acquaintance with rural life in its original surroundings. It provides them with information, knowledge, develops their cultural awareness and last but not least, their visit is a financial resource for the site. Tourism is the main way of contribution to the preservation of the past and our heritage by the presentation that meets all requirements of information management. Heritage is entrusted for us by our ancestors and our responsibility is to preserve it for future generations. The means of conservation and transmission have been changing a lot in the recent times. Our cultural heritage protection projects have the duty to connect the values to be protected with the up-to-date technical potentials. Through their application, new ways of value protection, presentation and popularization come into use to promote the human track of globalization by connecting people with different background. Besides producing theoretical, aesthetic and cultural profit, business value is also being generated. Adjacent to increasing touristic income, it contributes to enrich the image formed of the given country. The digital presentation of a site includes data collection and retrieval as well as information provision to authorities, researchers, public and tourists. All information gained is put together for the establishment of an appropriate site management that aims at the preservation of the state of conservation. The buildings, objects, natural formations, the language, national customs, music, dance are all changing in the course of time. While carrying out the processing, various sorts of data collection, registration, archiving and retrieval methods have been applied. Our basic aim is to record the current status so that the managers could keep maintenance of the creations of the above areas. Their protection could be professional and in order to make people acquainted to the values surrounding them so that they could appreciate it and transfer it to the next generations. Monitoring can be completed when the priorities of the activities to be carried out are set up in conclusion of data collected. Data mining can contribute to the application of the collected and systematically arranged data to tourism, it assists caretakers to be prepared for the requirements of the visitor, and thirdly decision makers, professional bodies and authorities possess a full set of data, to select the relevant ones for their own purposes. The management of heritage sites requires new methodologies in the subject of supervision, administration, organisation, planning, control and marketing. The first step is the search for values, their systematic arrangement and the establishment of the database. It can be done by the contribution of both heritage conservators including folklore experts and IT persons. It is not a one-time job but continuous research, system building and updating. Next, the state of conservation is recorded and decision is to be made about the restoration or just the “preservation” of the objects. The monitoring activity also requires organisation and decision making. Regularity and frequency of the available data updating must also be identified. A change managing form is to be filled in and dispatched, collected, processed and classified. The areas involved in this procedure include entrance fees, reporting of executed repairs, and modification in the number of visitors and about the existing publications. For the sites, it should be made mandatory (or preferably automatic or evident) to report changes especially of addresses, owners, care takers, including their availability. It would also be necessary from their point of view as generally assistance is expected on their behalf as well. Central participation could be appreciated in many cases as these houses are scattered all around the country far from central monument preservation. (Image 4) These examples have also to be considered as conservation activities although not in the traditional sense. They are using the results achieved in other research areas like financial and banking systems from where we are able to transfer them to the cultural sphere of the economy. The additional value of these systems is that they involve an economical and financial feature in the areas of culture where it is badly needed. All over the world funding culture is a delicate problem: it is indispensable, nevertheless is under-financed and therefore not sufficiently supplied with state-of-the-art technology solutions.
Image 1: Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma world heritage site; Figure 2. Starting points and the series of goals: the research project generator; Image 3. Rural Heritage House in Fertőhomok, world heritage site. (Photo: Gábor Madarász), Image 4. Rural Heritage House in Fertőszéplak, world heritage site. (Photo: Gábor Madarász).
About the author
Dr. Lia Bassa contact: bassa.lia@infota.org Dr. Lia Bassa is a researcher at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. She is an Expert in Heritage Preservation and Touristic Relations and the Managing Director of the Foundation for Information Society. She holds a MA in English and French literature and linguistics as well as a Ph.D in English literature. She is the author and co-author of numerous articles and lectures on World Heritage management, heritage preservation, heritage conservation, among which SHAMAN - Shared Heritage Archives Management Across Networks, Hiradástechnika, 2005/5 Contact Foundation for Information Society Address: Irinyi József str. 31/A, 1111 Budapest Mail: 1507 Budapest, PO Box 213 Phone: (36-1-) 279 1510 Fax: (36-1-) 279-1511 E-mail: info@infota.org Website: www.infota.org
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