Cataloguing and value construction in practice by MHST student Fanxi Liu

Part of a series of student articles for the Schaeffer Fine Arts Library Internship Program

During my MHST6905 internship at the Schaeffer Fine Arts Library, I worked as a library research and metadata intern. As I became more involved in cataloguing tasks, I realised that my earlier view of archival practice as mainly technical and procedural was too limited, the practical work made me aware that it also involves decisions and implications that are more layered than I had expected. While processing the archives of the Sherman Galleries, I handled 9 archival folders and created approximately 450 records, including exhibition catalogues, invitations, press clippings, promotional materials, articles, and photographs. This engagement allowed me to build practical skills in metadata creation techniques, and gave me a renewed understanding of the critical role of archival practice within the cultural heritage system. 

This practical experience clearly demonstrated that archival cataloguing is not passive material input, it functions as a continuous practice of meaning construction. Every decision, including title entry, descriptive term selection, and classification assignment, actively shapes how the materials will be understood, retrieved, and used in the future. As Pymm argues, significance assessment operates without fixed standards, influenced collectively by the era, the institutional mission, and individual judgment (Pymm 2006). Through their selection of language and structural frameworks, cataloguers extend the function of transmit content, they decisively position the document within the collective cultural memory. 

This principle became particularly evident during the processing of the Michael Johnson archives, which contained extensive news reports and art criticism. In creating the records, I needed to determine which information constituted the entry's primary content and which details required emphasis. The Michael Johnson archives illustrate how artworks are strategically promoted and introduced into public discourse, the invitation cards, for example, represent the gallery's visual strategy as a promotional platform, while the press clippings and critical reviews document the responses these strategies generated within the media and critical sphere. These ephemeral materials capture the active process of artistic value construction, a process shaped collaboratively by the artwork itself, the gallery's efforts in presenting and promoting the work, and media commentary. They demonstrate how the artist becomes visible to the public through exhibition documentation and visual communication. The seemingly minor choices made by cataloguers, including what content to emphasis and how to organise it, may have a impact on how future researchers interpret the artist's career and cultural significance. The descriptive choices and emphasis align with Turner's argument regarding museum cataloguing ethics: as legacy data, archives operate long-term within frameworks of authority and knowledge production, thus consolidating or reshaping historical understanding (Turner 2016). 

The internship provided a more informed understanding of the ethics and responsibility inherent in cataloguing. While archival records give the appearance of neutrality, their structure and language significantly influence the composition of cultural narratives. Therefore, this experience improved my technical competence with professional tools and standards, while also helping me develop greater awareness of the potential impact of my decisions in daily practice. I became more mindful that the choices I make during cataloguing may shape the ways in which cultural heritage is interpreted, this reflective awareness has become an important part of my approach to cultural heritage management. 

The guidance from the Schaeffer Fine Arts Library team facilitated a close integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application. Through observation and direct participation in archival collection, research, and documentation workflows, I deepened my understanding of the operations of the cultural heritage management system, specifically the fundamental link between technical processes and cultural significance. This experience has provided a strong foundation for my future work in the arts and heritage field, and has strengthened my ongoing interest in value formation, archival ethics, and knowledge production. 

Bibliography 

Pymm, Bob. 2006. “Building Collections for All Time: The Issue of 

Significance.” Australian Academic & Research Libraries37 (1): 61–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2006.10755323. 

Turner, Hannah. 2016. “Critical Histories of Museum Catalogues.” Museum 

Anthropology 39 (2): 102–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/muan.12118.