Museology: Career with heritage

Ranjan K Baruah *

Any form of heritage is important for the progress of humanity. We learn from our past and we can plan for better future. One of the important events observed worldwide is World Heritage Week which is observed in the month of November around the world.

World heritage week is celebrated by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation popularly known as UNESCO. The main objective of celebrating world heritage week is to increase awareness and educate the general public about the importance of their own traditions, cultures and the importance of saving and preserving them. Whenever we talk about heritage we do remember about museum.

In today’s edition let us learn how museums can be a career option. Museums are the places which stores remaining of the past. When we visit a new place we like to visit the museum as it tells us about the history of the place and also about the people and its rich heritage and traditions.

Museum houses and cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic or historical importance and exhibits them for public viewing. They give us a peep into the past, even dating back to the prehistoric age.

They are the embodiment of our heritage- a depiction of the qualities, traditions, features of life that have been continued over many years and passed on from one generation to another. There are career options related to museum and the simple word in this connection is ‘museology’ or study of the museums.

Museology is the science of Museums, and museum studies denote academic programs, generally graduate programs, in the management, administration, or theory of museums.

Museum being the repositories of our heritage and culture, this career is most suited for those with an analytical bent of mind and those who love or have an interest to know about the past.

One who is responsible for museum management is called museologist. The museum today and perhaps the museum in the future will generate a new platform for both men and women with potential skills to display their talent and interest with a positive attitude. Museology as a career or say museologists, can give a new boost to the career.

Institutions all over India and some of the prestigious universities offer a course in museology which includes M.A & PhD. Graduates from fields like history, archaeology, fine arts chemistry etc can apply for the course of museology. Also special interest by individuals is also appreciated to take up this course.

The procedure for selection is a written test followed by an interview. National Museum Institute, New Delhi, which is under the ministry of culture, offers limited number of seats for students with some of the best faculties all over India. The classes comprising of both theory and practical sums up to be very interesting and brings a definite positive change during the entire period.

This course includes study of museums all over the world, art history and conservation. Regular paid internships and a well job prospect round the course helps the students build up their skills, talent and knowledge in a concrete form on a raised platform.”

With increased awareness about conservation of history and heritage there is a growing need for professionals in this field.

In India, there are more than 1000 Museums offering wide employment, starting from Central Government Museums to the District level ones and from Trust Museums to private ones. Museums can be a reputable and generally trusted source of information about cultures and history.

A variety of careers exist within the discipline of museum studies, including Museum director, curator, educator, exhibit designer, archivist and conservation specialist. Our students may take it up and make their career related to museums.