Survey on subject access to images

Last August I posted a request to H-MUSEUM asking people who were
working with subject cataloging of images if they would be willing
to respond to a questionnaire.  This is a repost of that request;
I'm hoping that individuals who didn't respond (or didn't subscribe
to the list in August) may have time now.

I'm conducting a research project on how museums, web sites, science
organizations, libraries, and any other organizations with image
collections indicate subjects for the images--and my specific
interest is in systems (subject headings, classification, searchable
captions, etc.) which were designed in-house; that is, not the
standards like Library of Congress, Chenhall's Nomenclature, MeSH,
Dewey, the Art and Architecture Thesaurus, etc.

I'm hoping for a broad representation of subject areas and image
types - general collections, scientific collections, folk art,
history, maps, etc. I'd also like to have responses from people with
a variety of kinds of subject access--complex subject cataloging or
very simple cataloging, and people either using long-established
in-house systems or in the process of developing their subject
access systems right now. The specific kind of technology you
use--card catalogs, databases, lists, etc.--doesn't matter; any and
all are fine.

If you work with an image collection (large or small) and use a
system that was developed in-house for describing the subjects of
your images, I'd appreciate receiving email from you.  I'll send you
a 3-page questionnaire, either on paper or as an attachment (I have
current anti-virus software), whichever you prefer.  Participation
is (obviously!) voluntary, and no identification will ever be made
of individuals or organizations participating in the research.
Results will be presented in the aggregate, in terms of the number
of organizations which have created subject headings, classification
systems, and so on.

If you wish to check out my credentials before deciding to
participate in the survey, you can see my (somewhat out-of-date)
c.v. at <URL:http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/weedman.htm>

If you have a system for finding images by subject that was
developed in house and would be willing to complete the
questionnaire, please reply to me individually at
jweedman [at] slis__sjsu__edu

Thank you *very* much.  I'm excited about this project and will be
very glad to have your response.

Judy Weedman, PhD
San Jose State University
School of Library and Information Science
PO Box 4150
Fullerton, California 92834-4150


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:55
                Distributed: Thursday, February 19, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-55-004
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