Рад Музеја Војводине

The journal “Work of Vojvodina’s Museums” was started by The Vojvodina’s Museum from Novi Sad in 1952 as a major and permanent imprint which publishes the results of activities of museum workers and institutions in Vojvodina as well as their scientific work. The main area of research is the cultural history of Vojvodina in the past and the present, observed from the viewpoints of related scientific disciplines.

In the preface to the first edition of the journal the overall purpose of museology and main goals for launching the journal were highlighted:

The journal should be the reflection of all our intellectual efforts and systematic work, which would in turn result in a proper understanding of our opulent past. Work of the Museum of Vojvodina is a periodical journal in which articles are published on a continuous basis, and which has a methodically-organised museum material related to archeology, history, ethnology, art history and natural sciences, in addition to papers concerning museum conservation issues of Vojvodina. Moreover, articles addressing educational problems which are met in the work of our museums will find their place in the Journal. This issues are being collected in the first place through contacts and mutual activities realized with people that organize thematic exhibitions, give lectures, etc., and whose surveys will provide support and help in teaching at schools. Finally, the problems of raising the overall level of expertise and knowledge of museum employees (scientific as well as administrative staff) will also be addressed through the organization of specialised courses, seminars and the like.

There had been fifty numbers published in a total of thirty-nine volumes up to year 2008. The first Editorial Board (Rajko L. Veselinović, Rajko Nikolić, Rastko Rašajski and Mirko Šulman, Ph.D.) determined the layout of the journal and, with the very first number, gave the basic concept of its contents: Preface, Articles and Treatises, Reports, Records and Documents, From the History and Development of Vojvodina’s Museums, Museum Staff, The Protection of Cultural Heritage in Vojvodina, Reviews and Surveys, Bibliography. In subsequent issues new sections were introduced: Obituary, Exchange of Publications, Thematic Exhibitions, Museum Collections, Museum Chronicles and Museum Acquisitions. The Journal also published the surveys concerning the protection of cultural monuments, because at one time Heritage Protection Service was part of the Museum. The tenth issue brought a new section – Directory– in which the bibliography of articles printed in the first ten volumes was enlisted. The custom of publishing bibliography of all the articles printed in the course of ten issues continued with every tenth number.

Conceived as a regular annual publication, the journal has undergone numerous critical phases, which are often caused by the lack of permanent funding, however the lack of appropriate scientific and professional contributions is sometimes the case.

In the first ten years (1952–1962), the journal was published as a yearbook. Issue No. 12/13 from 1964 is the first double issue. Later on, mainly due to financial problems, major discontinuation in publishing of the journal occured which resulted in the merging of several volumes into a single one: 12/13 (1964), 14 (1965), 15/17 (1966–1968), 18/19 (1969–1970), 20 (1971), 21/22 (1972–1973), 23/24 (1974–1978). In the subsequent three years a publication continuity was maintained: 25 – 1979, 26 – 1980, 27 – 1981. Issue No. 28 was published pertaining to years 1982–1983, while No. 29 to years 1984–1985.

The Issue No. 26 saw significant changes in the structure of Work of Vojvodina’s Museums. Instead of grouping texts into afore-mentioned sections, at the request of archaeologists, the journal was divided into sections according to different disciplines. It was believed that such aggroupment of papers would, at least temporarily, satisfy the need for a specific archaeological journal. The request initiated predominantly from the requirements of the publication exchange process with specialized archaeological institutions.

Up to the issue No. 25 the title text of the imprint was translated into French, and from No. 26 it is translated into English, since most of the abstracts are in English. In the issue No. 27 the title text remained in English, but abstracts were given in German, and starting from issue No. 28 titles in the contents are given (for every paper) in three languages (Serbo-Croatian, English and German). If the text is written in some other language, then the first translation of the title is given in Serbo-Croatian.

Special attention is paid to reviewers and their significance. It was decided that the names of reviewers should be mentioned after each group of articles from a certain scientific discipline.

Due to the problems of a financial nature Editorial Board decided to give priority in publication to papers of museum workers, since “Work of Vojvodina’s Museums” is the sole national yearbook in the field of museology. Certain impoverishment of topics from general and cultural history of Vojvodina was the consequence of this policy.

Due to the lack of funding and the low response from museum staff, the yearbook covered two years twice, and at one time the journal appeared as a double issue: 31 (1988-89), 32 (1989-90), 37/38 (1995-96). In No. 31 (1988-89), for the first and only time, in addition to the number YU-ISSN, the UDC number was introduced for the entire journal while the program orientation remained unchanged. Starting with No. 32 contents page was transferred to the beginning of the journal and the design and print quality of the journal were modified. The Editorial Board managed to maintain the regularity of publication of several issues (No. 33-35) with the same concept as before.

By merging of Vojvodina’s Museum with the Historical Museum on May 20, 1992. the Museum of Vojvodina was created.

A new Editorial Board was appointed and the name of the journal was changed to “Work of the Museum of Vojvodina”, but the concept and decision to continue to publish articles of collaborators from other institutions remained. Starting from No. 36 the journal bore a new name, as well as a new cover design, whose layout was entirely done electronically.

In the double issue 37/38 and 39 (1997) there were printed papers from two scientific conferences organized by the Museum of Vojvodina: Medieval and Slavic Archeology in Vojvodina and the Serb Uprising in Banat in 1594, which had as a consequence the increased volume of these two issues. Changes in the concept design were introduced with new sections Pedagogy and Conservation & Restoration. In No. 39 (1997) the new emblem of the Museum of Vojvodina was printed for the first time and which was created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the first concept of Museum. Years 1999-2000 were commemmorated with a double issue 41 /42. To compensate for the delay in publication of the journal, in 2004 a triple issue 43-45 for years 2001-2003 was published.

The journal kept its earlier concept and existing sections, but got a new cover design and new logo of the Museum of Vojvodina, starting with No. 46 (2004).

In Issue No. 50, a great number of scientific fields were covered – archeology, anthropology, history, art history, ethnology, conservation, museology, museum pedagogy, cultural management and library science. Besides scholarly papers, a number of articles of a more popular nature were also present within sections Records & Documents, From the Museum and Gallery Collections, From the Museums and Galleries of Vojvodina, Bibliography, etc.

The 50th jubilee issue was commemorated by the publication of Библиографије Рада војвођанских музеја 1-35 / Рада Музеја Војводине 36-50 (1952-2008) (The Bibliography of Work of Vojvodina’s Museums 1-35 / Work of the Museum of Vojvodina 36-50 (1952-2008) by authors Drago Njegovan, Ph.D., and Lidija Mustedanagić.

On the authorized list of scientific journals for year 2013, published by the Scientific Board on History, Archeology and Ethnology within the Ministry of Science and Technology Development, Work of the Museum of Vojvodina was categorised as journal of national significance (M52).
(Drаgicа Јоvаnоvić/ Lidiја Мustеdаnаgić, M.A.)

Impressum
ISSN 1450-6696
Editor in chief: Agneš Ozer
Editor: Dragica Jovanović
Editorial Staff Secretary: Darjuš Samii
Managing Editor: Ivan Kukurov

Editorial Board:
• Tijana Stanković-Pešterac – Archeology
• Suzаnа Мilоvаnоvić – Early History
• Dr Drаgо Nјеgоvаn – Recent History
• Мr Kаtаrinа Rаdisаvlјеvić – Ethnology
• Аnа Оlајоš – Conservation and Restauration
• Slаđаnа Vеlеndеčić – Pedagogy