Introduction
Museums are a reliable source of information for researchers, and a good entertainer for teaching children history and other topics. They are the main link for past, present and future( ICOM 2007). As defined by the International Community of Museums( ICOM)( 2007):“ A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.”
This study is discussing the United Arab Emirates( UAE) museums’ indoor environments and their effect on human health, comfort, performance and productivity by investigating three main controlling factors in the museum environments; artifacts, visitors, and personnel. An earlier stage of this study was published in 2014, discussing the UAE Museum’ s Indoor Environmental Quality( IEQ) from the visitors’ perception, and the satisfaction level of visitors toward some of the museums in the UAE( Askari and Altan 2014).
The main aspect that makes the museum environments different from any other environment is the presence of historical and original ancient items in them. These items should be kept in specific conditions with special care in order to stop their degradation process as well as preserving them. Museum personnel spend relatively long time inside the museum, depending on their position and duty, they may be in direct / indirect contact with artifacts. Evaluating the conditions of the environment they work in and how it affects them is essential point to be considered in the studies related to museum indoor environments.
This research paper is aiming to provide a comprehensive study that can be used as a reference guide for setting up new museums as well as for enhancing the IEQ in existing museums in the UAE, due to the growing interest in such cultural projects, specifically for Expo 2020.
Methodology
The earlier stage of this study included site visits to existing museums in Sharjah and Dubai for establishing a general overview of the museum environments. Based on the site visits and the literature review, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted in three museums of Sharjah( Sharjah Islamic Civilization, Sharjah Archaeology and the Heritage House in Sharjah). The feedback from the visitors was gathered during the summer period of 2014. The second stage of the research focused more on the museum personnel / staff. Interviews with different sections of Sharjah Museums’ departments, particularly the personnel who are more likely to be exposed to the artifacts; maintenance department, security staff, tour guides were included. In Dubai, the Architectural Heritage Department( AHD) from Dubai Municipality was included in the study in order to evaluate the working conditions in the laboratories as well. This stage of the study has been completed in 2015.
Literature Review
The original and historical artifacts make the museum environment different from other environments( Saraga et al. 2011). Certain standards are followed to setup suitable environmental conditions for preserving these artifacts. The exhibition halls and display cases are controlled and monitored continuously in the museums. These conditions sometimes may not be ideal for the
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