TO ANNIE: I've worked both in FileMaker pro (MAC) and ACCESS in windows. Though I could go on about the ease of design in FM/MAC, I'm presently working in windows and would say I have intermediate experience when it comes to design, and above that when it comes to producing reports and designing queries. My specific question is if you could point me to a good DB book for designing a membership DB. Most of the books I've seen have a manual that goes with a mock DB--that's usually in the shipping and services model that isn't quite right for my needs. But I know that I need to know how to link tables better (currently I have only one table with Members Names, addresses, and membership info--and KNOW that isn't right). Would appreciate some off-list discussion, unless others also are interested. My email is [log in to unmask] Thanks JAY -----Original Message----- From: Annie Grieshop [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Thursday, October 07, 1999 10:34 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Database vs. Collections Management System Sally, I believe there's a PC version of FileMaker available, although I have only a vague memory of hearing about it. I've built several Access databases and find it to be very useful software. The learning curve's steep, of course, but the pay-off is that it's quite powerful and can be made to jump through some impressive information management hoops. One caveat on databases in general: don't settle for less than you're going to need in the future. Annie -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Sally Cavins Sent: Thursday, October 07, 1999 3:34 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Database vs. Collections Management System OK, you have my attendtion - If you have a PC instead of a MAC what would be the best choice???? Beverly Balger wrote: > Diane, > Thanks for the very good explanation of the difference between data > bases and collections management systems. I found it helpful and > interesting. > > One point of disagreement - > > >Why would any sane person want to spend so much time and energy developing a > >system when there are very good systems already developed? > > I chose to hire someone to develop a database on FilemakerPro for me > because I work on a Mac. While there are tons of wonderful options > for PCs, when I went to AAM in Cleveland and visited every vendor > there, there were exactly 2 options for us Mac users. One system was > so well hidden that I couldn't find them (not reassuring when > thinking about future support) and the other got very bad reviews > from the users I polled. Well, come to think of it there was a third > option, but no way is my small museum going to spend $20,000 on a > collections database. One of the salespersons of the $20,000 system > took me aside and suggested I get FilemakerPro. > > All of the concerns you state are valid, and shared by me. I once > swore that I would never build my own database because it is so > dependant upon the whims of the person who builds it. Over the past > 10 years I've walked into three museums with databases no one knew > how to use because the person who developed them had moved away. > However, in my current situation, building my own system on > FilemakerPro was the best choice. It's an off-the-shelf piece of > software which we've modified very little. Anyone who's used > Filemaker in any situation should be able to figure it out. There is > lots of support for Filemaker here at Penn State, so even if my > museum didn't have anyone who knows how to use it, there are people > around who do. Plus, it's affordable. What we ended up with is > clearly a database, not a collections management system, but it's a > step towards a CMS and has helped tremendously in keeping track of > the collection. > > Just my 2 cents from a small museum perspective. > Beverly Balger > Registrar, Palmer Museum of Art > The Pennsylvania State University > University Park, PA 16802 > (814) 865-7672 > > ========================================================= > Important Subscriber Information: > > The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. 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). -- Sally A. Cochran Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 Chautauqua Norman, Oklahoma 73072 405/325-4713 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. 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/ museum-l.html. 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/ museum-l.html. 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).