Robert Brazell

I got my MLS at the same time I was working on my MA in art history.  I
wanted to catalog objects as opposed to books and I thought library school
was the place to learn 'cataloging'.  The two are different.  Librarians
have the luxury of being able to do copy cataloging if they wish, as books
are not usually unique objects.    While many items in museums are also
multiples (prints, for example) there is no common database to draw from
(while catalogs raissonne are very useful tools they are rarely available
online).

>      I am a library/info sci student who is currently at work on a paper
>concerning the cataloging of images and artifacts. As this overlaps a bit
>with the type of goals and work that museums practice, I have several
>questions I'd like to post for anyone who has the time to answer.

>     1) Any librarians working in museums, have you ever consulted with
>     curators during the accession/cataloging of items? Have you ever heard
>     of any information professionals being used by museums in this regard?

When I was at the Detroit Institute of Arts, I hired a library school grad
to do data cleanup and retrospective data entry into the new computerized
collections management system. She was wonderful and worked in the
registrars office at this task for a year and a half.  She understood the
attention to detail which was necessary and was steadfast, accurate and
interested in the project.

>     2) To anyone, are your accession records automated, and if so, what
>     kind of system do you use? Is records sharing ever an issue with museums?

There are several systems for this, some around for many years, some even
take MARC llibrary records

>     3) Anyone who has used Chennell(sp?) as a source for describing acquisitio
>ns, please let me know a few likes/dislikes about it.

Chenall, and it is often used for artifact/history museums (I would guess).
There are several other authorities used to catalog museum collections.

>     There is a sparse literature comparing/contrasting library work and museum
>accession practices, but I haven't seen anything recent on the topic.

I have always thought that there is a great similarity between museums and
libraries, they are both actively-used repositories for the record of our
intellectual and cultural history.  And, incidently, they are often
physically indistinguishable from each other in terms of exterior
architecture!

Suzanne

************
Suzanne Quigley
Head Registrar, Collections and Exhibitions
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212 423 3568
fax: 212 423 3650
email: [log in to unmask]