Documenting Your Collections
Info-Muse Network Documentation Guide

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Use Country (Origin)

Definition:

Observations:

1. N.B.: Do not confuse the Use Country field with the Originating Country field. The Use Country field indicates the name of the country where the object was used, whereas the Originating Country field indicates the name of the country where it was produced.
   Example

   A carafe manufactured in France and used in Canada

   	Object Name	carafe
   	Originating Continent	Europe
   	Originating Country	France
   	Use Continent	North America
   	Use Country	Canada

2. For better search results in your database, avoid using a large variety of terms; draw up an authority list and add names of countries as necessary. See documentation tip No. 2 (in French only) for bibliographic references.
3. This field is used in conjunction with the Use Continent field.

Entry rules:

1. Enter the full name of the country; do not use abbreviations.
   Example

   	Use Country	United States
   	and not
   	Use Country	USA

2. If the name of the use country has changed, first enter its current name, followed by a comma and a space, then the name that applied at the time the object was used.
   Example

   A shawl worn in Kashmir in the early 19th century. Kashmir has not been an independent state since 1949.

   	Object Name	shawl
   	Begin Date	1800 L
   	End Date	1825 P
   	Use Continent	Asia
   	Use Country	India, Kashmir

3. If you are unsure whether your information is correct, include a space and a question mark after the name of the country.
   Example

   An adze probably used in Botswana

   	Object Name	adze
   	Use Continent	Africa
   	Use Country	Botswana ?

4. This field may contain several entries, since an object may have been used in more than one country over the years—for instance if it belonged to an immigrant. The names of the countries should then be entered in chronological order, beginning with the most recent. Entries should be separated by a semicolon followed by a space.
   Example

   A plate made in China for export. It was used in the United Kingdom and then in Canada.

   	Object Name	plate
   	Originating Continent	Asia
   	Originating Country	China
   	Use Continent	North America; Europe
   	Use Country	Canada; United Kingdom