Hello, Alex --

What you're doing is one of the newer buzz words going around in the last year or two. It's called Information Management. You should be able to find quite a bit on the 'net about it by searching that as a keyword phrase.

If you can get hold of some kind of browser-type software, you should be able to set it up like a local "home page" with links to all the "volumes" you'd like to set on your virtual shelf. I haven't done it, but it's something I'd like to try (if I can ever get the time). Let me know if you figure out the details, it'll save me from re-inventing the wheel (which is just what Information Management is supposed to eliminate in the first place!).

>>> "Alex W. Barker" <[log in to unmask]> 06/25/98 08:58AM >>>
When I'm in the field, obviously I keep a field notebook with all kinds of
miscellaneous (and ideally usually redundant) notes.  A while ago I started doing
the same for day-to-day activities in Collections & Research.  At least in theory
we have logs of important things (i.e., fumigations, IPM monitoring checks and
problems, humidity spikes, transactions) as well as procedures for resolving the
minor(?) crises of everyday collections administration (misplaced paperwork, permit
reporting deadlines, policy & procedure debates or misunderstandings amng the
staff, etc.).  But there really wasn't any simple way of knitting them together.
[snip]
Process-oriented records of this kind might help future curators quite a bit.  One word of warning,
however.  It can be a bit daunting to start recording data of this kind.  It's a constant reminder (and permanent record) of tasks undone, opportunities missed and procedures completed backwards.
[snip]


Gregg Jackson
Librarian 
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
"Where children grow up ... and adults don't have to!"
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