Aaron,
I am finishing my Master's degree in Museum Studies with a focus on collections care and management. I've been using PastPerfect since I began as a volunteer at the Indiana Medical History Museum in 2001. We use the program extensively for both the library and object collections, not to mention the other data it can hold. Recently, I convinced the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum to switch from Argus to PastPerfect, it is much more user friendly and cost effective for their needs. Fortunately I have a background that includes database creation and management from previous positions, so the conversion of the objects and library collection went smoothly with one phone call to the support desk. Within a few minutes they figured out I had added a letter to the field parameters, from that point the conversion of data went well. The object pictures are easy to add, but there are many so it is taking a little longer with that. All in all, I have found PastPerfect to be one of the best systems available for a museum that is very user friendly. Of course it is dependent on what your museum needs are as well.
I hope this helps a little.
Toni Lynn Giffin
Museum Collections Specialist
Historian
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________________________________
From: Museum discussion list on behalf of Holly Wilhelm
Sent: Mon 4/10/2006 6:52 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Museum Library Question
Aaron,
I'm a former manuscripts cataloguer with a library degree and am now learning objects so I'm in the reverse situation. The museum I work with has been using PastPerfect since well before I started here (almost three years ago), and our historical society's research library is mostly uncatalogued because previous directors had no library experience, and staff was cut 33% just before I started, meaning I don't have much time to do it now. But I do some.
PastPerfect has two "modules" that I use for documentary stuff--library and archives. The research library's stuff goes in Library, and the stuff I keep in restricted access goes in Archives, mainly because I don't keep them in the research library.
I've looked at the MARC conversion module and it seemed to meet the needs for the museum's purposes; it would be problematic for a circulating collection, but by definition our stuff isn't, and yours isn't either so it should be fine. I did quibble some with some of the
MARC tags when the demo didn't put them where I felt they should, but PastPerfect has been responsive to all kinds of requests, so they can probably easily fix that on request. Since my museum is using an old version and hasn't upgraded or purchased the MARC conversion package (insert frustration growls here), I've not needed to make the request.
The short answer is that it should work fine. At least from my limited experience.
FWIW,
Holly Wilhelm Mills
Central Virginia
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