Tim-
You're right that collection relocation is a complicated job--particularly
because it not only involves museum standards but other institutional issues
as well (such as asset management).  The UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural
History moved 150,000+ accessions (who knows how many discrete items) from
an old academic building to a new museum facility about 3 or 4 years ago.
The university's accounting/auditing department wanted to be involved at some
level, and of course the museum staff wanted to maximize the opportunity to
code the conservation condition of the objects and to correct gross errors in
attribution.  All this inventory and evaluation activity had to work around
the demands of properly packing the objects for their short trip to the new
facilities.  Barcoding was not used at that time, but all of the collections
had been computerized using Questor's Argus software (using accession #s as
unique identifiers), and the Questor people helped to develop a few special
modules to help with tracking objects during the move.
 
I don't work there anymore, and I don't think they are Internet connected.
Try contacting the Fowler Museum's registrar, Sarah Kennington, for more
information.  You should be able to reach her via the campus' telephone
operator at (310) 825-4321.  She can fill you in on the details.  Your move
sounds even bigger in number of objects involved...good luck!
 
-Richard Chute
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