Thanks Joe. We have used some of these but classifications in
particular needs a bit of work. They seem like a bit of a blunt
instrument at the moment because we have not necessarily thought whether
they are all that useful to our users. We do have a lot of data, much
of it perfectly ok and some of it needing some work (just like everyone
else).
In an ideal world I would refine all our classifications (for example I
dislike our blanket use of "container" to include things which in the
real world would be "vases" but technically are "wares" probably. Does
it matter?).
Similarly in object names we have similar objects called or referred to
slightly differently e.g. luck, charm, luck-charm, amulet. Again, does
it matter? I'd like them to all be called one thing and would possibly
pick luck-charm as both terms would be likely to be picked by the user.
I feel slightly vulnerable exposing my struggles here but those of us
who don't catalogue regularly but still have to tackle global data
issues do start to feel a little bug-eyed.
Anyway, onward!
Judy
Judy Aitken
Heritage Manager (with Catherine Hamilton)
London Borough of Southwark
ext. 50445
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Joseph Padfield
Sent: 30 September 2014 10:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MCG] data decisions help
Hi Judy,
You may have already looked at these, but if not you might want to look
at the newly formatted Getty vocabularies,
http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/lod/index.html
They are being released as open linked data so they might give you an
additional basis to help structure your thesaurus and geographical
terms.
Joe
On 29/09/14 16:56, Aitken, Judy wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
>
>
>
> I am part way through a project to update our online collections
> resource and I am at the stage where I could do with a "mentor" or at
> least some advice/sanity check/help. This is not so much technical
> advice, although that of course is part of it, as making content
> decisions but I am starting with MCG in case data managers, curators
and
> content developers can help here.
>
>
>
> The initial part of the work was to identify, eliminate or reduce real
> howlers and resolve basic problems.
>
>
>
> But now we are moving on to making decisions about what the data might
> need to improve our search functions in particular. Issues I am having
> difficulty tackling (mentally) include improving classifications and
> thesaurus terminologies and solving problems with subject fields and
> geographic fields. Over the years predecessors have, let's just say,
> allowed an element of "randomness" to stray into their cataloguing
terms
> and we are trying to work out the best way to deal with that and make
> sensible choices that won't come back to haunt us later. The final
part
> of the work will be to migrate over to a new version of our current
> online system.
>
>
>
> I would welcome a chat with anyone who has gone through a process of
> creating new content or trying to improve existing content for the
> collections section of their web presence or online catalogue and who
is
> able to advise or pass on lessons learned.
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Judy Aitken
>
> London Borough of Southwark (Cuming Museum)
>
>
>
>
> See our collection at www.southwarkcollections.org.uk
> <blocked::http://www.southwarkcollections.org.uk/>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The email you received and any files transmitted with it are
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> If you have received this in error please notify us immediately.
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--
*Joseph Padfield*
Conservation Scientist
Scientific Department
The National Gallery
Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 5DN
44 (0)20 7747 2553
http://research.ng-london.org.uk
http://www.twitter.com/JoePadfield
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