I've been away for a little while, and am not sure if I am the "Joe" noted
in the posting below.  Nonetheless, I can't quarrel too much with the
comments, other than to add that there isn't a single correct approach.  A
particular vendor might work well for a particular institution, but an
in-house approach, perhaps with a consultant/facilitator might have quite
different benefits..

I think generalizations don't serve much purpose.  An achievable and
priorized set of objectives which allows choices to be made is a starting
point.  Whatever approach to collection management is adopted, it will have
consequences, both good and bad, for there isn't a 'perfect' solution to
this complex issue.

I think a collection management system should be not only a repository for
information, but also an agent which helps collection workers of all types
record and share their knowledge with others. Some of this knowledge is
personal and anecdotal, and thus not publishable in an academic arena.  It
is this knowledge which adds life to a collection record.  Whether such
information is recorded, and how, is a function of the original objectives
and the perceptions, outlook and willingness to learn of the museum workers
involved.  Hardware and software are no longer the limiting factor.

Every vendor and consultant can point to successful projects using their
approach or product, an indication in itself that there isn't a single best
solution.

"Different strokes...." is still true!


>To all involved in this discussion, and especially to Joe, as a "systems"
>person who spent more than five years in a museum setting developing a
>system, and has also worked in traditional business settings, i.e. large
>insurance companies, accounting firms, etc., I'd like to say that while your
>ideals and position have merit, reality prevails! The paramount thing is
>always the data, and as long as you can get at it, export it, and also
>implement proper vocabulary controls and oversight for data collection, then
>at least the databases you develop make the effort worthwhile.
>
>more.....
Joe Nagel (KUSTOS Inc.)
2961 Semiahmoo Trail
Surrey, B.C.  V4P 1H4
604-531-6879, 604-594-2628 (FAX)