Paul Eisloeffel wrote: > > Colleagues, > > Marni Welsch of the Judah L. Magnes Museum, Berkeley, CA, inquired about > integrating the registration and cataloging functions of archival and > artifact collections. I've had the fortune of having done some work along > those lines. Take a look at AASLH Technical Leaflet #179, "Archival > Materials in the History Museum: A Strategy for Their Management" (1992), by > Lisa Gavin and me. Lisa and I experimented with an integrated collections > managment system at the Kansas City Museum (Kansas City, MO) with great > success. We later found that other institutions were struggling with the > same dilemma. And so they should: The traditional rift between archives > and museum collections management techniques is based on a mutual > misunderstanding of the others' needs. True, there ARE differences -- > archival collections DO require arrangement and desciption, weeding, > preservation copying, etc., that museum artifacts do not. But all the > differences kick in AFTER the basic collections management functions of > accessioning and cataloging (and here I'm using the museum definition of > "cataloging") take place. After all, archival materials and artifacts are > collected from the same sources, according to the same mission statement, > are often interrelated, are stored and managed under the same conditions, > and are used by the collecting institution for its common outreach and > interpretive programs -- why shouldn't they come into the institution > through the same procedural door? The traditional rift has no relevance any > longer, especially with automation at our disposal and the material > culturists telling us that objects can be "read" just like documents can. > > Can you tell I'm a bit passionate about this?! I'd welcome the chance to > kick ideas around with anyone. And, Happy New Year! > > Paul Eisloeffel > Curator of Manuscripts and Audio-Visual Collections > Nebraska State Historical Society > P.O. Box 82554 > Lincoln, NE 68501 > (402) 471-4750 > [log in to unmask] Paul, My staff are struggling with this same dilemma although I happen to share your perception that the differences are more imagined than real. We will next month begin transferring our archival and artefact collections to a single database which, as you can well imagine, has generated much discussion about language and classification. How can I get a copy of that article which you co-authored? Mark Clayton Executive Director Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust Box 248 Napier New Zealand