PHOCUS, a bibliographic data base of photographic conservation literature, is presentlybeing implemented using the MINISIS data base management system. The purpose of this presentation is to show that development costs and time are within reach of most organizations, using equivalent or less powerful configurations of hardware and software. Our experience demonstrates that similar data bases, created for other special collections, could be set up before a conservation information network is in place. Various options for sharing of information in automated data bases already exist. See also AATA 21-1380 for reference to entire proceedings.