Yes, you're talking about several different types of
collections and each may well need to be treated
differently--not just physically separate but also
different intellectual control.  Archives and
manuscripts have a much different method of
organization and cataloguing than do the three
dimensional objects managed by curators.  Not the
least of which is that items are rarely treated
individually.  Archival theory is based upon the idea
of provenance and original order which means that
items created by the same person or department are
kept together regardless of format or subject.  Your
best resource would be to visit the University
Archives and take a look at their access system
(cataloguing).  You're very lucky in that the
University of Oregon has one of the most respected
records management and archives programs in the
country.

Anne L. Foster
Certified Archivist
Montana Historical Society


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