>From our experience here at the National Numismatic Collection (which has 1.6 million objects but a very small staff), I can say that an object-by-object inventory on an annual basis is an impossibility.  What WE do is a 'spot check', wherein a random number of objects are chosen for review (finding them, ascertaining that we have decent records for them, checking their condition and any conservation problems, and preparing a brief report).  Unfortunately, that is about all we can do:  the registrarial office here is several times larger than this department, but handles no objects itself and has no idea of the difficulties attending such work.  What results is an uneasy compromise, in which we do what we can and hope for better times.  
RICHARD G. DOTY, Curator of Numismatics/President, ICOMON

>>> Virgil Nitulescu <[log in to unmask]> 03/08/00 10:40AM >>>
Dear colleagues,

        The public museums from Romania are asked, by the Finance Ministry,
to make a complete inventory of all the cultural goods registered in the
museums (sometimes, hundreds of thousands of items), annually. This implies
an object-per-object checking (including the conservation estate of the
goods). I am interested about the members of the List's opinion on this and
if the members are aware about any recommended rule on this subject.

Virgil Stefan NITULESCU, The Vicechairperson of the ICOM Romanian National
Committee
Expert
CAMERA DEPUTATILOR
Comisia pentru cultura, arte, mijloace de informare in masa
Str. Izvor nr. 2-4, sect. 5
70647 Bucuresti
ROMANIA
tel: +40.1.4021284 or 3143178
fax: +40.1.3142913

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