Collection management

Following my post on ‘getting started in micro-mineralogy’ I received quite a few requests for the ACCESS file that Eric is currently working on.

It's now finished and ready to arrive in your hands if you want it.

Well, you know me, nothing happens on its own, and I thought it would be interesting to hear the master's point of view on the subject (you have to stroke his ego a little), so I'll let him have his word :)

Why is it important to classify these boxes in a clear and organised way?

A simple example: when Elise buys a collection, one of our first questions is ‘Is there a file? Why is this? I can see at a glance the number of boxes, species, size and sometimes even the quality (although this criterion is specific to each individual).

What's more, when you need to find a box quickly, a tidy, labelled cabinet makes it easy to find.

How do you sort your boxes and in what order?

Initially, I started by sorting by department, but I soon realised that some drawers would never be full (Corrèze, Gers, Ile de France...), so I had to find a new, more optimised system.

Now, I like to classify our boxes by region (for France), by country and by ascending number (see photo).

Each drawer is allocated to one or more locations and the numbers are arranged from the smallest to the largest. This way, when I do a search, all the deposits in a given region are grouped together, making them easy to find when I need them.

We regularly have to sort things out and I have to get rid of a box, mainly because our perceptions change over time. Its number is put on hold to be reallocated to a future entry, so I know the exact number of boxes in the collection without any gaps.

Meuble de collection a tiroir haut et bas de type ValRex, très pratique !

Why do you prefer ACCESS to EXCEL?

I was looking for a truly complete database and not just a spreadsheet. I wanted to be able to fill in the fields automatically without having to re-enter the information, a clear and concise presentation, form-type fill-in sheets so that all the information could be collected (IMA, stockpile and contact, etc.) and reports* summarised by different criteria (by species, stockpile, stock exchange).

*A report is a summary view of a criterion.

Why did you create this database?

Fx played a big part in this :), he guided me and convinced me of the advantages of this database over a more linear spreadsheet.

I still needed a little help from geeks specialising in the field to work on the VBA code.

ACCESS is always a bit complicated to get to grips with, but once you've mastered it, it's a fantastic tool!

Labelling?

I've integrated a view of the label into my filling sheets. Once completed, this view will be saved and can be copied directly onto your label template - believe me, it saves time!

In conclusion, I think it's very important to have a well-organised file and storage system, because if you can find your way around today, you may not be able to do so later when the number of items is too great. Of course, this is just one of the many ways of managing a collection :)

If any of you would like to have the file and give us feedback on its use, don't hesitate to send an e-mail to Eric E79.penet@gmail.com, I promise he's nice and doesn't bite hihi.

Mineralogically,

Elise et Eric