Diane- Personally, I love Past Perfect. It is not without some minor issues, but all database software has something. I have used other software over the years including a "home made" database, but Past Perfect is still my favorite. I really like the friendly and helpful staff with the company who are very willing to assist when you have questions or concerns. For managing collections, Past Perfect is nice because it allows you many customizable features, but also allows you to limit the type of data inputted for consistency. Also, the database will work whether you enter everything associated with the object or a simple record with basic information that can be added to later. That being said, I would however encourage you to take this opportunity to look at other software. Do get the current trial version of Past Perfect and then compare it and your current software with others out on the market. While doing your comparison remember to consider - usability(difficulty involved for a "inexperienced" computer user to operate), easy of data comprehension once entered, flexibility to be searched, expansion, service (assistance for questions or problems), flexibility with your specific needs (can it work with unusually or problematic collections issues), and upgrade capability as your needs, computers and institution grows. Good Luck Tracie Evans Collections Manager Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum [log in to unmask] PO Box 2570 Waco TX 76702 254/750-8631 > -----Original Message----- > From: Diane Goldman [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 5:49 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Are small institutions using PastPerfect? > > I'm using a dated version of PastPerfect software and wonder what's > being used at other small institutions (roughly 2000 objects and twice > that number of archived documents). > > We're considering upgrading, but perhaps we should take this opportunity > to change software. I understand PastPerfect has modules that can be > used for managing schedules and storing information on volunteers or > members. So far all I'm using is the capacity for object documentation. > > Feel free to reply privately. I'm not sure if commercial products can > be discussed on the List Serve. > > --Diane > Diane Goldman > [log in to unmask] > > ========================================================= > 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).