Interesting question. If one follows archivists' standards where the relation of the object to the overall collection is very important. The box and file would be regarded as constant and name could follow this format. Museum standards would have a unique number, maybe year, accession, object in accession and location could be subject to change over time.
Frank Thomson Asheville Art Museum Mailing address: PO Box 1717, Asheville, NC 28802 Street address: 2 South Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801 828.253.3227 t 828.257.4503 f fthomson at ashevilleart.org www.ashevilleart.org Our Vision: to transform lives through art -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Sarah Clark Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 8:48 AM To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Subject: Re: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives What if you aren't confident that the box and folder locations will remain constant? We've been trying to make sure that digitized items are processed to the item level, but have struggled with how to assign catalog numbers for specific items within a larger collection (not all the items will be digitized; only those where an image has been requested). And often there is a pressing need to digitize something that's in a collection which has not yet been properly arranged or described, so any box/folder numbers that exist are probably temporary. I'm very interested in this topic and would appreciate any other suggestions or caveats. Our images are managed through our PastPerfect collections management system. Thanks, Sarah Sarah Clark Curator Staten Island Historical Society Staten Island, NY 718-351-1611, ext. 272 www.historicrichmondtown.org Explore our collections at: http://historicrichmondtown.org/collections ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:04:59 -0500 From: lauren boegen <[email protected]> To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Subject: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives Message-ID: <CABO5MUYtyERdGL86c19dmSpatqgLGY2JoGw31st6ZmTWVm01pw at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi everyone, I'm wondering if anyone would be able and willing to share their experiences with file naming when digitizing an archive. We are struggling to find an efficient yet informative/functional way to assign file names to items in the collection that aren't individually identified at the item level. For example, we have several letters from John Doe to Jane Doe grouped in a folder and IDed as such in the finding aid, but we don't identify each individual letter by an accession number. The archive in question contains the business and family papers of an American astronomer and telescope maker and include mostly letters, invoices, and business materials related to telescope delivery. The best we've been able to come up with is a file name combining some sort of descriptor about what the image actually is (ie. letter_fromjohndoe_tojanedoe) and location (Clark_Series1_Box6_Folder2), but this seems unwieldy. I know someone out there's got to have figured out a better way, and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks! Lauren --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lauren Boegen Digital Collections Manager Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum phone: 312.542.2618 lboegen at adlerplanetarium.org ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:19:54 +0000 From: Cathy Herr <[email protected]> To: 'Museum Computer Network Listserv' <mcn-l at mcn.edu> Subject: Re: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives Message-ID: <1ACEB49A3941B84EB553C01A63A64C7704E38E at EXCELSIOR.glenbow.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Posted on behalf of one of our Archivists ... When we plan to digitize unnumbered items in an archival file, we first number the entire contents of the file. We then add the item number to the end of the call number which we use for identification purposes. For example, in the call number M-1234-5-6, M-1234 represents the manuscript portion of the Smith family fonds; 5 represents the 5th folder in the Smith papers, and 6 represents the 6th page within the 5th folder. Boring perhaps, but the call number will always lead us back to the exact document from which the digital file was made. We do not try to describe the actual item in the file title, as this information can be found in the finding aid. Susan Kooyman Archivist Glenbow Museum 130 - 9 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB. T2G 0P3 P: 403.268.4227 F: 403.262.6569 E: skooyman at glenbow.org -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of lauren boegen Sent: March-20-13 3:05 PM To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Subject: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives Hi everyone, I'm wondering if anyone would be able and willing to share their experiences with file naming when digitizing an archive. We are struggling to find an efficient yet informative/functional way to assign file names to items in the collection that aren't individually identified at the item level. For example, we have several letters from John Doe to Jane Doe grouped in a folder and IDed as such in the finding aid, but we don't identify each individual letter by an accession number. The archive in question contains the business and family papers of an American astronomer and telescope maker and include mostly letters, invoices, and business materials related to telescope delivery. The best we've been able to come up with is a file name combining some sort of descriptor about what the image actually is (ie. letter_fromjohndoe_tojanedoe) and location (Clark_Series1_Box6_Folder2), but this seems unwieldy. I know someone out there's got to have figured out a better way, and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks! Lauren --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lauren Boegen Digital Collections Manager Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum phone: 312.542.2618 lboegen at adlerplanetarium.org ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:21:18 +0000 From: Jonathan Benoit <[email protected]> To: Museum Computer Network Listserv <mcn-l at mcn.edu> Subject: Re: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives Message-ID: <B135BC04-F0D9-4573-B8B8-FCBA98C82D80 at dartmouth.