My present feeling on this is that you should find the best system to do the job in the environment (OS, network, etc.) you currently/plan to exist in, factoring for budget limitations...and then make sure it is easy to get everything out of the damn thing!  You almost definitely
will want to someday, when one or more of those first criteria change.

If you can dump everything out into XML, for example, that seems like a good thing.  Imagine dumping all of your records into CSV format, or Tab-delimited...and then trying to import it into a new system...play with it using whatever database you have at hand and Excel, going back
and forth a few times if you don't know what I mean.  Better than nothing, though.  How about ASCII?  That would be fun...

I think there are probably countless ways one can make this more difficult than it needs to be in designing a custom system...?

Nothing will last forever, folks - there will always be newer and better, and eventually you will change to the new OS, or whatever, and that will be that.

Buy the CHIN review, ask around, see what works - and then make sure there's an Emergency Escape hatch somewhere.

Tim

Indigo Nights wrote:

> Well, I've had this nagging issue in my mind with all
> the answers about FileMaker Pro as being the wizbang
> for museum databases.  Back when I used it, it was Mac
> only.  I went to the source
> http://www.filemaker.com/index.html and learned that
> FileMaker can now be used on multiple platforms.  Back
> when, it was a good product, and I'm sure it probably
> still is, though there is much to be said about the
> power of Microsoft's Access.
>
> With that said, my curiousity has been piqued.  Is
> there a bias in the museum world with respect to type
> of computer system?  Are more of you (and if yes, I
> suspect it's more of the Art type museums) a Mac
> environment or a PC one?
>
> What operating systems are you using within that
> equipment?  Are you Windows, DOS, and/or Linux based?
>
> These may sound like nosey questions, but it's tough
> to recommend a database without knowing those two
> parameters.
>
> If cost is a consideration . . . and often it is . . .
> there's a good chance you may be operating outdated
> equipment.  It could get really frustrating trying to
> make a silk purse out of a sow's ear when it comes to
> puters, so I'm wondering how your equipment and
> operating systems factor into your database scenarios.
>
> Further, are you operating freestanding or on LANs?
> Will you have to share this database with others in
> your organization, and what documentation are you
> creating as a users manual in case you up and leave?
>
> It wasn't that long ago I was doing some database work
> (nothing super fancy). Fact is, I've trained on and/or
> used about three or four different types. The biggest
> problem about a database is trying to correct it if
> you just start out willy nilly and think you're going
> to design some great system without planning.  That
> usually means consulting with others to make sure the
> needs of many are incorporate in the one document
> before you start to build it.
>
> I think, as I'm working this out here, there OUGHT to
> be some sort of a standard database for the museum
> world that is widely accepted as the template of
> choice, kind of like Raisers Edge (Blackbaud) often is
> on the fundraising side of it.
>
> What am I missing in this picture?  It seems to me
> that each of you is having to design your own instead
> of relying on a standard and making modifications for
> subtle nuances to your system.
>
> Seems to me this would be a good venture for an
> entrepreneur.
>
> =====
> Indigo Nights
> [log in to unmask]
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger
> http://phonecard.yahoo.com/
>
> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
>
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).