Advances in Data Capture for Museum Collections

The article presents and compares three methodologies for the capture, or digitization, of data associated with specimens or artifacts in museum collections and describes the “grassroots” level application of computer technology. This approach of data capture is strategic and businesslike, uses the best tools available at the time, and is highly cost-effective. We suggest that the benefits are so significant that getting up-to-date equipment and training workers to use it should be given a high priority. Such equipment is frequently present, but is being used in a way that provides far less real benefit than is possible using the techniques described in this article.