First, the disclaimer that I'm coming at this from a technologist /  
history of technology perspective.

The accessionable items you are describing are the data files that  
comprise the individual images. Something added to the lexicon along  
thee lines of "Image, Digital" would probably be keeping with the  
spirit of Chenhall. That a scanner was involved in the production  
process is only incidental. With contemporarily produced maps, census  
data, and family photographs leading entirely digital existences, the  
nomenclature should stay fairly flexible. The particulars of data  
format (i.e. PDF or TIFF) should be in the description.

One consequence of digital items is that the traditional notion of one  
catalog entry for one object kept in one location begins to fall apart  
-- partly because the notion of an original also falls apart. Once the  
data files are transferred into the museum's preferred means of  
storage and backup, those files can be considered the new originals  
and the CDs, Zip disks, etc. can be considered the equivalent of  
crating that only served to get the files to you. Their storage may be  
considered an unnecessary expense for objects whose physicality has  
negligible curatorial value.

Ideally, the catalog should be able to point to multiple locations of  
the single accession. That way, if you do print out a copy, it is just  
a different format in a different location of the same accession.  
However, some of the duplicates may just be work product and ephemera  
not worth noting in the catalog. Also, with a good data migration  
strategy, printing out as a retention strategy may not remove much  
risk while adding to costs and filling storage space.

Consider though the possible existence of a piece of physical media  
that is an exemplar of how certain types of data were distributed or  
of notable provenance, then it would itself be an accessionable  
object. If it contained instances of accessioned data, then you have a  
situation where a single object represents a collection of items. For  
a floppy or a zip disk, the extant "DISK, MAGNETIC" would suffice. A  
CD or CD-ROM could be called "DISK, Optical" drawing from category 6.

The mind certainly boggles at the possibilities. If the data is what  
will be researched, catalog to and care for that. If the physicality  
of the media falls within the domains of the mission and scope of  
collection statements, then I'd recommend cataloging to that.


- Paul Koenig



On Nov 14, 2007, at 10:46 AM, Mary Thomason-Morris (CCHA) wrote:

> Chenhall does not seem to take into account (or has not updated to)  
> the
> newer technology and I am having a hard time figuring out how to  
> list certain
> items.  Some of our photograph collection are 'Computer Scan only"  
> types
> (persons loaned us their old photos for scanning, kept the originals  
> & we have
> only the scans), or scans/pdf files were sent to us on either zip  
> discs or CD-
> Roms (both photos and scans of archival materials). I have stated  
> under home
> location on our catalog page the items that are 'Computer Scan Only"  
> and
> added to the Lexicon "Scan, Digital", but how do I name Zip disks,  
> PDF files on
> either Zip Disks/CDs, and CD-roms?
> Due to time & staff constraints (me, me & me) very few of these  
> files have
> been printed, so the digital file is all we have at the moment.   
> These items
> have been cataloged as well as possible, and are listed on our  
> online catalog,
> but non-requests for the materials have made them low-man on the  
> printing
> pole.  If they are ever printed (& I know it would be much better for
> retention), how would you update the cataloging (the electronic  
> files are
> cataloged in their broad area:photos/archives/library)?
> So much great stuff, so little time!!
>
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