Dan:

     I know you did not want any more emails on Databases, but I thought
     you might want to read this.

     Laura


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: MS-ACCESS, was collections software
Author:  Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]> at Internet
Date:    6/30/98 12:48 PM


At 12:05 PM 6/30/98 +0200, Christian Muelle-Straten wrote:
>For larger
>museums MS Access does not seems to be a good idea. A real data base is
better.
>Or am I wrong?

MS Access *is* a real database, but it may not be sufficient for your
needs. If you have a large collection, I recommend that you thoroughly
research existing collections catalogue products. The investment of time
necessary to develop, document and maintain a custom database can be huge.
A vendor will have the financial incetive to properly document and improve
the product. This can be a real chore when you have a one-of-a-kind
home-grown system.

Susan B.F. Wageman
Grants and Research Manager                  (408) 279-7178
The Tech Museum of Innovation                (408) 918-0253 fax
145 West San Carlos Street                    [log in to unmask]
San Jose, California  95113                   http://www.thetech.org