Machine-Punched cards for cataloguing Rocks And Minerals

Abstract

Data on 29,000 rocks and minerals in the petrological collections of the New Zealand Geological Survey have been coded and processed using machine-punched cards.Three main types of catalogues have been made: A Rock and Mineral Catalogue subdivided according to locality, a Locality Catalogue subdivided according to rock and mineral type, and a Numerical Catalogue of rocks and minerals.The methods used could be readily adapted to other types of museum collections.