User guidelines for the transition from the Parks Canada classification system to Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging

On this page

• Background
• Mapping tool
  • Expansion from two top-level classification fields to three
  • Classes moved to different categories or renamed
  • Expansion from one lower-level object term to three
  • Migration of object terms
  • Grammatical variations
  • Proposed new object terms
  • Terms for object parts
  • Military or paramilitary object terms
  • Product packages
• Canadian Nomenclature task force

Background

The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), Parks Canada and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) have agreed to harmonize (merge) the following two standards:

• Nomenclature 4.0 for Museum Cataloging ^{Footnote 1}: the most important classification and object-naming standard used within North American museums for history and ethnology collections, which is produced by the AASLH.
• Parks Canada Descriptive and Visual Dictionary of Objects (Parks DVD web application): a bilingual (English/French) adaptation of an early version of Nomenclature, which includes definitions, many illustrations and a bibliography. It was built specifically to accommodate the collections of Parks Canada but is also used in other Canadian museums.

The content of the harmonized standard, published online by CHIN, benefits all users of Nomenclature and the Parks DVD. It combines the strengths of both to become a single, bilingual, illustrated standard for all North American museums with history and ethnology collections.

The Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging web application replaces the existing Parks Canada DVD.

Users of the Parks Canada classification system and the Parks DVD that wish to adopt Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging will find a very similar overlapping classification system and most of the same terms with which they are familiar from the Parks DVD. However, some terms have been changed, moved or removed, and there are slight differences in a few of the classifications. Of the approximately 6500 Parks Canada object terms, 3007 matched either “Preferred Terms” or “Non-Preferred Terms” in Nomenclature 4.0. Another 3271 Parks Canada terms have been revised to correspond with Nomenclature 4.0 terms or will be proposed as potential new terms.

Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging includes the ID numbers from the Parks DVD for terms and classifications, and these numbers are searchable to locate Parks Canada terms within the new system.

In order to help with the transition, the following guidelines will assist users with integrating the structure and the list of object terms in the Parks Canada classification system and the Parks DVD to the new harmonized standard Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging.

Mapping tool

Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging was adapted to some of the top-level conventions in the Parks Canada classification system, including the following:

• The field labels “Class” and “Sub-class” as well as the change from “Artifact” to “Object” throughout;
• The 10 major categories and the names of the classes and sub-classes in Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging have adopted a plural form; the names of the categories remain the same, except for “Category 01: Built Environment Objects” (formerly “Structures”); and
• Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging contains some classes without sub-classes. Thus, the hierarchical structure and names remain the same as in the Parks Canada classification system (for example, the class “Timekeeping T&E” in Category 05: Tools & Equipment for Science & Technology).

While there are a lot of similarities, some differences will require your attention when transitioning to the new harmonized standard. The following sections provide guidance on these differences.

Expansion from two top-level classification fields to three

Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging offers a three-level classification scheme, whereas the Parks Canada classification system had two.

Table 1: differences in the classification scheme for Parks Canada and Nomenclature

Classification system	Classification Structure Level 1	Classification Structure Level 2	Classification Structure Level 3
Parks DVD	Category	Class	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category	Class	Sub-class

Table 2: example of top-level hierarchical structure expansion

Classification system	Classification Structure Level 1: Category	Classification Structure Level 2: Class	Classification Structure Level 3: Sub-class
Parks DVD	Category 03: Personal Objects	Clothing, Outerwear	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 03: Personal Objects	Clothing	Main Garments

Table 3: another example of top-level hierarchical structure expansion

Classification system	Classification Structure Level 1: Category	Classification Structure Level 2: Class	Classification Structure Level 3: Sub-class
Parks DVD	Category 04: Tools & Equipment for materials	Animal Husbandry T&E	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 04: Tools & Equipment for materials	Animal Husbandry T&E	Animal Care Equipment

Classes moved to different categories or renamed

Some Parks Canada classification system classes have moved to different categories or have been renamed.

