> >Subject: Sotware for museums
>To: [log in to unmask] >
> >Hi, > >
I work in a museum that's beginning to introduce a software to
> >handle it's collection this year. The guys in charge of this activity
> >think that the old records of collection, which are on paper, should be
> >thrown away, and from now on we should rely on the database of the new
> >system. > I'm afraid that this could cause some inconveniences in the
> future. >Did somebody else in this list experience this kind of situation
> ? > > Is there some texts talking about the use of software systems to
> >handle a museum's collection in the net, or in some magazine or book ? >
> > Thanks for any information .... > > Bye, > Armando > >
Armando:
NEVER throw away the original paper records. (I'm sure everyone
will say this.) Neither box them up and bury them in the attic or
cellar. I am constantly going back to ours for verifying or additional
data.
I am not sure what you include in the term "paper records", but
many of them may be legal documents which must be archived
and preserved in any case.
It is extremely unlikely that their database will provide a place
(field) for every teensy bit of information to be found on the old
papers; so the papers preserve data which will not be available in
the database. Even if they scan and digitize & OCR the entire
archive.
Old paper records were never filled in or prepared with the idea of
computer software and its opportunities and its limitations in mind.
Data entry pernonnel often must make judgement calls about how
to translate what's on paper into blanks on computer forms, what to
enter where. Errors may be made, which are not discovered until
years later. Our insights and understandings evolve as time goes
on. Things do come up, unforseen things, and then we must re-
think what we have done and make adjustments. This is a normal
part of a collection data management system life cycle. Nothing is
perfect the first time: preserve all the old papers. You WILL need
them. I promise.
What you will rely on the database for is not what you will rely on
the old papers for. Some functions, yes, will be replaced by the
computer: Here, location data used to be written onto catalogue
cards; since we started using a database we never write locations
on the old cards, we always enter the new locations into the
database, and turn to it for accurate and up to date location data.
But we still have the old cards: there is much useful information on
them.
Last: there is indeed tons of information on the web about museum
software, data standards, etc. It is mind boggling, I don't even
know where to begin, but I'll try with a few key URL's:
MCN -Museum Computer Network
http://world.std.com/~mcn/
MDA -Museum Documentation Association
http://www.open.gov.uk/mdocassn/index.htm
MDA On-Line
http://www.mda.org.uk/
ICOM-CIDOC
http://www.cidoc.icom.org/
AAT -Art & Architecture Thesaurus Browser
http://www.gii.getty.edu/aat_browser
Anyway, just get the software guys to focus on doing their best job
on the database; the old paper records are yours to worry about.
And good luck!!
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Stephen B. Ringle, Registrar [log in to unmask]
University of Maine Museum of Art
5712 Carnegie Hall, Room 109 vox: 207-581-3257
Orono, Maine 04469-5712 fax: 207-581-3083
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