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title: "Why use these tools to create a catalog?"
isDraft: true
---

On this site, we offer a “recipe” which uses a combination of free tools to easily create a directory of information that can be used for multiple purposes. With this method, you can start capturing information quickly and intuitively in a format that is flexible and usable later for various needs. Why does this help us? Because to map information – to collect, organise, structure, and classify it – and present it clearly is a way to make more sense of it and therefore of the world around us. 

What are the benefits of using this method to create a directory?
- You can capture both structured (inc. metadata) and unstructured data (inc. free text and images)
- It’s easy to add to 
- It has a flexible structure, e.g. you can easily edit structured data fields
- You can collaborate on it
- You can easily access the information later for exploration and visualization, without the need for tidying and re-formatting
