[meteorite-list] Labeling specimens

From: Richard Kowalski <damoclid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:26:48 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <855259.98214.qm_at_web113617.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

A very interesting discussion and very informative. I'm another person with individual stones that don't have any outward way of IDing them.

Most of my collection are micros and this majority are encased in labeled membrane boxes, or for the larger slices and end cuts, appropriately sized clear plastic cases. I have them all sorted in their storage boxes by classification, which is also how I have them listed in my catalog, which is done on a spreadsheet. I record the weights of each specimen to 1/100th gram using my own scale, or if the dealer I purchased them states the precision to 1/1000th gram, I record it using their weight. I have no specimens that weigh exactly the same. For me, that should be enough to ID specimens if they become mixed up or for my estate.

One concern I have while reading this thread is the ubiquitous dependence on digital... Digital cameras, databases, etc, etc.
While in many cases digital makes collecting of the information easier, whatever format one chooses for cataloging their collection never, NEVER rely on digital only copies! For the digital versions, make multiple copies, in multiple formats and put them on various media, stored in different locations.

And ALWAYS make paper copies, also distributed to more than one location.

Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't.

I have a copy of my spreadsheet on two computers, plus on my backup drive, plus I use a program called CutePDF to "print" a copy of the spreadsheet to a pdf file, also kept in a few locations. Finally I use the pdf file to print out hard copies.

Since drives crash, files get deleted or data erased, technology moves on, and "Standard" file formats all eventually vanish, nothing will ever beat a hard copy safely stored away.

Don't waste you hard effort on creating a catalog only to lose it because it was only digital.

--
Richard Kowalski
Full Moon Photography
IMCA #1081
      

Received on Sun 28 Feb 2010 01:26:48 PM PST