In a recent posting Martin Taureg asks:
>I would like to know whether there is anybody on this list having used a
>British information management software called IDEALIST for museum purposes.
Yes Martin, there is. I first took an interest in IDEALIST when I got
hold of a demo copy over a year ago but it is only in the last month or
so that one of my clients has acquired a full copy and I have started to
use it earnest.
>Some features I find useful are:
>- A database may have records with differing field structure.
>- A record may include several occurences of the same field.
>- Records can hold several pages of text.
>- You can search the entire database, or just particular fields.
These are exactly the sort of features which attracted me to this
software. The main reason that I have delayed experimenting with it
until very recently is that these same features are well implemented in
the MODES software which is widely used in UK museums (but not supported
outside the UK). Many of my clients use MODES, which fully supports the
UK Museum Documentation Association Data Standard and is extremely
powerful (though requiring considerable experience to make the best use
of its strengths).
A long standing client and MODES user is just embarking on a project
which will involve detailed research across exhibit records, supporting
archival material held by the client and other archival and
bibliographic references. They wanted free-text recall from documentary
material, something which can be achieved within MODES but only through
tedious string searches or laborious marking up of keywords. I
suggested that they try using IDEALIST for this project and set up some
demonstration data using the free demo version (limited to 32 records
per file but otherwise a full working version - I wish all software
developers could do this, it makes evaluation so much easier). The
client immediately decided to purchase IDEALIST (which incidentally is
very good value - 16 bit version around 100 pounds sterling) and is now
entering data. Initial indications are that the software will very
effectively perform the tasks for which it was purchased, although it is
too soon to give a final verdict.
Like most software, IDEALIST has its strengths and its weaknesses. At
times whilst setting up files for my client I encountered frustrating
limitations but the ability to write macros and launch these from the
button bar helped me get round most of these. The real strength of the
program lies (as one might expect) in its on-line searching abilities,
combined with its ability to support the sort of highly variable data
structures required in order to catalogue museum collections without
imposing artificial restraints. It's weak point seems to be poor
reporting capabilities, although I have only looked briefly at this. It
looks as though data can very easily be transferred across to MODES
which has a very powerful display language giving precise control over
report generation, so poor reporting is not a problem in this instance
but it could be a limitation for other users.
I may be totally wrong but I get the impression that IDEALIST is not
being developed very rapidly or even promoted very hard. This seems a
pity for, as you will gather, I quite like it. It is not the answer to
all my clients' needs but is so far proving a very useful tool for
solving a specific problem.
Despite its ability to effortlessly support variable museum data
structures which would defeat a flat-file database and require
substantial setting up of a relational system, IDEALIST does not appear
to have penetrated very far into the UK museum market. Apart from my
client (which is actually a stately home but is cataloguing its
collections following museum principles), I am aware of only three other
British users, all fairly small (largest about 7,000 records). I can
pass on details if you wish.
If you wish to keep in touch off-list as our respective IDEALIST based
projects develop, please feel free to do so. I would also be interested
in hearing from anyone else who is using this software.
Stuart
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Stuart Holm, Heritage Documentation Projects Tel: +44 1603 870772
2 New Road, Reepham, Norwich NR10 4LP, UK E-mail: [log in to unmask]
------------- World Wide Web - http://www.holm.demon.co.uk -------------
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