I've had to deal with a collections back-log at several institutions, and I
concur with Erin Quinn's suggestions.  Let me add a couple of other
observations:

The original poster is working on a collection that had some order (deeds of
gifts completed, objects ordered by accession group), which gives you a good
head start.  I've worked in collections that was like walking into a garage
filled with the accumulation of decades.  So you don't get overwhelmed,
organization is key, working in small steps.  See how the task can be broken
down into small steps, probably working section-by-section.  In my case, we
decided that photographs were the most requested type of artifacts and one
of the most fragile media in the collections.  We culled out the photos to
rehouse them in sleeves so they could be more easily handled.  Next we
sorted them out.  Those with catalog numbers were arranged, while those
without were sorted by subject then size to make cataloging easier.  By
focusing on one area, we were able to see significant progress and use it as
a model to donors, trustees, and volunteers to show what we wanted to
accomplish with the rest of the collection.

For moderately organized collections, we developed a "registration
checklist" that allowed us to list each item in the accession and track the
registration process for each item (a sample is in the recent Texas
Association of Museums Forms Book).  Using a magnetic board on the wall, we
created a similar system tracking each accession against the registration
process (from temporary custody to storage).  It kept all of us straight,
especially when we had several people working on the project at the same
time.

No matter in which circumstance you find yourself, keep your goals
realistic.  It may not be realistic to have every item housed and catalogued
to the best standards.  It may be more realistic that every objects are
simply rehoused in durable acid-free boxes or that you have items arranged
by media.

Hope this helps!  Keep chanting, "To preserve artifacts and provide access"
so you remember your ultimate goal.

Max A. van Balgooy,
Director of Interpretation and Education
National Trust for Historic Preservation

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).