P3D Re: Archival storage pages & Slide storage issues

[michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Kersenbrock)]

> OK, it was me!  I got those pages and I love them!  Paul's idea to convert
> standard slide storage pages is a very good one.  I am happy with what I
> got and I am looking forward to organizing my stereo slide collection.  I
> like those pages because they are cheaper, of better archival quality and
> *lighter* (weigh less) than the alternative.

Sounds good to me too.  I haven't seen them, but I've tried modifying
them myself a year or so ago, and it was painful and ugly. Great to see
that the "trick" has been figured out! 

> The next question is how am I going to organize the slides? 
> Chronologically, by theme, or what?  Most probably, a combination.  Family,
> everyday, routine pictures will be organized chronologically.  Through the
> years I have worked (and will continue to work) on special themes:  Greece,
> Cleveland, Science and Industry, etc.  These will be organized by theme.

I think the answer depends upon what you want you want out of it.  If
you want to be able to browse and "re-live" trips (etc) like one might
with a flattie picture album, chronological may work best.  Etc.

However, another alternative is possible.  It's something that I *do*
use for my CD collection (only several hundred, but enough to need
organization).  It's optimized for *finding* particular items for fetching
purposes, as opposed to using them "in place".  The method is 
"virtual organization" via computer.  Surprised?  :-)

You just physically put the items in first-come first-served order 
(more or less chronological) and number each one sequentially.  You
then use a database where you put the number (and in this case perhaps
a folder number... with CD's I used CD drawers upon which I put 
letters).  You add additional info, pretty much whatever you want, each
in their own field, but part of the item's record.  In the case
of slides, one could scan one side of each one and include a thumbnail
of it as well.

Then with a search (or report) one can always find pretty much anything
and know exactly where it is physically.  Lets the computer do the
searching part that takes the time -- then let it just tell you where
it is.

In the case of my CD's, I print the entire list sorted by artist, by
title, and by music category -- and I put the lists next to the CD's.
This way I can find pretty much anything I want almost instantly, AND
when I get new ones, they physically just go at the end with their 
numbers added with a sticker.

Once setup, it's easy to maintain, easy to use.  Quite a bit of work to 
startup from scratch though, and that's the "problem" with slides (now).

The database needed is pretty straightforward and programs like
Lotus's "Approach" (and probably Microsoft's database program which I now
have as part of Microsoft Office) are fairly simple to set 
up for simple lists.  There are photographer's packages available
that probably work similarly (except it won't be EXACTLY what one
wants and it's not fixable :-).


> I view my slide collections and stereo presentations as constantly
> evolving.  Next time I go to Greece I will add more interesting pictures in
> my collection and replace existing ones.  That's why I hesitate to commit
> myself to a rigid taped narration.  I like to pull slides and organize a
> show as I see it best for the occasion.  Depending on the audience I might
> change the number of slides or the focus of the presentation, even though
> the subject (say "Greece") remains the same.  In that respect, the slide
> storage pages help me preview the entire material quickly, shift things
> around as needed, find the images I am looking for, pull them out quickly
> and put them back in place when done.

How about "virtual collections"?  You have several fields for each slide
giving info as to the collections (presentations) it belongs to.  You then
do a "search" on all that belong to a given presentation, and you then see
the list (possibly with pictures).  They could be sorted by assigning a
sequence number within each presentation, which when changed, would reorder
the slides "virtually" -- no physical movement required.  This way there 
may be a number of presentations that share the same slide.  You then pull 
the physical slides that a presentation requires, and put them back 
by sticker-number after done with them.  They *physically* always stay
in the same place, they only move around "virtually".

If I only had 72-hour days (and a slide scanner)...... sigh....


Mike K.


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