Museum Cataloguing Workshop Held for 12 Museums from Jakarta as part of Koleksi Kita

On July 18th, 2025, the Pusat Konservasi Cagar Budaya (Centre for Conservation Jakarta) in Kota Tua, Jakarta, hosted a one-day workshop and focus group discussion (FGD) on museum cataloguing, held under the Koleksi Kita (Indonesian Museums Documentation Project) initiative. The event brought together 30 participants from 12 museums across Jakarta.

A key focus of the workshop was its interactive, object-based approach. Participants worked in small groups to test a new digital cataloguing form developed as part of the Koleksi Kita project. The form was applied to five distinct objects from the collection of the Jakarta History Museum, chosen to reflect a range of material types, historical contexts, and cultural values.

The selected objects included:
- A fish trap from the northern coast of Jakarta;
- A model becak dating back to the 1950s;
- A Peranakan jewelry box with carved dragon motifs;
- Miniature baskets used by street vendors (pedagang asongan);
- A Gamelan Gambang Betawi, a traditional Betawi musical ensemble instrument.

Participants evaluated each object using the draft form, providing feedback on its structure and terminology. These practical sessions encouraged in-depth discussions around collection management, the application of controlled vocabulary, and the challenges of documenting diverse and complex objects in a standardized way.
The workshop was led by trainers from SEAMS (Southeast Asia Museum Services) and the Getty Cultural Institute, who facilitated both technical instruction and peer-to-peer exchange.

This event is part of a broader effort (2025–2026) to build capacity in museum documentation and create more accessible, consistent digital records of Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage. The Koleksi Kita project is funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and reflects a growing cultural partnership between Indonesia and the United States.