Message-ID: <54974E57.7060500@mhtc.net> Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 16:48:55 -0600 From: Brian Bigler <usemeum@mhtc.net> Subject: Fwd: collections storage practices question
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: collections storage practices question
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 12:34:29 -0600
From: Brian Bigler <usemeum@mhtc.net>
Reply-To: usemeum@mhtc.net
To: lis >> localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Hello everyone,
We are having a debate at the Mount Horeb Area Historical Society on how
we should handle the placement of artifacts in our current facilities
and in our planned new facility.
With some exceptions we presently file artifacts by subjects:
typewriters in business area, decorative home arts include those
decorative items found in the home, domestic includes those items for
doing home chores, toys, time pieces, lighting, agricultural, tools,
guns, furniture, textiles and costume, etc.
The debate now is should we file items as we receive them?: a
typewriter next to pots and pans next to a candle stick, next to tools.
etc. In other words shelve in available space as they come to us.
Of course this latter system relies on the fact that everything is in a
data base which the bulk of our artifacts are in -- Past Perfect.
We also hope to photograph a large portion of the more that 20,000
artifacts in the collection to make it easier for researchers and staff
to search the collection.
Any comment on how others with larger collections prefer to file stored artifacts will be very helpful in our depate.
We are having a Collections Committee meeting soon so any quick
responses would be most helpful.
Brian J. Bigler - collections volunteer, Mount Horeb Area Historical
Society