Introductory text for museum personnel to understand how catalogues, classification, and indices are developed and what the tools for information handling involve, including both manual and automated processes. Procedures are given for defining a museum's information needs. The selection of vocabulary for indexing purposes is also discussed at length. The appropriate hardware for manual systems is identified and explained. Factors in the management computer systems include specific programs that are currently available and the advan tages and disadvantages of the three choices of computer environments (museum-owned hardware, on-line access to time-sharing facility, or bureau services). Further discussion focuses upon how human resources are used in the deployment of the various procedures of information handling and how available the information sources are for human use. Case histories of a number of British museums are presented. (Abstractor's note: only one specific reference is made to maintaining conservation records.) -- AATA