Bob,

You might look at/post a message on PastPerfect's discussion board.  They
discussed a similar problem there:
http://www.museumsoftware.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000
021.

We use PastPerfect 3.5 at Dallas Historical Society and use the system
recommened by Dave Harvey in another response to your post:  we use a main
accession number for each main item (ex. doctor's bag) with sub-numbers
and/or letters for each compnent therein.

Rachel Roberts
Dallas Historical Society
www.dallashistory.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Robert P. Scott
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 11:09 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Cataloging suggestions needed


Our museum, which has recently begun to use PastPerfect3.5,
needs some advice on 2 questions.  We are now trying to
catalog a group of items received when we were given the
contents of a turn-of-the-century (19th to 20th) doctors
office in our small town.  Being an historical museum we try
to conserve almost anything related to late 19th century
life here.

1. We can find no specific objectname or Sub-Category for
herbal medicines which were used 100 years ago.   We have
searched the Lexicon in PP3.5 and our new copy of Chenal
without success.  Should we just make up new objectnames and
place them into our intuitive use of Category and
Sub-Category lists or are there specfically acceptable
entries already in existence somewhere?

2.  Part of the doctors office items include several
"doctors bags" containing from 10 to 65 separate objects.
They have been inventoried as individual items but I am
resisting cataloging them separately without a strong link
to the bag from which they came. These items range from
stethoscopes and surgical instruments to prescription
medications and herbal remedies.

Any advice as to how to handle this in PP3.5 ?

Bob

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