DEVELOPING COMPUTERIZED INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR ART MUSEUMS (DOCUMENTATION).

摘要

The purpose of this study was to examine documentation in art museums and to propose more effective methods for maintaining art museum records than are presently in use.;Accountability of art museums to the public is examined and related to the need for enhanced dissemination of information to an expanding and diverse public.;The study shows that at present art objects in museums all over the world are inadequately documented and thus lost to scholarly investigation. Museum workers, however, are aware of the need for improved record keeping and are considering how to utilize computer technology toward this end. Codes of ethics written for a variety of museum personnel stress the need for complete and accurate documentation of museum objects. Another impetus for improved records management is provided by the accreditation procedures of the American Association of Museums.;Libraries and businesses, by contrast, have adapted the computer to their needs and are operating already with integrated information systems. To some extent these can serve as models for art museums.;Theoretical principles of cataloging as developed by library science ever since Aristotle first propounded the "Categories" are related to the cataloging of art objects. Information Theory provides a rationale for the structure of information about art objects for retrieval.