At 10:29 AM 04/30/1998 -0400, Matt Linke wrote:
>I am posting this for a small museum that has no internet connection.
>
>They are looking for software to help them organize their collections.
>Ideas for basic programs would be appreciated.  I suggested that they may
>wish to just create something from a program like Excel.  Ideas?

Matt -- Under some circumstances software that is not specifically oriented
toward collection management can be a very good choice (and not just for
small collections).  Whether it would be a good choice in this case depends
on a number of factors that your query does not go into.  I have listed
some of the questions that would need to be answered at the end of this
message; if you can provide answers to them it will make it easy to advise
you appropriately.

At a minimum, the software that they choose should be genuinely database
oriented; while spreadsheets and databases do share some characteristics,
they differ in ways that could make handling primarily textual data such as
collection records more difficult.  Good choices among off-the-shelf
database software include Access, File Maker Pro, Visual dBASE, and 4th
Dimension, to mention only a few.

What will work best for them depends on a number of factors, including the
items listed below:

1. Is there someone on staff who either already knows how to handle a
database or is willing to learn?  If so, a generalized,
non-collection-related package might be workable.  If not, they would be
better advised to purchase something that is already set up for the type of
collection that they have.  Setting up a generalized database package so
that it will work well for non-programmers will involve considerable labor
spent on designing data formats, entry screens, menus, etc. from scratch,
plus a certain amount of continuing maintenance thereafter.

2. What kind of collections (natural history, art, history, a bit of
everything) does this museum have?  Most software written specifically for
collection management is intended for a specific field of study.

2. How large are the collections?  Something ultra-simple might be OK for a
collection of only a few thousand objects, but could be too simple for a
larger collection.

3. Is the collection expected to grow, and if so, how fast?  Here again, an
ultra-simple solution may not be ideal if there is a need to constantly add
new specimens.

4. What is the nature of the data?  Data that can be organized as fields of
a predictable length might be suitable for a simple relational database
management package, but records that include one or more lengthy text items
(e.g.: description of how to relocate a site, field notes) will require a
higher-level database management package.

5. What do they envision doing with the database once it is built?
Possible uses might include, but are not limited to, searching, printing
specimen labels or catalog pages, managing loans, associating collection
data with other data sources such as GIS, images, etc.

6. What type of hardware (Mac or PC) and operating system are they using?
Some products are available for only one or a few software and hardware
combinations.


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Melissa C. Winans, Senior LAN Administrator ([log in to unmask])
Texas Memorial Museum                   Phone: 512-471-6087, 471-1604
V.P. Lab, J.J. Pickle Research Campus     Fax: 512-471-5973
University of Texas, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758-4445