After the establishment of the NPU in 2003, the main goal in the area of information and communication technology has been the unification of the highly fragmented records and applications used in the originally independent heritage institutes, and the gradual centralisation of operating the key information systems of the NPU, which would bring, among other advantages, a significant reduction in the total operating costs.
In the area of administration and economics, a new unified economic and accountancy WAM S/3 software was deployed and subsequently the IS VEMA personnel and payroll system. Significant savings were achieved in the field of telecommunications thanks to the standardisation of fixed and mobile voice service providers, and data services.
The unified Colosseum reservation and ticketing system is used for heritage sites under the management of the NPU.
Information Resources on the NPU website
Within this website are either directly or by link disclosed information base operated by the National Heritage Institute. Status of this presentation data continuously reflects the development in the area described in another part of the IISPP.
Resources presented at the MonumNet
MonumNet is a set of web applications designed primarily for the presentation of selected data collected in MonumIS, which are also further support the association of separate web application professional and operational nature, partly with the possibility of on-line data editing. Is accessible in camera operation, Intranet NPU. Generally, the MonumNet also see here.
From the front page site are directly accessible basic applications, especially for data presentation on heritage Fund:
- Immovable cultural monuments - application for searching, printing and export of basic data on immovable monuments
- World Heritage - application for searching, printing and export of basic data on the monuments in the Czech Republic on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List
- National cultural monuments - application for searching, printing and export of basic data on national cultural monuments and sights
- Heritage area - application for searching, printing and export of basic data on historical reserves, zones and protection zones, including information on immovable monuments in their territories
- Most endangered cultural sites - a non-public parts of an application for editing, creating and publication of the public the current list of most endangered intangible heritage, including photos stored in MIS
- Permission to restoration - application for permission with an overview of restoration activities; (2012 assumes the maintenance and presentation of information, the Ministry of Culture, which is to do so under the Heritage Act)
Through the menu MonumNet are available and other publicly accessible applications:
- Operational research and documentation - a non-public part of the application for editing, for the public presentation of evidence and surveys conducted at various sights, referenced documentation is stored in the MIS.
- Bibliography of Heritage Preservation - a non-public part of the application for editing, for the public presentation of bibliographic data and registers
- Central Library site, catalogs - Access to the Web site with online catalog, which contains scanned card catalog
- The directory layout and organizational structure of the National Heritage Institute - application presenting the organizational structure of the NPU, including individuals and their dislocations in buildings NPU
- Other professionals of State heritage preservation - application presenting directory of other workers in the area of State heritage preservation (and users MonumNet from the Ministry of Culture, regional and municipal authorities)
Other systems with direct link from the front pages of the Web
- Geographic Information System - see detailed description here
- Archaeological Data - see here
- Documentation to the sights - MIS to see here
Intranet NPU
For internal use by staff of the National Heritage Institute is a program that is accessible to them individually from MonumNet after login.
- Movable and immovable monuments
- Indicative list of national cultural monuments
- Terminological dictionary of heritage preservation
- Internal regulations
- Document sharing
Heritage Preservation Integrated Information System (IISPP)
As for the heritage care, work on the Integrated Information System for Monument Preservation (IISPP) has been in progress, as part of a long-term project of the NPU, since 2006, with the following aim:
- storing of all types of existing and newly produced data in one central data bank, with security and back-up measures
- creation of user applications allowing effective use and ongoing updating of the data stored, in a homogeneous environment, with the possibility to define various levels of access to data for internal and external users, including the public, optimally via the internet
- creation of methodological processes and standards for the administration, distribution and use of this complex system
Apart from building the necessary infrastructure for the IISPP (single data basis, devices for authentication and authorisation etc.), the following belong among the basic sections of the IISPP that have been completed so far:
a) NPU Geographic Information System (GIS)
The NPU GIS is based on a single data model for the creation of seamless specialist data sets for the whole territory of the Czech Republic, introducing a new standard for spatial identification of all objects in heritage care; this standard is based on the link to the data from the Census Register in the Czech Statistical Office and on the data from the specialised database CZ_RETRO (more on this database on http://sovamm.wz.cz/o_kodech.htm).
The NPU GIS is a reference source of data for the spatial identification of objects in heritage care, kept in other NPU records. Currently it is used mostly for processing:
- basic point identification and spatial definition of cultural monuments
- point and spatial definition of heritage conservation areas and buffer zones
- spatial definitions of territories with archeological remains
- topical maps and analyses, for example on building archaeology research, plans for protecting heritage reservations and zones as per the decree from the Ministry of Culture No. 420/2008 Coll. etc.
- nominating documentation for inscription on the World Heritage List (including the transfer to the co-ordinate WGS84 system and translation into English),
- geo-referencing the historic imperial map prints of the stable land registry,
- other specialised professional outcomes of NPò activities, or research and development tasks
The NPU GIS is also used for providing the production and transmission of data planning analytical materials (UAP) to regional authorities and municipalities with extended competence.
