Disclaimer: if the following topic has already been brought up and "discussed" to death, I apologize for being a newcomer and missing the dialogue. Museums are moving towards computerizing their artifact collections, either using antiquated DOS databases (artifacts themselves) or super-slick CD-ROM databases. Some of these databases have the capabilities to be dialed into via modem so that institutions can share their collections more readiliy. From the literature in journals and such this move seems to be welcomed, encouraged, et cetera. My question is this: Has there been any discussion on the intra-institution security issues involved in dial-in access? A friend of mine who is the curator at the Des Plaines (IL) Historical Society recently purchased the Snap database for her museum and was horrified at the idea that other museums could someday simply dial in and look at her collection. Is this an unfounded fear or has it crossed the minds of anyone else out there? (This dial-in sharing is the motivation behind the push for consistency in object cataloguing, yes?) [log in to unmask]