This may be an interesting thread, I would ask that people post their
responses to the list.  TIA :-)

As for my response, we use Chenall's here at the University of Northern Iowa
Museum with a specific purpose in mind. Database searches, and collection
management.

Chenall's is very limiting, although designed, in theory, to be flexible.
Obviously, it is used for cultural collections. It works best with western
historic material. In principle it is a necessary and worthy attempt at
applying a systematic approach to give an object a name. Nonetheless, once you
begin using it you will find its inadequecies.  Furthermore, in my opinion, it
is not easy to master its proper use.  Easy to understand, yes, easy to
master - NO.  We use it as a collections management tool in our database. Its
systematic approach tempered with proper use makes searching on catagories and
names of objects very easy.  Gathering statistical data on your History
collection becomes a breeze. Likewise searching for exhibit or research
material used for "such and such" or called ".." is expedited.  So yes, it has,
at least for us, a functional use.  Lastly, since it has been adopted by the
feds, it will always have a broad base of users who can easily exchage
information in a common language.

The down side is that culture and language is dynamic.  Plus experts are not
always the person doing the initial cataloging. If Chenall's were meant to be
dynamic, which it should and can be, then they need to put more white space in
the lists, so that new terms could be inserted without creating a mess. Lack
of expertise will result in proper name giving, todays CD rom child cant
identify an 8-track can they?, even so is an 8-track a "cartridge, tape" or
just "tape" or do we add "tape, 8-track" and I think we will all agree that
an 8-track is now an apprpriate museum object :-)

Non-western material cannot (should not) be given western names,
Chenalls does not provide an easy mechanism to integrate this into the book.
Maybe the answer is two books :?)

Until recently our collections were organized according to it, what a mistake
they made 12 years ago when they decided to do that! But I'll save that for
another day.

I'm gonna shut up now. gotta go go go to the collections room and organize some
more.

Terry Vidal
UNI Museum
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