The following mapping projects and services are used for the presentation of data from the NPU GIS by internal and external users:
- IMS services and mapping projects for ArcGIS clients (Arcview, Arcreader)
- public and private web mapping projects, accessible on the address http://gis.up.npu.cz,
- WMS services
b) Meta Information System (MIS)
The MIS application is used for central storage, description and access to digital or digitalised specialist documents (photography, maps, plans, text documents etc.), related to objects in heritage care, or all professional activities of the NPò. The application allows:
- documents to be filed (independent of the department) and made accessible to specialists across the whole NPU, including information on so far undigitalised documents stored in the archives of the NPU,
- the creation of links between filed digitalised documents in MIS and other specialist IS of the NPU
- the search for documents on the basis of available information stored in MIS and information obtained automatically from other specialist records linked with documents.
The public part of MIS is accessible on http://iispp.npu.cz/mis_public/homepage.htm. It enables a full-text search of publicly accessible documents, display of selected basic descriptive attributes, thumbnails of images or downloading unillustrated (text, PDF etc.) documents.
The web signpost IISPP, accessible on https://iispp.npu.cz, was created for easy access to the applications and services of the IISPP.
Apart from links to the individual sections of the IISPP, it also contains current information on the operation of the IISPP (information about new functionality, planned outages etc.) and it is also possible to download documentation (user manuals etc.) for individual applications here.
For further development of the IISPP, integration of the other information sources and applications used so far by the NPU is planned (in most cases it will mean a total reprocessing of the given applications to the form of central web applications integrated into the single application environment of the IISPP):
a) MonumIS - a set of local database applications designated primarily for the upkeep of the Central List of Cultural Heritage USKP as per Act No. 20/1987 Coll. and associated information on the heritage fund of the ČR in the Central Department / Headquarters of the NPU. It contains basic registration details on movable and immovable cultural heritage, National Cultural Properties, World Heritage, heritage conservation areas and buffer zones, including details on the process of their designation, the notification of owners and the land registry of the inscription in the USKP, as well as data on National and Regional Lists of Cultural Monuments, and a synopsis of accessible archive documentation in the card index of the USKP.
b) MonumNet - a set of web applications designated primarily for presenting selected data gathered in MonumIS, into which are incorporated further independent web applications, both specialist and operational, in part with on-line data editing options. In the public section accessible on the internet address http://monumnet.npu.cz, it is possible to search for and display basic data on immovable cultural monuments, National Cultural Propertys, World Heritage properties, heritage conservation areas and buffer zones; in the part reserved for users involved in State Heritage Preservation (the NPU, Ministry of Culture ČR, regional authorities, municipalities with extended authority etc.) more detailed data, including basic details on movable cultural monuments, are available.
c) ISAD - information system on archeological data - a set of web applications intended primarily for presenting data from the National Archeological Register of the ČR, into which further specialist web applications from the field of archeology are incorporated, in part with on-line data editing options. The system allows complex differentiated access to individual, originally independent data sources (SAS ČR, Picture Documentation on Archeological Habitats, Significant Archeological Locations, Czech Archeological Database, Synopses of Research etc.) via an ordinary internet browser, including geographical data folders. The public part of ISAD is accessible on http://twist.up.npu.cz.
d) ArtGuard - an application designated for processing the registration of the movable cultural heritage of the ČR within the ISO program (Integrated System for the Protection of Movable Heritage Objects). It also serves to record and process the agenda according to Act No. 71/1994 Coll., on the Sale and Export of Items of Cultural Value, as amended. Since 2006 it has thus been used as the basic instrument for updating identification of movable heritage objects within the scope of ongoing research by the NPU, ie. updating of the section of the USKP that contains details about movable cultural heritage - with the exception of the furniture and historic library funds.
e) CastIS - is used for the separate registration and management of furnishings, i.e. the part of the USKP containing details on movable heritage objects (after uploading approx. 1,000,000 records from all the regional departments of the NPU). The application allows for the basic registration of objects, continuous recording of the movement of items, the registration status of the objects over time, evidence of location (so-called topology of the object) etc. A component of the system is also a link to digital display of the objects and multimedia image of the identification of the item (rotation of objects, video-sequencing etc.). Further information is available on www.castis.cz.
f) Clavius - an application designated for registering and cataloguing libraries (see www.clavius.cz). In the NPU it is used primarily for processing the entire cataloguing of the historic library fund, i.e. part of the USKP containing details on movable cultural heritage (after uploading approx. 600,000 records from all the regional departments of the NPU) at heritage buildings under the administration of the NPU. At several offices of the NPU it is also used for the cataloguing of specialist libraries and registering the analogue documentation of the fund - at the moment we are preparing the use of the Clavius application for these needs across the whole of NPU. Photodocumentation of the title page, volumes and further digital documentation of registered books and documents is also part of the registration in Clavius.
Basic contact information:
ICT obecně - Ing. Martin Dohnal, dohnal@up.npu.cz
IISPP - Ing. Petr Volf’k, volfik@up.npu.cz
GIS - Mgr. Šimon Eismann, eismann@up.npu.cz
The basic information is contained above, in the chapter Evidence and Documentation of the Heritage Fund