Each issue of the MCN newsletter, SPECTRA, has a HELP! section where
members post questions relating to issues of museum computing.  For the
last few months these questions have been posted to museum-l with very
helpful responses.  The latest series of questions follows.  Please
indicate if your response should be directly only to the inquirer or if
it may be published in SPECTRA.
 
Thank you.
 
Katherine Jones-Garmil
MCN Program Director
 
 
Questions:
 
1.  Given that many museums only have resources for one 'computer
person', what is the typical job description for a Museum Information
Systems administrator?  What background or qualifications should she or
he have?
 
2.  What is a typical job description for database managers (with regard
to collections management systems)?  How are some institutions
maintaining a database without the support of a MIS administrator?  Or,
if they have one, where does the maintenance of the collections
management database fall with respect to MIS staff and registrars?
 
3.  What level of computer knowledge and/or expertise is becoming
necessary for registrars and other museum staff?
 
4.  What is the importance of client-server, distributed and relations
database technologies to collection management databases?