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Date: | Tue, 25 Oct 1994 07:55:36 -0400 |
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>Chenhall is good for a starting point. I don't think fine arts uses it
>because most of the categories pertain to historic artifacts. I don't
>think it would work as a subject thesaurus for artworks. It has a number
>of drawbacks. It doesn't (nor does it pretend to) have a listing for
>every man-made artifact in existance. Many artifacts we have at OHS are
>not in Nomenclature. We have added to it liberally within the major
>categories "he" defines. We have "added" two categories. One for native
>American artifacts which aren't covered at all in Chenhall. I don't feel
>that I know enough about these artifacts to put a cornhusk bag in the
>same category as bags in general. Many of the baskets we have, we don't
>know exactly what they were used for and an artifact "without a function"
>has no home in Chenhall. Other ethnographic items I have a feeling would
>also warrant another kind of treatment, but native American artifacts are
>the largest collection of this kind that we have. We also made two
>categories for military and civil uniforms. The terminology for military
>uniforms especially is very precise. I've seen distinctive insignia
>categorized as documentary, personal, and clothing accessory. It is a
>somewhat imprecise system and leaves much open to the interpretation of
>the cataloguer which is ok if one is consistent but the inconsistencies
>over time and many staff members makes it difficult to know exactly where
>or what something has been catalogued as. This will be somewhat
>mitigated with a computerized collections management system but the links
>have to be made still. You still need to know what something was called
>in order to find it and the fewer choices there are the easier the
>search. Chenhall is wonderful. Don't get me wrong. It was for a long
>time the only means by which a system could be had for categorizing
>historic artifacts. But it's not the end all, be all. If a commitment
>to update it was made it could be much better. A horrendous task but.
>
>The Canadian Parks Service system is basically Chenhall with only their
>terms in it. This is ok for them and is basically what I have done. The
>terms I record in my records as object names are only those that pertain
>to OHS's collection. (Although now I have the whole thing in the
>thesaurus for Argus I can choose to eliminate object names that I don't
>want in the system). The Canadian system is useful as a reference. The
>"what did they call it" kind of thing. I couldn't just import it to use
>here however. It's too tailored to Canadian collections and offers
>French translations which I don't need.
>
>AAT. I'm still doing thinking about this. It has the advantage of
>having Getty money and support so the commitment is there. They are open
>to broadening the original concept (art and architecture) to other kinds
>of objects. I've put my native American and military questions to them.
>I'm still learning how to use it so I haven't decided finally what I
>think about it. I have it in print form not on the Argus system yet.
>(Although I can have it on Argus should I decide I want it.) I'd be
>interested in what responses you get about it.
>Hope this is useful.
>
>
>
>
>
>*******************************************************
>Marsha Matthews
>Director/Museum Collections
>Oregon Historical Society Internet: [log in to unmask]
>1200 SW Park Avenue Voice: 503-306-5274
>Portland, OR 97205 Fax: 503-221-2035
>*******************************************************
>
>
Thank you so much. You probably already know this, but the AAT is always
accepting what it calls "candidate terms" which it will consider for
inclusion in the next revision. I have put a couple forth. (This may
be what you refer to.)
Thanks again for your comments.
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