Table 4: example of a class renamed

Classification system	Classification Structure Level 1: Category	Classification Structure Level 2: Class	Classification Structure Level 3: Sub-class
Parks DVD	Category 01: Structures	Building	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 01: Built Environment Objects	Structures	(none)

Table 5: example of a class integrated in another class

Classification system	Classification Structure Level 1: Category	Classification Structure Level 2: Class	Classification Structure Level 3: Sub-class
Parks DVD	Category 04: Tools & Equipment (T&E) for materials	Basket, Broom, Brushmaking T&E	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 04: Tools & Equipment for Materials	Fiberworking T&E	(none)

Table 6: example of a class moved to another category

Classification system	Classification Structure Level 1: Category	Classification Structure Level 2: Class	Classification Structure Level 3: Sub-class
Parks DVD	Category 10: Unclassifiable Objects	Multiple Use Objects	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 04: Tools & Equipment for Materials	Multiple Use T&E for Materials	(none)

You may contact CHIN to obtain a complete chart for a transition from the Parks Canada classification system top-level hierarchical structure to the Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging structure.

Expansion from one lower-level object term to three

In the Parks Canada classification system, the lower level contained the object term. In Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging, there are one to three lower levels, depending on the need for specificity: Primary Term, Secondary Term and Tertiary Term.

Table 7: example of lower level expansion from one to three terms

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary Term	Secondary Term	Tertiary Term
Parks DVD	Category 02: Furnishings	Furniture	(none)	Chair, Wing	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 02: Furnishings	Furniture	Seating Furniture	Chair	Armchair	Chair, Wing

Users may find that the Parks Canada classification system object term matches to the primary, secondary or tertiary level of the object term in Nomenclature 4.0, as in the examples below. Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging will also display the Parks ID number where the two systems have harmonized.

Table 8: example of lower-level hierarchical structure migration to secondary term level

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term
Parks DVD	Category 09: Recreation Objects	Sports Equipment	(none	Skate, Ice	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 09: Recreational Objects	Sports Equipment	(none)	Gear, Skating	Skate, Ice	(none)

Table 9: example of lower-level hierarchical structure migration to tertiary term level

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term
Parks DVD	Category 05: Tools and Equipment (T&E) for Science and Technology	Timekeeping T&E	(none)	Clock, Tall Case	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 05: Tools & Equipment for Science & Technology	Timekeeping T&E	(none)	Clock	Clock, Floor	Clock, Tall Case

Migration of object terms

Some object terms in the Parks Canada classification system have moved to different classes or sub-classes in Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging, but in many cases the Parks Canada object terms will be matched to different “Preferred Terms” in Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging.

Table 10: example of an exact match of object terms at the primary term level

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term
Parks DVD	Category 04: Tools and Equipment (T&E) for Materials	Food Processing T&E	(none)	Timer, Kitchen	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 04: Tools & Equipment for Materials	Food Processing & Preparation T&E	Food Preparation Equipment	Timer, Kitchen	(none)	(none)

Table 11: example of migration of object terms to another category and the secondary term level in Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term
Parks DVD	Category 07: Distribution and Transportation Objects	Land Transportation Accessory	(none)	Tumpline	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 03: Personal Objects	Personal Gear	Personal Carrying & Storage Gear	Strap, Carrying	Tumpline	(none)

Table 12: example of migration of object terms to a non-preferred term in Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term	Note
Parks DVD	Category 05: Tools and Equipment (T&E) for Science and Technology	Regulative & Protective T&E	(none)	Come-Along	(none)	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 05: Tools & Equipment for Science & Technology	Regulative & Protective T&E	Regulative Devices	Restraint	Shackle	Handcuff (formerly Handcuffs)	Come-Along: now a Non-Preferred Term

Some Parks Canada object terms, such as “Finder, Range,” will be deleted, as they may be duplicate names found in several different classes. In some instances, the object names should be noted elsewhere in a separate information field. For example, in the class “Metalworking T&E” of “Category 04: Tools and Equipment for Materials,” the various pattern types such as “Pattern, anvil,” “Pattern, horseshoe,” “Pattern, mortar” and “Pattern, stove door” should all be renamed as “Pattern, Casting,” and the specific types of patterns should be noted in the subject field.

