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The British Museum plans to digitize its records within five years as part of an effort to protect its collection after the theft of approximately 2,000 artifacts.
George Osborne, former Conservative chancellor and chair of the museum, revealed that the thefts were carried out over a span of 20 to 25 years, describing it as an “inside job.”
About 350 of the stolen objects are in the process of being returned and will be displayed due to significant public interest. Osborne stated, “We have the makings of a good exhibition.”
This summer, the thefts, which included ancient semi-precious stones and gold jewelry, caused a crisis for the museum, leading to the resignation of director Hartwig Fischer and highlighting the museum’s record-keeping and security protocols.
An employee suspected of committing the theft was dismissed, and an independent review led by former trustee Nigel Boardman is underway. The London Metropolitan Police is also conducting its own investigation.
Interim director Sir Mark Jones informed a parliamentary committee that out of a total of 8 million objects in the museum’s storage and on display, 1 million are unregistered. Additionally, 300,000 objects are registered but not digitized, and 1.1 million have a digital record but no photograph.
Sir Mark Jones emphasized the importance of making the collections as widely accessible as possible, both through documentation and digitization, to ensure their security. He remarked, “The most sustainable and best security for collections is that they are widely known and widely used.”
He also acknowledged that a major problem with the stolen objects was their lack of visibility. Only one person knew about them due to a decision made in the 19th century to leave them undocumented.
The museum has taken steps to improve its whistleblowing policy and tighten security procedures, such as requiring a minimum of two staff members to be present when visiting the museum’s “strong rooms.”
Despite the challenges it faces with procedures and governance, the museum remains confident in the support of its donors as it embarks on a “master plan” to renovate its neoclassical building in Bloomsbury. The project is expected to require significant funding from public and private sources.
Sir Mark Jones affirmed, “We have not encountered any donors who are withdrawing their support from the museum.”
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