>I am preparing a presentation for a regional conference which deals with the
>use of CD-ROM (and CD-R) products and applications in various museum
>settings.  I am particularly interested in relatively low-cost solutions to
>making CD-ROM applications and information (images,  text databases, etc.)
>available to smaller institutions.  Examples might include the use of
>commercial software for limited presentations to docents and students, in-hous
>e object-imaging projects, and applications for research and study aids.
>
>What are your favorites and why?
>
>Kevin W. Tucker
>Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts
>Columbia Museum of Art
>Columbia, SC
>tel:803-799-2810
>email: [log in to unmask]
 
I have two references for this question:
 
The common answer to an authoring tool, I suspect, will be to use MacroMind
Director or one of their products (which indeed can be impressive), but
I'll throw out a lesser known option.
 
I saw a booth at MacWorld Expo for a company with a program called HyperStudio.
It seems to be a less expensive, less complex multi-media authoring program
with conceivabley lower hardware requirements, etc. It is from a company
called Roger Wagner Publishing, and their number is: 800-421-6526. I'll
admit I have not had a chance to open the demo disk, but if you want what
appears to be a slightly lower intensity option, it might be worth a call.
 
The second path, for those without even a scanner, etc. is to use Kodak's
Photo-CD software kit. I reviewed an article on this topic for the
electronic journal, Current Cites. That review is below. You might want to
look up the original article for more info:
 
Baker, Kim and Sunny "Grandma and Me & Photo CD" CD-ROM World 9(4) (April
1994):64-67. - This article will be useful to the small library or
historical museum, or even to individuals. It shows how to become a
multimedia CD-ROM
author using only a normal PC, a CD-ROM drive capable of reading
multisession Kodak Photo CDs, and a relatively inexpensive software product
called "Create It," also by Kodak. The museum or library would not need
much in the way
of equipment or expertise, or even a scanner, because the presentation can
be created using normal photos or film, and the Create It software, which
are taken to any Kodak developer to put into Photo-CD format. This is a
value-added way of
displaying visual collections because unlike space-consuming wall-mounts,
or film it allows user interaction through individual pacing and selection,
and hyper-links between segments. -- RJR
 
More info on Current Cites, which is free, and regularly reviews
information on technology like this for libraries and museums, can be found
at:
http://library.berkeley.edu:80/ISIS/current-cites/
 
hope this helps,
 
 
 
Richard Rinehart              | University Art Museum / Pacific Film Archive
Information Systems Manager   | University of California at Berkeley
[log in to unmask] | 2625 Durant, Berkeley, CA 94720-2250
                              | http://www.uampfa.berkeley.edu/