[Dixielandjazz] Record Collection Data Base

[Robert Smith]

Hello Luis,

I've no doubt that Bill Haesler will give you a much more interesting reply than mine, but I thought you might be interested in my simple (though updating is time-consuming) system.
My collection is much more modest than Bill's, with about 7000 tracks on various media.
I started cataloguing in earnest about 1970, before the advent of the PC. I've thought about starting a data base on the PC, but have rejected the idea for these reasons:
  a.. computer-stored data is rather ephemeral, and needs comprehensive backup;
  b.. the PC is not always available (grandchildren playing games, power cuts, PC crashes, etc.)
  c.. the data base needs to be available to supplement whatever one is doing on the PC, and this means switching between e.g. an E-mail and the data base with monotonous regularity;
  d.. if you need to modify or augment the record layout, then this can be a difficult and prolonged task.
So I've stuck to my original idea. 
Each 78, 45, LP, 7" tape reel, cassette,MiniDisc, and CD is given a sequential number (e.g. LP1 for 10" LP's, LPX1 for 12" LP's, CD1 for CD's, etc.). Each track is written up on a B5 piece of paper with the following details: artist or group, e.g. Louis Armstrong, Memphis Jug Band; matrix number; track title; recording location; recording date; composer; list of musicians; sequential record number; track number; medium. Alphabetising titles can be a headache. E.g. "Monday Date" has also been recorded as "A Monday Date","My Monday Date", and "Our Monday Date", all four by Louis Armstrong.
The track sheets are then filed in alphabetical order, first per artist, and then per title in B5 loose-leaf binders (up to about 450 sheets per binder), and currently comprises 18 binders.
The biggest drawbacks to this system (apart from its size and time consumption) are the the time it takes to find all my recordings of e.g. "High Society" or all the tracks with a particular musician, e.g. Johnny St. Cyr or even Louis Armstrong when accompanying blues singers. 

I'd be interested to hear about your system when you have the time.

Cheers

Bob Smith