The Pursuit of Museum Sustainability : Investigating sustainability for museum databases in Sweden

Introduction: This case study with a qualitative phenomenological perspective investigates the relationships between museum databases in Sweden and the four pillars of museum sustainability, the Economic environment, the Social Environment, the Natural Environment, and the Cultural Environment. With the help of 33 indicators developed to measure museum sustainability, this study investigated which indicators museum databases could affectand how they are connected in order to identify what factors there are related to sustainability for museum databases. The Carlotta database was also discussed with the identified indicators in mind, with the purpose of examining the current sustainability progress for museum databases in today’s Sweden. Method: A survey was sent out containing 10 questions developed with the two first research questions in mind.The survey had 11 participants, which were completely anonymous, and literature was also used in the discussionof this study. Analysis: Using the definition for museum sustainability by Pop & Borza, and the 33 indicators developed tomeasure museum sustainability, the results of the survey could be analysed and used for identifying what indicatorswere relevant for museum databases, and what factors are related to sustainability for museum databases. Results: It was possible to identify economic factors, environmental factors, management factors, and conservational factors from the survey. These were then connected to the pillar that was relevant for them. The economicfactors were related to the Economic Environment, the environmental factors were related to the Natural Environment, the conservational factors were related to the Cultural Environment, and the management factors were related to all of the four pillars. Out of the 33 indicators, 24 could be identified as connected to museum databases. Conclusion: Museum databases have a great impact on museum sustainability, as well as museum management, but the same is true the other way around as well. Museums need to work together and help each other in order todevelop their databases in a sustainable way, and consequently, their museums as well. Every aspect of a museumdatabase needs to be examined with a sustainable perspective, which needs to be further studied in future research.The World Culture Museums are taking initiatives that are positive from a sustainability perspective, and the Carlotta database have great potential for reaching a point where it can be considered sustainable