Hi Emily,
Perhaps the WYAS podcast has already helped you, but I thought I'd chip in anyway! We use Excel spreadsheets to create catalogue records (incorporating the ISAD(G) descriptive fields we use as mapped to our collections management database) in order to then create a csv (comma separated value) version of the spreadsheet which can then be imported to our collections management database. If you or your organisation ever find yourself in a position where you acquire a collections management database, your Excel spreadsheets will come in handy!
We are an archive located within a Museum, and we use a modified version of the Museum collections management database, KE EMu. We find the structure of EMu too rigid to comfortably catalogue straight onto the database, so have devised a way of cataloguing in Excel, which then allows us to arrange the catalogue effectively before importing into EMu. This is because the front end online catalogue appears in internal record number order and not in archive catalogue reference number order.
Similarly to Stephen, we use the following descriptive fields in the Excel spreadsheet, as they map directly to fields within the cmd:
Collection Name
Level of description
Unique identifier
Descriptive summary
Scope and content (dependent on level of description)
Accession information/provenance (Collection Level only)
Date range
Associations (creators, subjects, users of the item or collection)
Strongroom location (not published in the online catalogue)
If for any reason there is a delay in importing or editing the imported catalogue in EMu, we print out a hard copy version of the spreadsheet (with strongroom locations removed) for researchers to consult. We never provide access to the spreadsheet itself in the Study Area, for precisely the reasons Richard and Joseph have raised. We have occasionally emailed copies of spreadsheets to researchers for them to consult, but this has no effect on the master spreadsheet, which is only accessible by staff or volunteers working on the collection.
We have a template spreadsheet with the descriptive fields set up, which we give to volunteers along with their cataloguing work package so that they have clear instructions on how to catalogue to our in-house standard. Email me off-list if you'd like me to send it to you.
Best wishes,
Jan Hicks
Senior Archivist
MOSI
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