This has been a favorite topic of mine recently!

I assume that you're already using nomenclature to standardize object
names and that your question is more in regard to using subject
headings to link objects, photos, books and archives in PastPerfect's
search term field.  We use the Library of Congress Name Authority
Headings (http://authorities.loc.gov/) for proper names as much as
possible and refer to DACS (Describing Archives A Content Standard)
when we need to create local authoritative names that are not
authorized by the LOC.  I'm trying really hard not to reinvent the
wheel.  The hope is that when we need to export MARC records from our
archive and library catalogs, the headings will be consistent with the
rest of the world and will need limited editing.

I have an Excel spreadsheet where I keep track of all of the local
search terms that have been authorized and I am trying very hard to
drill into everyone's head that anything entered into that field Must
be authorized first or it may not be entered.  Hopefully this will
keep us from having more then one term for the same thing.

So far it's working.  I'd love to know what everyone else is doing!

Callie


On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 1:14 PM, Brooke Genter <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Mark,
>
> I like to use the Library of Congress Subject Headings for the Subject field
> in PastPerfect. The headings can be looked up easily and for free on the web
> and include personal and geographic names. While the nomenclature in
> PastPerfect is limited to types of objects and materials, I have found the
> LOC national standards provided for general use with libraries and archives
> can easily be adopted for museum collection databases. This can work
> especially well over time as long as everyone who is cataloging within your
> institution follows an established standard practice in regard to assigning
> subject search terms.
>
> The following links may provide some assistance.
> http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-thesauri.html
> http://authorities.loc.gov/
>
> Regards,
> Brooke Genter
>
> On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 12:41 PM, Dobbins, Kristine J. <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>>
>> Mark,
>>
>>
>>
>> It sounds like what you are looking for is the standardized Nomenclature
>> system which is built into Past Perfect. It is a system used to standardized
>> object terms (and spellings) not only within an organization but also
>> between institutions. Depending on what version of Past Perfect you are
>> using you will have Nomenclature 2.0 or 3.0 built in. There is a
>> nomenclature  discussion board where you can post questions and get more
>> instruction through AASLH (and you don’t have to be an AASLH member to use
>> it!) It can be found  http://aaslhcommunity.org/nomenclature. I would be
>> happy to talk to you more about Past Perfect search terms ---you can also
>> sort items by people, subject, classification or search terms in addition to
>> object name. Since it sounds like you are just starting out in Past Perfect
>> I would encourage you to use nomenclature from the beginning. Cleaning it up
>> afterwards is possible, but it is time consuming.
>>
>>
>>
>> Kristie D.
>>
>>
>>
>> Kristie Dobbins, Curator
>> Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City
>>
>> phone: 816.333.9328  •  fax/info: 816.333.2055
>> 5235 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
>>
>> www.toyandminiaturemuseum.org
>> •••
>>
>> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>> Behalf Of Mark Turdo
>> Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 10:50 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Objects, OPAC, and PastPerfect
>>
>>
>>
>> Greetings All,
>>
>> I am working on a project to enter 100 years' worth of collections
>> information into our PastPerfect database. Along with that we're trying to
>> standardize our approach to the database including how we organize and
>> search information.
>>
>> One of the questions that has come up is how best to use the search terms
>> field to help link related items within the collection. In the past we have
>> used proper nouns in the search terms field (e.g. American Red Cross) to
>> link objects, archival materials, books, and photographs together. However,
>> it's recently been suggested that using an Online Public Access Catalog
>> (OPAC) would be better. The argument for this approach is that it would
>> standardize the copious terms we have for the same things (some localities
>> have several spellings each used at different times), it would bring our
>> database in line with the local library's database (who also has a local
>> history book collection), and ultimately it might bring us in line with
>> other collecting agencies when all of our collections information is fully
>> available online and we're operating under web 3.0 (which may or may not be
>> a ways off).
>>
>> In researching this possibility I have found that museums are using OPAC
>> for their library and archival collections, which makes sense since it was
>> designed for those collections. However, I have not found OPAC is also being
>> used to search object and photographic collections. In fact I haven't seen
>> any discussion of a generally accepted approach to object catalogs and
>> search terms. Each institution seems to create their own.
>>
>> Is anyone using OPAC for all of their collections (beyond just books and
>> manuscripts)? Are there are any reasons not to use OPAC for object
>> collections? How does your museum organize and use the search terms field,
>> if at all? Is there a generally accepted approach to search terms?
>>
>> Any help you could offer would be most appreciated.
>>
>>
>> Thanks In Advance,
>>
>> Mark A. Turdo, IMLS Project Manager
>> Andover (MA) Historical Society
>>
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-- 
Callie R. Stewart
Collections Manager
Bennington Museum
75 Main Street
Bennington, Vermont 05201
tel (802) 447-1571
fax (802) 442-8305
www.benningtonmuseum.org

=========================================================
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