What is it about?
This study looks at how better information management can improve the way we protect and restore cultural heritage. Traditionally, restoration work has not been well documented, which makes it hard to learn from the past or plan future actions. The paper reviews several real examples, like digital guides, databases, and 3D models used to manage heritage information. It finds that while there are more tools available today, we still need to make them easier to connect, share, and reuse. This is key to ensuring cultural heritage is preserved effectively for the future.
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Why is it important?
This work offers a timely contribution by exploring how different digital tools—such as open data systems, repositories, and 3D models (HBIM)—can support conservation plans for cultural heritage. What makes this study unique is its comparison of real-world cases and technologies to assess their usefulness, integration, and sustainability in managing restoration projects. The research highlights the urgent need for interoperable systems that allow different platforms and users to connect and share information effectively. By doing so, it encourages more efficient decision-making, better resource allocation, and long-term preservation strategies. This approach can help heritage managers choose the most appropriate tools and anticipate future challenges in protecting monuments.
Perspectives
This publication is part of a broader interdisciplinary development that brought together professionals from different fields during my research stay in Seville in 2021, at both the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH) and the School of Architecture at the University of Seville and also with my reseach group. Collaborating with experts from diverse backgrounds greatly enriched the work and offered new perspectives on the challenges of heritage information management. This experience not only deepened my understanding of the topic but also strengthened the foundation of my doctoral research. I am especially grateful for the collaborative environment that made this contribution possible.
Jaione Korro
Universidad del Pais Vasco
The idea of this work issued from conversations with the aim of preparing joint endeavours among the three mentioned organizations (Andalusian Institute of Cultural Heritage, University of Seville and University of the Basque Country) and served to cement the relationships among these institutions. At one moment we realized that a comparison of many of the works that we had been developing might help to set up a common framework concerning the topic (i.e., information management in cultural heritage management), that was characterized by a dispersion of approaches without connection. In order to provide as wide an overview as we could, the paper counts on a varied group of co-authors (nine) from different organization and backgrounds (conservators, architects, archivists and surveyors) and case studies (six).
Alvaro Rodriguez Miranda
Universidad del Pais Vasco
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Role of Information Management for the Sustainable Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Sustainability, April 2021, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/su13084325.
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