Grammatical variations

Many object terms in the Parks Canada classification system have spellings, qualifiers or variations that differ from the names in Nomenclature 4.0.

Table 13: variation between Parks Canada and Nomenclature at the primary term level

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term
Parks DVD	Category 04: Tools and Equipment (T&E) for Materials	Forestry T&E	(none)	Calipers, Timber	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 04: Tools and Equipment for Materials	Forestry T&E	(none)	Caliper, Timber	(none)	(none)

Table 14: variation between Parks Canada and Nomenclature at the secondary term level

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term
Parks DVD	Category 04: Tools and Equipment (T&E) for Materials	Leather, Horn, Shellworking T&E	(none)	Awl, Pegging	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 04: Tools and Equipment for Materials	Leather, Horn & Shellworking T&E	(none)	Awl, Leather	Awl, Peg	(none)

Table 15: variation between Parks Canada and Nomenclature at the tertiary term level

Classification system	Category	Class	Sub-class	Primary term	Secondary term	Tertiary term
Parks DVD	Category 03: Personal Objects	Clothing, Headwear	(none)	Hat, Tricorn	(none)	(none)
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging	Category 03: Personal Objects	Clothing	Headwear	Hat	Cocked Hat	Tricorn

These variations in the object names in the Parks Canada classification system will be captured in the “Non-Preferred Terms” field or alternatively when selecting the “Canadian Spelling Preference” in Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging.

Proposed new object terms

Several hundred Parks Canada classification system object terms did not match the harmonization process of Nomenclature 4.0 and the Parks DVD. They have been flagged as candidate terms to be incorporated into the Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging structure and lexicon. Most of the candidate terms are illustrated. These terms will be submitted to the Nomenclature Task Force responsible for reviewing new proposed object terms. This will allow the expansion of the Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging terminology through the incorporation of more of the Parks Canada specialized collection types also found in Canadian museums.

Terms for object parts

The Parks Canada classification system comprises many specific components and constituent parts of objects. The practice has been to organize these into the same relevant classes, as the term describing the entire object. These object part terms are recognizable as they are listed as a direct entry word order. The examples “Stove Lid” (Parks Canada ID 02-00472) and “Adz Handle” (Parks Canada ID 04-01468) represent incomplete objects that cannot function as whole objects. Therefore, these Parks Canada terms will not be integrated into Nomenclature for Museum cataloging.

Nomenclature 4.0 has several areas within its structure that allow for “Building Components,” “Finish Hardware” and “Vehicle components” that have a stand-alone object function. When applying this rule, some of the Parks Canada terms for object parts may be considered for additions to Nomenclature 4.0.

Military or paramilitary object terms

Many object terms in the Parks Canada classification system are associated with the military history collection of Parks Canada and are significantly represented in the Parks Canada collection. Several of these object terms, such as “Uniform, Military” (Parks Canada ID 03-00512), have been incorporated into Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging. A number of candidate terms will be considered in the future by the Nomenclature Task Force.

Product packages

The object terms found in the Parks Canada classification system that relate to the large collection of product packaging have not been incorporated into Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging. These object terms may be useful to users when cross-indexing the specific product contents in “Merchandising T&E.” A revised and updated list of “Product Packages” object terms and accompanying user guidelines will be available in the future as reference tools.

Canadian Nomenclature task force

CHIN, Parks Canada and the Nomenclature Task Force have agreed that a Canadian Nomenclature task force should be developed to work in parallel with the larger international Nomenclature Task Force. Its mandate will be to develop and validate bilingual Canadian terminology, add illustrations, definitions, etc. Ideally, this task force would include both CHIN and Parks Canada representatives, plus volunteers from museums across Canada with expertise and/or interest in terminology development. When project funds become available, CHIN will contract experts (ethnologists, linguists or subject specialists) to further develop terminology in certain areas.