British Museum Will Digitize Its Entire Collection After Reports of the Theft or Disappearance of 2,000 Artifacts

British Museum. (Wikimedia Commons/Shadodowgate)

JAKARTA - The British Museum last month announced plans to digitize its entire collection, citing the need to secure public access to its extensive catalogue, following the theft or disappearance of around 2,000 artefacts last August.

One of the most visited museums in the world, the British Museum located in London, England is dealing with the fallout from the theft, highlighting internal failures and the director's resignation.

"Essentially we were victims of an inside job carried out by someone we trusted, who over a long period of time stole from the museum and who was trusted by the museum," museum chairman George Osborne told Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee, as reported by Reuters, November 1.

"There are many lessons to be learned," he added.

Osborne estimates about 350 artifacts are in the process of being returned.

The museum, which houses treasures such as the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon marbles, fired a staff member over the theft, which is also being investigated by London's Metropolitan Police.

It was explained that the stolen items included gold rings, earrings, and other jewelry dating from ancient Greece and Rome, as well as small objects such as gems which were often included in rings.

"We have taken steps to improve security and are now confident that a theft like this will not happen again," the museum's interim director Mark Jones said in a statement.

"But we cannot and should not assume that collection security, in the broader sense, can be achieved simply by locking everything up. I believe that the single most important response to these thefts is improving access," he continued.

Meanwhile, the proposed digitization project will take 5 years, with 2.4 million records needing to be uploaded or upgraded. The total collection numbers at least 8 million objects, according to the museum's website.

The British Museum, which has resisted calls from many countries, including Greece, to repatriate historical treasures for years, opened a public hotline last month to ask for help in finding the stolen items.