Classification

Classification is simply grouping similar items together.

A simple form of Classification of Information items would be keeping books and reports in one place, keeping photographs together, storing all maps in the map cabinet etc.

Anyone who uses a public library in Victoria will be aware of the Dewey Decimal Classification system used for cataloguing books. More than a century ago Dewey divided knowledge, as known then, into 10 broad subjects including Religion - 200, Language - 400, Science - 500, Literature - 800, History - 900 etc.
Each broad category was then subdivided into 10 sections. For example in Science, Mathematics - 510-519, Astronomy - 520s, Physics - 530s, Chemistry - 540s etc.
Each of these branches of Science was then subdivided into 10 sections. For example in Mathematics, Algebra - 512, Arithmetic - 513, Geometry - 516 etc.
Each subject can be subdivided by ten as required. The result is the longer the number - the more specific the subject; the shorter the number - the broader the subject.
A brief introduction to the Dewey Decimal Classification System

Objects
Many museums in Victoria use the classification system provided with the Small Museums Cataloguing Manual. This system divides objects into Primary Categories and Secondary Categories. An example would be Photography as a Primary Classification with Photographs as a Secondary Classification. This classification works well for objects but not so well for Information items. When cataloguing objects use this classification which is often included as a validation list in the Museums data structure available for some computer programs including DB/TextWorks.

Information items
For Information items - books, photographs, maps, vertical file items, documents, manuscripts, audio visual items etc - the Museums data structure is too restrictive - 1000 photographs with the same classification (Photography - photographs) is not particularly helpful.

Some societies decide not to use classification at all but most do. Some use classification for some groups of items but not others. If, for example, all the photographs are stored in filing cabinets according to their accession (or registration) number classification would not be used.

For items stored in folders in filing cabinets where each folder has a heading, societies usually use the heading on the folder as the classification eg Sunshine Primary School, Houses, Chandler family etc.

Creating a classification system for books
For books, some societies including the RHSV which has a large comprehensive collection use Dewey Classification. However this is not recommended for a small local history collection as most of the books will have the same number eg 994.51 if the society is in a suburb of Melbourne.

Groups can create their own classification relevant to their collection. One way of doing this is to put all the books on a table and sort them into groups - books on schools, churches, cemeteries, industry, sport, families etc and then gave each set of books a number (or if you prefer, a letter of the alphabet)- 1,2,3 or A,B,C etc representing each major subject grouping. If subdivisions within a subject are required, letters of the alphabet (or numbers) can be used for each subdivision - eg if 2 is used for government and the society has a number of books on this subject, 2A might be used for books relating to federal government; 2B might be used for books relating to State government while 2C could be used for books relating to local government.

A sample Classification List for local history collections could be:

1. General works (encyclopaedias, dictionaries, directories)
2. Government
3. Collection Management and Managing the Organisation
4. Schools
5. Churches
6. Cemeteries
7. Agriculture
8. Industries
9. Sport
10. Home Life
11. Health and Medicine, Hospitals
12. Ethnic groups
    
13. Local Histories*
14. Family Histories (then filed alphabetically by surname)
    
15. History (other localities, history of Victoria, Australia etc)
16. Transport
17. Essential Services (police, SES, CFA)
18. Communication (postal services, newspapers, radio stations)
19. Arts, Music etc
20. Hotels
    

*If a number of localities are covered by the society, Local Histories can be subdivided. For example:
13. General
13A. Suburb / Town 1
13B. Suburb / Town 2 etc

The above is just an example only and would be varied according to the collection. Categories can be removed. Additional categories can be added as required. The important thing is to remember why you are classifying the books - to group books on the same topic together making it easier to locate items and therefore making the collection easier to use. If you have a large number of books on one topic then subdivide the category. If you have, and are likely to have, only one or two books on a topic you might decide to combine topics if it is logical to do so - otherwise just leave the one or two books in the category.

The basic principle is to make whatever classification system that you choose work for your collection.

Linking to audio file from database record - method 2

Earlier posts showed a method of creating a html page containing links to audio files in a folder on the computer and linking this file to a record in DB / TextWorks.

There is another way to create a link from the database record to an audio file on a computer so that when the link in the display form is clicked the audio file will play automatically. This method uses the UNC path to link to audio files and video files.

The initials UNC stand for Uniform Naming Convention. Instead of describing the location of a file or directory by drive letter, the Network Group will use a UNC path to describe the actual location of a file or directory. A UNC path is specific and applies to all operating systems.

Step 1
Locate the folder containing the audio files on the computer using My Computer or My Documents

Click the folder using the right button on the mouse

Click Sharing and Security

In Network Sharing and Security section

(Even though the computer may be stand alone this needs to be done)

Tick Share this folder on the network box

Enter the name of the folder to be shared eg TestAudio

Tick Allow network users to share my files

Click OK

NB If the above options are not available and the screen looks like the one on the left, click the link in this section for information about understanding the risks of file sharing to enable this function.

If you only want to enable file sharing just choose the file sharing option instead of the Network Setup Wizard.

