Cataloging the Collection: Who does it?

I have been cataloging my collection in an Access database. Anyone else use an
electronic catalog system? Do you design your own or use some special piece of
software?

How do sellers and collectors catalog sets? For instance: The Complete Works
of Dickens. Do you use only one entry for all 22 volumes, or a separate entry
for each story?

How about multiple authors in a set? For instance: Stories of English Authors.
These are grouped by theme. Do you list each theme, story and author as a
separate entry, or just carry a huge description with all the particulars?

How about sets where volumes were published in different years?

With any luck I hope to be finished with the gross entries by the end of the
year. Its a great excuse to dust the top edges and oil the leather.

In article ,
(Rodins Balzac) wrote:

I have been cataloging my collection in an Access database. Anyone
else use an
electronic catalog system? Do you design your own or use some special
piece of
software?

I'm using a FileMaker Pro database which I originally designed for a
bookstore and am adapting for my personal collection.

How do sellers and collectors catalog sets? For instance: The Complete
Works
of Dickens. Do you use only one entry for all 22 volumes, or a
separate entry
for each story?

One entry for a set like that, where everything has been issued at
(more or less) one time in a uniform binding, but for a /series/ - eg
Pevsner's Buildings of England - I would catalogue the volumes
individually. There are grey areas where one just has to make a judgement
on whether one considers it a single oeuvre over multiple volumes, or a
group of different books.

How about multiple authors in a set? For instance: Stories of English
Authors.
These are grouped by theme. Do you list each theme, story and author
as a
separate entry, or just carry a huge description with all the
particulars?

I would go down the huge-description route, though in practice I would
only note the authors/stories I considered to be of particular interest.

How about sets where volumes were published in different years?

Bibliographically you can do them as one entry with "1901-07" (or
whatever) as the publication year, in practice you may be edging into the
territory of what I called series, as opposed to sets, above.

I designed my own database using a shareware program, dbworx from
http://www.plworx.com
There are a list of book collection db's on steve trussel's website as
well as free db's on
http://www.pricelessware.com/2004/pr...ORGANIZORS.PHP. None of
these lists is complete i.e. none has a complete list of db's for books.
A google search of "book collection databases" or "book collectors"
databases will give you a list of URLs for commercial and shareware
db's. Hope that this helps you. lewis

Rodins Balzac wrote:

I have been cataloging my collection in an Access database. Anyone else use an
electronic catalog system? Do you design your own or use some special piece of
software?

************************************************** ***********
* Remove the "ZZZ" from my name and email name. I use it to *
* prevent spam harvestors from getting my email address. *
************************************************** ***********

Hi

BookSwap.ws (http://www.BookSwap.ws) is designed for members to be able to
catalogue their own book collection as well as being able to buy and sell
books (yes, you can add books without having to list it for sale).

It is, as you can probably guess, an on-line catalogue system so is
accessible from internet connected PC's (and WAP enabled phones).

BookSwap.ws has free membership and the first 100 books can be catalogues
for free.

Additionally you can assign other members as friends so that they may be
able to view your book collection (if you wish!), and if you ever lend your
books out you can assign the loan to a friend so you can track the loan.

Hope this is of help to you,

Regards,

Steve.
webmaster, www.BookSwap.ws


"A. Roy" wrote in message
...
Hello, Rodins Balzac!
You wrote:

I have been cataloging my collection in an Access database. Anyone else
use an
electronic catalog system? Do you design your own or use some special
piece of
software?

I use ThinkDB on a Palm M505 to record my Canadian numismatic literature.
I always have my database with me at bookstores and shows and can export
it
to Access. It's approaching 2,000 entries.


How do sellers and collectors catalog sets? For instance: The Complete
Works
of Dickens. Do you use only one entry for all 22 volumes, or a separate
entry
for each story?

Not an issue for me.


How about multiple authors in a set? For instance: Stories of English
Authors.
These are grouped by theme. Do you list each theme, story and author
as
a
separate entry, or just carry a huge description with all the
particulars?

For me, the title usually speaks for itself. For example: 'The
Transportation Tokens of British Columbia' seems predictable. In the rare
cases where the title is vague, I add something in the 'notes' field.


--
See ya ...
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Alan Roy
CNA #17134 eBay: al-roy

My Canadian Numismatic Books:
http://members.photofun.com/al-roy/books
Unusual Royal Canadian Mint items:
http://members.photofun.com/al-roy/rcm

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Hello, Rodins Balzac!
You wrote:

I have been cataloging my collection in an Access database. Anyone else
use an
electronic catalog system? Do you design your own or use some special
piece of
software?

I use ThinkDB on a Palm M505 to record my Canadian numismatic literature.
I always have my database with me at bookstores and shows and can export it
to Access. It's approaching 2,000 entries.


How do sellers and collectors catalog sets? For instance: The Complete
Works
of Dickens. Do you use only one entry for all 22 volumes, or a separate
entry
for each story?

Not an issue for me.


How about multiple authors in a set? For instance: Stories of English
Authors.
These are grouped by theme. Do you list each theme, story and author as
a
separate entry, or just carry a huge description with all the
particulars?

For me, the title usually speaks for itself. For example: 'The
Transportation Tokens of British Columbia' seems predictable. In the rare
cases where the title is vague, I add something in the 'notes' field.


--
See ya ...
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Alan Roy
CNA #17134 eBay: al-roy

My Canadian Numismatic Books:
http://members.photofun.com/al-roy/books
Unusual Royal Canadian Mint items:
http://members.photofun.com/al-roy/rcm

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""