Ann,

The term "sketchbook" would seem to be a very valid addition to
Nomenclature. Go in to your "Lexicon" part of Past Perfect and add it by
choosing a major category (Communication Artifacts) then a sub-category
(Art). Then an "add object" button appears.

The original Nomenclature, published in 1978 had excellent instructions
for adding to the lexicon, but that was left out of the revised edition
(which had different authors) on the premise that all possible terms had
by then been added and that henceforth we all needed to stay totally
consistent. Not so. After all, the world keeps changing plus we are now
seeing the wisdom of keeping in our collections some items that might
not have been considered worthy of keeping in a collection a decade ago.
Within the day to day life of one extended farm family, in the
collection I'm now working with, saved for 140 years, are some items
that are not found in Nomenclature.  And it seems to me that a catalog
loses it's purpose if items are crammed in under a term that no one
would ever look for or find them under.

If you can find a copy of the original book, see Chap. 2 "A Logical
System For Naming Things". (I could mail you a copy if you wish --it's
not many pages.) The main caveat for such additions (IMHO) is to be
really sure there isn't already a term that, if used, will connect it
with like items. Then you have to think of all possible terms you could
use and choose the one that will cover the most possibilities for future
additions while still retaining meaning.

As for numbering, this is no different that any broken "whats-it"
--it's still a single artifact it gets one number, with letters or
decimals after if appropriate. Since this is a matter of pages, not
broken parts, though, it might be more useful to put on each loose page,
lightly and small, in pencil, the artifact number followed by a page
number in case the pages get used individually or get mixed up.

Lucy Sperlin
Historic Patrick Ranch
Chico, CA





Anne Lane wrote:
>
> I work in a history museum. We have been given a sketchbook used by a local
> woman around the turn of the century. The turn before last, that is. There
> are sketches in it. The pages are now all loose, but they were definitely
> sewn in when the book was new. Given that we use Past Perfect and are thus
> confined to Nomenclature, how would I classify this artifact? And how would
> I number it? Do I consider it one whole artifact, called something that
> cannot be sketchbook? Do I add sketchbook to the lexicon? Do I list the book
> with the individual sketches as parts of the whole with letter designations?
> (2003.005.003a-l) Or should I give the book one number and each individual
> sketch its own number too?
>
> Many, many thanks for any enlightenment you can send my way.
> Anne
>
> Anne T. Lane, Collections Manager
> Charlotte Museum of History & Hezekiah Alexander Homesite
> 3500 Shamrock Drive
> Charlotte NC 28215-3214
> 704-568-1774, ext 110
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>
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