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi, When I worked at the American Antiquarian Society, I used a convention like this: BibID-Box#-Folder#_sequential#.tif .. if there aren't any boxes, go straight to folder. 101234-b03-f33_0035.tif When creating a naming convention, you obviously need to take into account everything that is and could be. For instance how many total boxes for a family papers could exist? I tend to think 99 would do it, but maybe this isn't that case. LOC may have more. Jonathan On Mar 20, 2013, at 6:19 PM, Cathy Herr <cherr at glenbow.org> wrote: > Posted on behalf of one of our Archivists ... > > When we plan to digitize unnumbered items in an archival file, we > first number the entire contents of the file. We then add the item number to the end of the call number which we use for identification purposes. For example, in the call number M-1234-5-6, M-1234 represents the manuscript portion of the Smith family fonds; 5 represents the 5th folder in the Smith papers, and 6 represents the 6th page within the 5th folder. Boring perhaps, but the call number will always lead us back to the exact document from which the digital file was made. > > We do not try to describe the actual item in the file title, as this information can be found in the finding aid. > > Susan Kooyman > Archivist > Glenbow Museum > > 130 - 9 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB. T2G 0P3 > P: 403.268.4227 > F: 403.262.6569 > E: skooyman at glenbow.org > > -----Original Message----- > From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On Behalf > Of lauren boegen > Sent: March-20-13 3:05 PM > To: mcn-l at mcn.edu > Subject: [MCN-L] File naming conventions for digitized archives > > Hi everyone, > > I'm wondering if anyone would be able and willing to share their experiences with file naming when digitizing an archive. We are struggling to find an efficient yet informative/functional way to assign file names to items in the collection that aren't individually identified at the item level. For example, we have several letters from John Doe to Jane Doe grouped in a folder and IDed as such in the finding aid, but we don't identify each individual letter by an accession number. > > The archive in question contains the business and family papers of an American astronomer and telescope maker and include mostly letters, invoices, and business materials related to telescope delivery. The best we've been able to come up with is a file name combining some sort of descriptor about what the image actually is (ie. > letter_fromjohndoe_tojanedoe) and location > (Clark_Series1_Box6_Folder2), but this seems unwieldy. I know someone out there's got to have figured out a better way, and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks! > > Lauren > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Lauren Boegen > Digital Collections Manager > Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy The Adler Planetarium > and Astronomy Museum > phone: 312.542.2618 > lboegen at adlerplanetarium.org > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > The MCN-L archives can be found at: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/pipermail/mcn-l/ > ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:57:12 -0400 From: "Allen-Greil, Dana" <[email protected]> To: <mcn-l at mcn.edu> Subject: [MCN-L] Call for papers on new media and exhibitions - deadline for proposals 4/12 Message-ID: <7027356ECFB5434FBDCC37EA94633A03032F282A at SV-MAIL-TDP.NGA.GOV> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Call for Papers for Fall 2013 Exhibitionist, the journal of the National Association for Museum Exhibition. DATELINE: March 20, 2013 View back issues of Exhibitionist on the Exhibitionist section of this website. Issue Theme: Museums and New Media: What?s Disappearing? What?s Evolving? What?s to Come? In this issue we hope to examine the impact of new media on museums, with a particular focus on exhibitions. How are new digital technology and media affecting the care and management of collections? living or non-living?on which exhibitions are based? Are once standard practices and procedures for collections care and management, for exhibition development and interpretation disappearing?no longer valued or needed? What is the impact of this development? How are new media shaping the ways in which exhibitions are conceived, designed and developed, interpreted, accessed, or assessed? What about the impact on visitors and their participation and engagement with exhibition? What?s way out there on the cutting edge for exhibitions in the future? Proposals need not be limited to just these issues, and can include research, essays, and case studies that analyze/comment on/critique the impact of new technology and media on museums of all types and disciplines, and the exhibitions they produce. As much as possible, if a case study or research project is submitted, the article should not focus on a single project or museum without raising questions or throwing light on larger issues that are widely applicable. Proposals from colleagues around the world are welcome. Deadlines Proposal deadline: April 12, 2013. 250 word maximum. Briefly describe your article; how it relates to issue theme; your background/qualifications for writing the article. Proposals will be vetted by our editorial advisory board, and you will be notified of acceptance or non-acceptance within several weeks. A style sheet will be sent to you when your proposal is accepted. First draft deadline: June 21, 2013. 2000 word maximum. Your article will be returned by early-mid July with comments and edits by editorial advisors and editor. Final article deadline: August 9, 2013. Final article due with four or five images, credits, and captions. Gretchen Jennings Editor, Exhibitionist, the journal of the National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME) gretchenjennings at rcn.com ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ mcn-l mailing list mcn-l at mcn.edu http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l End of mcn-l Digest, Vol 91, Issue 15 ************************************* _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/pipermail/mcn-l/
