** Invitation to quote: Options Appraisal for Cataloguing Strategy: Museum in Docklands Archive Collections. **

In early 2008, Museum of London's Information Resources Section will work with a specialist consultant to appraise and evaluate the options available for cataloguing the archive collections held at Museum in Docklands (MiD). The study will focus on archival and museum cataloguing methodologies and options for the accompanying software. It will indicate the preferred option, and outline the actions required for implementation.

Key Objectives

The overall objective of the work is to assess and write a cataloguing options appraisal for the MiD archive collection. In consultation with the archivist, the museum's Documentation Officer and other museum staff, the consultant will:

1) Assess and analyse key cataloguing issues unique to this collection, focussing on the different approaches, needs and issues presented by an archival or a museum approach to cataloguing as well as specific issues foreseeable in the creation of a catalogue structure for the MiD archive collections

2) Conduct consultations with parallel institutions examining how they have dealt with cataloguing archival collections within a museum context.

3) Conduct consultations with relevant museum staff on archival/museum cataloguing issues

4) Appraise cataloguing systems, both archival and museum (to include MIMSY XG) and make recommendations