Mary Ames,

Counting objects in collections is often an inexact science - is a
drawerful of watch parts from a watch repair shop one item or 10,000?-
but on the catalog record level - we have about 10% of the items
cataloged (approx. 28,000 of 280,000+) in our collections management
system on exhibit.  We are ten years into a  process of converting paper
records into computer records, and still have a ways to go, so the
actual percentage is probably (quite a bit) lower.  I would guess that
percentages vary widely depending on types of collections (art, history,
natural history etc.) and age of institution.  I'm also curious how
other organizations answer that question.

Jim McCabe

Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village
Dearborn, MI 48121
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>----------
>From:  SOHS Collections Department[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent:  Wednesday, October 08, 1997 7:15PM
>To:    [log in to unmask]
>Subject:       % collections on exhibit
>
>I'm curious to know what percentage of your collection(s) do you have on
>display at any one time? Is there a "standard" or accepted number in the
>profession? Folks with open storage exhibits will have more, of course.
>Thanks for your feedback!
>
>Mary Ames Sheret
>Southern Oregon Historical Society
>