Museum Collections and Today's Computers

With the advent of the computer, electronic cataloging of museum collections is becoming a reality. This book is a useful guide to starting a computer cataloging project. It lays out the rudiments of computer retrieval, database organization, and image processing. It does not purport to dictate a particular computer system, since museums have individualized needs, but it offers case studies and examples to help museums make informed decisions. The glossary and bibliography of the book are also helpful. Museum libraries and academic collections supporting museum and computer studies will appreciate this introductory text. ARBA

Written for museum executives, curators, and computer programmers and librarians with museum clients, this book offers a detailed exploration of the use of computers to record and control the physical objects that comprise museum collections. Equally applicable to collections contained in major museums and to those residing in the far more numerous small museums, Museum Collections and Today's Computers show how computers can be effectively and cost-efficiently used to perform a number of museum activities, including accession, registration, cataloging, inventory control, lending, exhibiting, and research. Throughout, the authors focus on the unique nature of museum collections and the special needs that result from uniqueness.

ROBERT G. CHENHALL, a former museum director, is presently a consultant to museums and small business in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

DAVID VANCE, as Registrar of The Museum of Modern Art, planned and directed the first computerization of a major art museum catalog.