When we switched to Past Perfect from a "home grown" database, many
things did not end up in the same place. I have learned, for example, to
search for object names in both the Object name field and Other name
field, where we dumped that information. Also, the way our cataloging
was, some information was repeated and/or dumped into the description
field, so I just search that field, too, depending on what I'm looking
for. It sounds like you are only referring to library collections,
though. Depending on what system you used for subjects, be aware that
you can download from pastperfect's website the LCT GM 1 Library of
Congress Thesaurus for Graphic Materials Subject Terms can be
downloaded into PastPerfect's subject authority file. I don't know what
fields your stuff ended up in, but it could be a simple matter of
copying and pasting from the wrong field to the correct. In the
meantime, teach your volunteers how to search the "wrong fields" for the
"right information."
In our case, much of the old cataloging information could be beefed up a
little and/or there is incorrect information on many records, plus the
formatting in way off on many of them. We have 69 or so historic
buildings with stuff in them, and I am taking a laptop and going house
by house. I will inventory, recatalog and/or edit the records, and take
digital pictures of all items. It will be a slow process, but in the end
we will have complete records with digital photos of everything, etc.
As for training, I think it's a very straight forward program, but I
understand how some volunteers are not so easily adaptable to new
computer technology or programs. It should be fairly easy, though, if
they are just copying and pasting from one field to the next. It's even
easier if they know the keyboard shortcuts for copying and pasting. Past
Perfect can host a training session at your site for not too much money,
I believe.
Finding someone to data entry can be tough, especially if your existing
records need correction. Then it's not just mere data entry, but it
takes more knowledge and skills than perhaps the average volunteer has.
Then, I say just bite the bullet and slowly work through it with
knowledgeable staff and consider it part of your regular job duties,
doing x number of records a week or something.
Good luck.
Sabrina Henneman
-----Original Message-----
From: Shannon Lindridge [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 12:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] PastPerfect
For those of you who are using PastPerfect out there, which of the
research methods do you/your volunteers use the most?
My dilemma, we converted from FileMakerPro to PastPerfect going on two
years ago and the program is pretty much unusable do to the fact much of
the information did not end up in the correct field, somewhat scattered.
My plans were to have information entered into the people field and
search
terms field, by volunteers, and have our reference room volunteers, most
are of retirement age, use the people field and search terms field for
performing research request for our patrons in our research library. I
thought this would be the easiest method for our volunteers to access
the
information.
I have been hesitant to teach our reference room volunteers the program
for fear of them getting frustrated at not being able to find the
information they are looking for. I have thought of training them to
do
dataentry, but they are usually to busy to perform dataentry while
working
in the reference room.
My other dilemma/difficulty has been finding volunteers who are willing
to
do dataentry.
I would appreciate any guidance, suggestions anyone can give on training
the "older generation" volunteer a new computer program, how to recruit
volunteers to do dataentry, and as stated before what research method(s)
most commonly used in PastPerfect. I have also cross-posted this
message
at Pastime Software.
--Shannon
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