[NHCOLL-L:2087] RE: Ideas for a new ledger system?

[Simmons, John E]

It is not uncommon for people to presume that electronic files are
permanent.  They are not.  Everything that destroys paper will also destroy
electronic files (heat, cold, humidity, pests, fire) as well as static
electricity, magnetism and the most insidious pest of all--changes in
format.  Those of us old enough to have experienced the changes from punch
cards to paper tape and so forth have learned the hard way that electronic
files do not transfer between generations of hardware without data loss.
There are initiatives underway to develop ways to archive electronic data
(of particular interest is:  Tooby, P.  2001.  Preserving electronic records
for posterity.  Envision 17(4):6-7) but none of these are ready for
prime-time yet. 

I have pasted below a section from "Herpetological Collecting and
Collections Management" that discusses these issues further.

Hand-Written Catalogs and Electronic Data Storage
For hundreds of years, the tradition in natural history museums has been to
maintain a hand-written, sequential catalog (or register) that lists each
individual specimen by number, along with pertinent data.  It is very
difficult to work with the information in this format; thus, most
institutions had card files or loose-leaf notebooks in which the information
was rearranged by categories.  Now that specimen data may be more easily and
efficiently entered into an electronic database, many institutions have
failed to maintain their hand-written catalogs, usually citing the presumed
expense of writing information by hand.

Although an electronic database is clearly superior for data manipulation,
electronic data are not permanent.  It is important to distinguish between
an archival copy of catalog data and a backup copy.  An archival copy is a
permanent document, using the best materials available for long-term
storage.  A backup copy of an electronic database is a safeguard used to
rebuild the data should an accident occur.  A backup copy may or may not be
in a permanent format.  A writeable CD is an excellent backup format.  A
hand-written catalog or a microfilm copy are the best archival copies of a
database.

No system of recording data is as permanent as using an archival black ink
on acid-free 100% rag paper.  If cared for properly, a hand-written catalog
on good paper will last at least 400 years, probably much longer, and still
be legible to a reader.  No form of electronic data storage or machine
printing will last this long (Simmons 1998).  The most permanent means of
storing digitized data at present is on compact disk (CD).  CDs are made of
a polycarbonate plastic that is more susceptible to damage from heat,
moisture, light (which causes the plastic to yellow), abrasion, and chemical
exposure (e.g., to compounds containing benzene rings, such as naphthalene
or paradichlorobenzene) than is paper.  A CD also requires a functioning CD
reader for access to the data.    It is often assumed that digitally stored
data can be accurately transferred from one generation of digital storage to
another (e.g., from IBM punch cards to floppy disks).  However, the short
history of museum computerization has demonstrated that software and
hardware limitations always result in some loss or corruption of data.
Electronic data in a digital format is not archival.

Abandoning the hand-written catalog because it contains the same information
as the electronic database is foolishness. The hand-written listing of
specimens added to the collection is a legal document that records the
sequence in which objects were added to the collection (Baron 1991).  Unlike
electronic databases, records cannot be altered or eliminated from a
hand-written ledger without leaving behind evidence of the modification.
Electronic databases require regular backup, regular upgrades, periodic
hardware upgrades, and do not provide the permanent association of specimen
and catalog number that a hand-written catalog provides. Few electronic
databases preserve the specimen record as originally written.  Often, this
information is critical in evaluating a specimen record years after it is
entered in the database.  Hand-written catalogs are expensive to buy and
take time to write in, but they remain the only permanent, long-term means
of meeting the museum's legal obligation to preserve vital collection data.

The hand-written catalog should contain pen-ruled sheets of acid free, 100%
rag paper, folded in signatures and permanently bound in hard covers.
Because the hand-written catalog is the primary listing of specimens in the
collection, it must be treated as an archival document and carefully
protected.  A microfilm backup copy should be stored off-site.

Baron, R.  1991.  The computerized accession ledger: a view from a computer
expert.  Registrar 8(2):41ff.  
Simmons, J.E.  1998. Long-term storage of collections and data. Mesoamerica
3(4):44-49

--John

John E. Simmons
Collection Manager, Natural History Museum
and
Coordinator, Museum Studies Program
University of Kansas
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561
Telephone 785-864-4508
FAX 785-864-5335
jsimmons at ku.edu
www.nhm.ku.edu/herpetology/
www.ku.edu/~museumst/

-----Original Message-----
From: Panza, Robin [mailto:PanzaR at CarnegieMuseums.Org] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 7:17 AM
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2084] RE: Ideas for a new ledger system?

>>>From: Christopher Conroy [mailto:ondatra at socrates.Berkeley.EDU]
       At the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology we are designing a ledger 
for a printed version of our catalog. Until now, we have had a 
handwritten card file for accessions and catalogs. Since many of our 
accessions now come with a spreadsheet or database, or we organize 
accessions with spreadsheets, we are planning to catalog 
electronically and print out a hard copy. <<<

This brings up a point that I'd like to hear discussed.  My boss says paper
records are a thing of the past--that places that digitize their records
then don't deal in paper copies at all.  I'd like to hear if that's the
attitude at other museums, and the reasons why or why not.

Personally, I know I'm very conservative and want an archival-paper backup
of anything electronic, but how do others feel?  If we're backing up
regularly, is there a reason to maintain card files or ledgers?

Robin

Robin K Panza
Section of Birds, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh  PA  15213  USA
phone:  412-622-3255
fax:  412-622-8837
panzar at carnegiemuseums.org