Patricia L. Miller
Illinois Heritage Association
602 1/2 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
tel: 217-359-5600  e-mail: [log in to unmask]
 
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 1994 21:00:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Edmond McLaughlin <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Patricia L. Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: software for small museum
 
Pat,
 
Hi. I got your messages and the compilation. I appreciate your passing
that along.
 
One thought that I had, and I think this might be valuable for others on
the list, is that half of the programs listed weren't really "archive or
museum ready". By this I mean that programs like First Choice, FoxPro,
Paradox and FileMaker are programs for creating specialized databases.
They could be used just as effectively to put together a parts catalog
for an automotive warehouse as they could to manage an museum collection.
 
A program like SNAP! or Mimsy, on the other hand was developed using such
tools to provide a completed database system for the specialized needs of
archivists and collections managers. (Multi-Mimsy is programmed in Oracle
I believe)
 
If a person chose to develope their own collections management software
in FoxPro or Paradox, they could have a highly customized database that
addresses the needs of their institution to a tee. They would, however,
have to learn quite a bit about programming a database. Granted the
tools for doing it are excellent in some packages, but alot of planning
needs to go into it if it's to be done properly.
 
That planning may be reinventing the wheel. It's probably the case that
someone like Willoughby has really done the planning already  for many
institutions, and have come up with software that would work relatively
well for many more.
 
 
I had considered the possibilty of producing a database in house with
one of the previously mentioned packages. The problem I'm running into is
that I know how to program a database, but I don't much about collections
management. The collections managers don't know much about database
management. You'd think between the two of us we'd have a solution, but the
time and effort to produce what probably exists pre-packaged won't be
very cost effective.
 
I'm not trying to dissuade anybody from doing it themselves. There is
*alot* to be said for self-sufficiency on the computer, and programming a
database isn't that difficult. Just thought I needed to elaborate a
little on the list.
 
 
Thanks again and keep 'em coming.
 
 
Ed