I would suggest avoiding giving the book one number, then giving each page it's own number as well--this practice was the source of considerable confusion at the last museum I worked! I also try as much as possible to avoid adding new terms to a nomenclature--the more people add new terms to a nomenclature, the less standardized it becomes, defeating the purpose of the nomenclature in the first place. As for the question on whether to assign one number to the whole book or individually number the pages, I would say it depends on the primary relevance of the book to your collection--was it acquired for the artistic and/or documentary merit of the sketches, or was it acquired as an individual's personal property that reflects a social activity of the era? If you were to exhibit the piece, would you do so in it's entirety, or as selected sketches? For myself, I would assign a single number to the whole book, then store the book reconstructed as best I can (that is, sketches in order, interleaved with acid-free paper, tucked into their original binding--I'm not proposing that you attempt to rebind it!) as one piece in an A-F envelope or box. I would describe it's nomenclature as Communication Artifact; Art; Drawing (not exactly accurate, I know--but it get the gist of the piece while using existing nomenclature terms). ------------------------------------------------------------ Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery 1302 Bomford Crescent S.W. Medicine Hat, AB T1A 5E6 (403) 502-8587 >>> [log in to unmask] 03/13/03 10:10AM >>> I work in a history museum. We have been given a sketchbook used by a local woman around the turn of the century. The turn before last, that is. There are sketches in it. The pages are now all loose, but they were definitely sewn in when the book was new. Given that we use Past Perfect and are thus confined to Nomenclature, how would I classify this artifact? And how would I number it? Do I consider it one whole artifact, called something that cannot be sketchbook? Do I add sketchbook to the lexicon? Do I list the book with the individual sketches as parts of the whole with letter designations? (2003.005.003a-l) Or should I give the book one number and each individual sketch its own number too? Many, many thanks for any enlightenment you can send my way. Anne Anne T. Lane, Collections Manager Charlotte Museum of History & Hezekiah Alexander Homesite 3500 Shamrock Drive Charlotte NC 28215-3214 704-568-1774, ext 110 Fax: (704) 566-1817 [log in to unmask] www.charlottemuseum.org Featured March and April events: Soldiers' Stories: War in the First Person, on exhibit until September 2004 Highways and Byways of Our State, on exhibit until June 2003 Heirloom Quilts, on exhibit until March 2003 Expressions from the Palette - on exhibit April 6 - June 8, 2003 Women and the War Effort, March 22, Noon - 4:00 pm Spring Barn Frolic, Saturday, April 5, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Swing Fever: A World War II USO Show & Dance, Friday, April 11, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. For information on these, and all other events and exhibits, please call (704) 568-1774 or visit us on the web at www.charlottemuseum.org ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).