Proof of Ownership in the Event of Loss: Use-Case for the Minimum Data Set

Cultural assets are exposed to theft and other forms of loss, even if they are stored in secure rooms. Dangers threaten from outside (burglary, robbery) and inside (abuse of positions of trust). For this reason, the collection management of institutions that store collections requires comprehensive, holistic risk management.

The associated digital minimal indexing of the stored objects with regard to unambiguous identification is necessary for two reasons: firstly, the knowledge of the existence of such documentation can act as a deterrent, and secondly, it provides the prerequisite for rapid proof of ownership in the event of loss. Minimal indexing must include all data that makes an object unambiguously identifiable and traceable. It must be created using digital methods in order to enable rapid access to larger and heterogeneous material holdings. Identifying object data is always important research data at the same time.

The aim of the TWG is to evaluate existing recommendations and standards for object data capture with regard to this security-relevant basic information. In addition to guidelines and recommendations (such as the ICOM Object-ID, the Security Guidelines for Cultural Property of the Conference of National Cultural Institutions, the Spectrum Procedures of the Collection Trust), the recommendations of the Minimal Data Set Working Group in particular are to be examined for their applicability to unambiguous proof of ownership. The use-case is to be integrated into the process of developing the N4O minimal metadata standards and the N4O object ontology. The inclusion of various cultural collection institutions allows the need for its application to be evaluated across disciplines and genres.