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Re: Question about Reference questions



I generate a reference request sheet for each question--noting the query and
all the resources we checked for the answer (or that the researcher
used)--and whether we found anything or not.  If we reply in writing, a copy
of the letter or email gets printed on the verso. We do about 500 reference
requests a year and do the research for at least 60 or 70% of the queries.
The related paperwork comes to maybe 3 or 4 inches a year--10 document boxes
since we opened in 1986.

I'd argue for considering these permanent records. Not only do they document
a core function, but many questions are like the Energizer bunny, they keep
coming back and coming back and coming back. We record the date,
researcher's last name, a brief description of the query (3 or 4 keywords),
and some statistical categories in a database and then file the paperwork in
chrono order, so we can get back to the requests and not have to do the
research all over again.

Deborah Wythe
Brooklyn Museum of Art Archives
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238
tel: 718 638 5000 x311
fax: 718 638 3731
email: deborahwythe@hotmail.com


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