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Re: Yet another (shameless) request for advice.



Personally, I'm very much against item-level cataloging for Archival
collections.  It may be appropriate for museums, but I think it's an enormous
waste of time and energy.

There may be some concerns for original order (though, again, I don't find that
as pressing an issue as some people) - if the materials are in the order that
the creator had them, there is some value in trying to group things as he/she
had them.  Like the covers and endpapers of a rare book can provide context, so
can the order of a person's files indicate how they were used.

My personal choice though, particularly if there's no indication of how the
creator (small "c" :) ) organized his papers, is to use a subject-based
approach.  Imagine how your users would come looking for materials; perhaps by
invention, by power plant, or even just by correspondence or blueprints (which
would be record type rather than subject) and proceed accordingly.  Ease of use
is always primary from my perspective.

good Luck,

Daniel

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