Once the sharing of files has been enabled repeat the above steps to enable the contents of the folder to be shared.

See How to configure file sharing on a Windows XP computer

Step 2

Either create a database for audio files or add an additional field to the data structure in an existing database to contain the UNC path.

• When entering the filename in the record, the syntax to use is:

\\computername\foldername\filename

• Make sure that the field with the link appears in the Display report form.

• To listen to the audio file, click the link in the Display report form.
  

To locate the computer name:

• Locate the My Computer icon

• Click the My Computer icon using the right button on the mouse

• Click Properties

• Select Computer Name tab

To locate the exact UNC path for the folder:

• Click My Computer icon

• Click the My Network Places Link

• Click the required folder using the right button on the mouse

• Click Properties

The Comment section contains the path to the folder - add name of required audio file to the path eg \\fred\TestAudio\football.mp3

NB: This method was tested using the Windows XP operating system.

Linking to an audio file

A request was made at an Inmagic Museum Users Group meeting about the ability to play an oral history audio file directly from a link in a database record.

This can be done by following the steps in the previous post, Linking to files from database record, and linking to a html file stored in the same folder as the audio files are stored. The html file would either contain information about a particular audio file including the code - a href="nameaudiofile.mp3" Play audio file followed by /a or contain a list of audio files with the code linking to the audio file for each item.

The link provided would look like Play audio file

An example page for a list of audio files might be

Ron Smith recounts memories of attending Smithville Primary School during the 1930s
Play audio file

Ellen Brown recounts her days as postmistress in Smithville
Play audio file

NB links in above section are not functional links

When the html page and the audio file are in the same folder or the path to the audio file is included if in a different folder, clicking on the link will start the playing of the audio file.

Example of sample code for html page

NB. The above will only work if
1. there is a built in media player on the computer and
2. there is an internet browser installed (there does not have to be an internet connection).

Linking to files from database record

This example is using a DB/TextWorks database but there should be ways to also do this in other databases.

As well as being able to link database records to images, DB/TextWorks has the ability to link from a field in a database to another file such as a word document, spreadsheet, html file etc.

A number of steps are required:

1. To activate the facility to create the link
Open DB/TextWorks and go to the Tools menu then select Options and then Display.
Tick the box Detect URLs, EMail links, etc. and convert to hypertext links then click OK

2. A field needs to be added to the database to include the link directly to a word document, spreadsheet, pdf , html file etc which will open in a new window.

In the data structure include a field called (for example) File Name. It is a normal text field.
Go to the Maintain menu, select Edit Textbase Structure then Edit Fields
Type the name of the new field (for example) File Name and then click Add. Use the Close button to close the box and then OK.

3. If basic forms are not being used it will be necessary to alter edit and display forms to include the new field.
Go to the Display menu and then select Design form. Choose the form to be altered.
Click Add form box icon, select the name of the required field (for example) Field Name and then click the Add button

When designing the Display report form added text is required
Display - Form Designer - click required field eg Field Name - Tools - Box Properties - Format - Added Text - In the Beginning text box type file:// then click Apply

5. In the Edit form, if linking to an item is required, put in the full path to locate the item - C:\database\test.doc

6. View the record in the display form.

The result is that the display report form then allows the inclusion of a link to the required document in a new window.

The Maxus website contains a technical tip providing information on Live Hypertext Links in DB/TextWorks which also refers to linking to documents etc.

Access 2007

I recently had an query about using an Access 2007 database after being used to using an Access 2003 database.

There are a number of online resources, both specific and general, that can be located online.

Two that may be helpful are:

Getting started with Access 2007
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access/HA100646161033.aspx

Moving from Access 2003 to Access 2007
http://www.liv.ac.uk/CSD/acuk_html/097.dir/097.pdf

Scanning images

Increasingly members of historical societies are scanning their images and linking the image to the catalogue record. Those with museum collections often use a digital camera to take photographs of objects to link to the database record.

Before beginning to digitise it is important to develop a digitisation plan to establish why images are being digitised, how will the the digitised image be used, which images will be digitised.

Detailed information on digitisation and digitisation plans can be found on the blog Information technology and local history. Select the Digitisation link to view relevant articles.

Backing up images

Once again a disaster has illustrated the need for members of historical societies to regularly back up their data, including any images that they have scanned. The recent bushfires in Victoria have resulted in the loss of a number of collections including the collection and building of the Marysville Historical Society. Realistically, as virtually the whole town of Marysville was destroyed, it is unlikely that the collection could have been saved, however fortunately events such as the destruction of Marysville are very rare.

Digital image collections can be backed up on to CD-Roms or DVDs. USB drives are also useful for backing up files. Portable hard drives are another useful medium for backing up files.

It is important to remember that all of these devices, like floppy disks which preceded them, may fail so do not rely on one source for backing up files.

More than one back up should be made.

At least one back up should be stored off site.

In the future it will also be easier to store images online - a number of sites are already providing this service for a fee and no doubt there will be further developments in this area.

Including records in online image databases such as Picture Victoria, as well as making the images available to the public and promoting your collection, also serves as a way of backing up low resolution copies of digital images.