-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf
Of Prevart GmbH
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 12:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Barcode Labelling another point of view - we use it!

Dear CMS

As I explained earlier today I think that bar code should just be a
machine readable translation of information to help handling. With
modern handheld Scanners like Symbol or Dolphin etc. you can also type
analog keys. So you can enter any location even a location outside the
museum without creating a bar code.

But

Our experience from moving thousands of objects shows, that the "remote
change" of locations in the database is very dangerous (and within a
move to new premises not possible, because we locate down to the single
shelve). I prefer personally systems, where the information is changed
in front of the object (e.g. using the information on the object and on
the shelve) and not in the office far away from the real object. Are you
shure that everybody did put back the object to the correct place (I am
not - especially with curators...)? Some (big) museums nowadays even go
to so called "chaos storage", were the object goes to any free space
that fits in size and not to a predefined place which is kept free
during lending of the object. There correct tracking of object location
is absolutly essential.

Sincerely
Joachim Huber

___________________________________________________________

Prevart GmbH - Museumsplaner - Konzepte f|r die Kulturg|tererhaltung
Oberseenerstrasse 93
CH-8405 Winterthur
T + 41 (0)52 233 12 54
F + 41 (0)52 233 12 57
e-mail [log in to unmask]
www.prevart.ch



Verlag Dr. C. Mueller-Straten schrieb:

>Dear colleagues, dear Mr. Huber,
>thank you for this extensive explanation on the pro and cons of barcode
systems. As I mentionned earlier in this discussion, the same purpose can be
reached by other means. The transponder technique is widely used day by day
in other parts of the economy, and of cause, some people are - as always -
sceptic about this "new" invention.
>
>But the tronsponder technology which can bear even more information than
just inventory numbers, is only of the alternatives. The other is an
documentation program which allows to transfer location data not only to one
objects but to a group of objects. An example: Lending 10 pictures from
storage room A (their permanent location) to another museum for an external
exhibition, can be done within seconds after return with a modern
documentation program by klicking "back to permanent location" to a marked
grouped of 9, and 1 to "Prevart GmbH". By this technology, somebody does not
need 2 hours for 500 chairs, but much less...
>
>By referring to this particular one object going out for restauration,
please keep in mind what was mentionned by Mr. Huber and others: If the
location is not your 123 shelve but the main entry, the room of the
director, the permanent collection, another museum or any place else, the
use of barcode labelling system does not work. In this case, you have to go
back to type the new location manually. So check the possibilities of your
documentation program and use a list of abbreviated index list of different
locations.
>
>Best regards
>
>Christian M|ller-Straten
>
>
>

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