Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2-20-2021
Abstract
In every sphere of activity, knowledge or information is the major constituent that determines the quality and relevance of actions. Social, cultural, technological and economic progress is based on what we have achieved till now. Heritage items contain knowledge embedded in them on the technology already developed and the discoveries made in different disciplines during the past which gives perspectives of culture and civilization and forms the major base for further progress. So conservation of heritage, especially knowledge heritage, is essential for future generations for sustainable development. In India, even though regional level conservation efforts are occurring, no comprehensive information system which gives the full perspective of the item or environment to be conserved, has been developed for the heritage properties listed in the UNESCO World list that can support the day-to-day activities of conservationists at the location. This study discusses the need for developing and managing such a comprehensive information system that can preserve, conserve and retrieve the knowledge heritages in a single platform. Further, it identifies the requirements of adopting widely accepted guidelines, methods and standard practices for preserving and retrieving the cultural heritage information to circumvent any economical, legal, and technological concerns. The necessity of adopting suitable architectural models and quality standards to design information systems for safeguarding cultural heritage of India also been emphasized. Further, the researcher perceived the need for preserving the distributed fragments of Indian cultural heritages which are not listed in the UNESCO World heritage list to enhance its visibility and safeguard it for generations to come.