Date:         Wed, 9 Aug 2006 21:01:47 -0400
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         steven c <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Cataloguing again--was: LP RECORD STORAGE
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karl Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
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> On Tue, 8 Aug 2006, steven c wrote:
>
> > Which means you're paying $0.5695 (or almost 57 cents) per record for
> > storage
> > for them! Lemme see...I have somewhere over 40,000 78's, so I'd pay
> > something
> > over $22,780.00...
>
> Then consider a library...currently our library pays $25 to copy catalog
> each LP. Then there is the cost of the real estate to shelve the record,
> climate control, etc. Then consider that selection is being done by a
> clerk who has no background in music, so a fair amount of what we catalog
is
> garbage, sampler discs, etc. So, not only is expensive, probably about $30
> a disc (labels, etc. as well)...but when it comes to our library, a fair
> amount of money being wasted.
>
> We tend not to think of what it costs us to keep our personal collections,
> but...when I had my house built, I chose a floor plan which would give me
> a record room. That added cost to the house, then there is the added cost
> of the air conditioning, acid free paper sleeves, shelving, etc.
>
> Often times the cost of the item is the smallest part of the costs.
>
> Karl
>
Well, if you're paying $25/record to catalog your archive...I suddenly
see a potential new career for myself, given my knowledge of sound
recordings, discography and database technology!

I'm currently doing a very limited "pre-catalog" of my half-vast
shellac holdings...finished about 19,000 so far and it takes me
a minute per disc or less (I'm entering label, number, country,
and which milk box (in which of the rooms) it is stored.

I have entered about 1,500 records into my full catalog...which
gives me an almost complete set of discographic data on each 78,
but takes about 10 minutes per side (longer if I have to dig
through various discographies). This system could be easily
adapted to LP's, since I already use it for multi-track 78's!

However, if it took me 30 minutes to catalog the average LP, at
$25/record I could make $400 per day! I'd be rich! That's two
grand per five-day week...or US$104,000.00/year (Cdn$120,000.00)
or about eleven times what the province (grudgingly) pays me
to be disabled.

Where do I sign?

Steven C. Barr