this program I described using Access--they were able to customize a spreadsheet layout that let them enter the accession and/or receipt numbers of items, the physical location, and the descriptions, plus images. but they already had a collection in place, using this information.
the numbering--you can find a lot of information about the conventions for this if you look at archival management sites, or go to the library. there are style books on vocabulary, books on MARC etc. websites too.
we started to use Adobe Bridge at work, for our scans of our analog files. Using the accession numbers as the file name--we place a condensed description of the item first, then the number. For multiple views, we use a lower case letter, starting with "a". The ReDiscovery program works that way, so we can generate thumbnails and use the images in the database. In the File Info part of the IPTC metadata--we enter all the source info and usually write captions based on the curatorial info from ReDiscovery. You can also input any usage restrictions as well.
when we need to find something--what we need is a number. Not a thumbnail, or a print--but a number. A description means nothing. Everything is filed in enclosures in cabinets, sequentially by number. A picture of a gun might be next to one of a coin and so on.
There are multiple sets of numbers within the same files, meaning different things. Some are the *exact same* number, only with a different prefix, adding to more confusion, unless you know the numbering convention.
To access this--you have to look on the database--ReDiscovery--find the number and then go to the file. It's the same with trying to find the physical object as well. Same there--without a number, you won't find it, unless you just want to start digging out of curiosity.
ReDiscovery is flawed as an all purpose database, because it was set up to handle the written files. The images are low res thumbnails, less than 15K, and often are poor quality snapshots. Yet--that is the database used by the general public online as well as internally. The internal version has more fields--covering conservation, management, curatorial etc. The one online is very simple actually. The problem comes in educating people that what they see there as a picture is not what is in the actual Photo Dept. records. It's the gateway to those records, because it gets you the numbers.
The archive has one collection--newspaper negatives, 70 yrs worth--that can only be accessed by date. If you don't know the date *of publication*--you have to look at reels of microfilm copies of the newspaper to find it. Inside the file for that image, there may be more than one negative, there may be more than one roll even. But you won't know what those alternate shots are, because the only way they're filed is by date of the image used in the paper on that one day. This is an inherited system from the company that donated the images, but it's an example of something that worked for what they needed, but now, is rather time consuming in use.
The rest of their collection is filed with standardized numbers--some are like PC for photo collection, N for negative and so on. Similar to our accession numbers. Year first, period, number of collection within that year, period, number within that collection. For example N2006.100.1. For the databases, you generally use an underscore for the periods. N2006_100_1.
It's confusing--but there's a wealth of free information out there if you look. almost all these archives are gov't--they have their collections info online as public documents. If you want to learn more, just check out their websites, or go visit.
good luck
my opinions only, even at home.
All my negs and slides are catalogued on it.
