Tell Me More, Database – The FIC Song

Recently a mail from a colleague reminded me of an incident that made me write some new lyrics to the old John Denver campfire classic “Country Roads” after we solved the issue:

It was a dark Friday in February when I checked and rehoused some enamel signs together with one of my student assistants. We came across two road signs who looked fairly similar and had the same accession number written on their back. Of course, there was no picture in the database. We called our database manager for help. After a while, she found an orphaned photo in the files that showed that one sign had the arrow pointing to the left while another sign with a different accession number had the arrow pointing to the right. Its catalog entry was marked with “location unknown” a long time ago. Finally, we were able to assign the correct numbers.

So, for all the missing and found objects in our collections, will you please join me in this song… a-one, a-two…


Almost Weekend, in the storage
Found a sign there, right next to another.
Both look similar, similar like twins,
And they both have same accession number.

Refrain:
Database, tell me more,
Where the things do belong.
Show the files me,
Backlog Mamma, tell me more,
Database.

Unwrap the sign now, take a look there,
Accession number, written on the backside.
Dark and dusty, written black on black.
Misty taste of neglect, teardrops in my eye.

Database, tell me more,
Where the things do belong.
Show the files me,
Backlog Mamma, tell me more,
Database.

I find a file in the “missing things”, it calls me
Seems a lot like one we missed a long time ago
Looking at the pic I got the feeling
That we finally solved this mystery, mystery!

Database, tell me more,
Where the things do belong.
Show the files me,
Backlog Mamma, tell me more,
Database.

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This post is also available in: German

3 comments

  1. Rachel Farkas says:

    Living vicariously through the sense of satisfaction solving this mystery brings!

  2. Evelyn Fidler says:

    Love it! I had a volunteer catalogue an iron eagle as a FIC last week. Yesterday I came across a picture of a stove with same eagle on top! What a feeling of satisfaction!

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