[BCMA] Accessions method

Mon Sep 23 11:20:52 PDT 2013

I have used many databases over the years and I use Microsoft Access a lot. One advantage is that many people out there are familiar with it. The downsides are that it is like a Mechano kit and a LOT of learning and assembly is required. It is also not good at handling photos of artifacts.

The PastPerfect program is more of an off-the-shelf plug and play museum program well worth looking at. I have not used it, but all users of it that I have spoken to were very happy with it. I believe that The Chilliwack Museum uses it. Talk with Paul Ferguson there. I also believe you can download a free trial version from PastPerfect's web site. The program comes with a manual! 
:-)
Using the Mechano kit analogy from above, PastPerfect is more like a built house ready to move into, yet one where you can customize the interior.

Given that the truck collection is run by volunteers one should KISS (keep it simple stupid) and continuity is critical. E.g. A new "Registrar" volunteer may be told "Here is the computer, password and manual ... but we are sorry to say there is no training available as your predecessor quit/died/moved."

Look at the costs of programs. The truck museum will also be very tight for money. Minisis and other big programs can be very expensive with purchase costs and annual fees (for updates, service calls) etc. What works for a larger museum with permanent staff almost certainly will not work for a small volunteer operation. 

Bigger is NOT always better. I went to Ottawa and was briefed by the head of the database for the Canadian Museum of Civilization (the museum has since been renamed the Canadian Museum of History I believe). It was powerful but required "nerds in residence". The national database system for Canadian military museums called CFAMS is the WORST database I have ever seen and all of the users I have spoken to hate it ... with a passion! I tried it out and it truly stinks. Another program, best suited for archives, has been used locally for museums' collections with mixed results. 

I used MS Access for a volunteer run museum that I ran concurrent with my full-time museum jobs. My successor there had trouble with learning Access and indeed showed up for very few training sessions. I suspect it was used very little afterwards as they did not understand it. For example, to search the 7,000 plus item collection, I heard that they scrolled down through the whole 7,000 line table as they did not understand how to use the search function.

An exception can be if the truck museum was to be operated as a branch of a larger museum or as part of a city or other large organization. Then sone training and support would be available.

Asking someone about which database to buy is like asking for a recommendation on what type of car to buy. With both cars and databases, there are many good models out there, not one single good one. People will recommend what they are familiar with (unless they drive an Edsel or use CFAMS database!) It may be good, but really it is mainly what they are familiar with. A number of times I have seen museums change database programs when they change Curators and often it is because the incoming Curator is simply familiar and therefore comfortable with a different program. 

Bottom line - Remember that the truck Museum volunteers are there because they love trucks, not because they are computer nerds. KISS.  Do have a look at PastPerfect.

Sent from my iPhone

Colin MacGregor Stevens, CD
Richmond,
British Columbia,
CANADA

On 2013-09-21, at 12:03 PM, "Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv." <bcma at lists.vvv.com> wrote:

> As always, Dan, I'm enthusiastic about using MS Access for very specific collections like this. Relationships that you couldn't expect to find in a conventional system can be custom built (spare parts associated with a truck; maintenance record). I think there are many things that you'd like to record that you wouldn't find in a convnetional "Collections" program.
> This does require some knowledge of the program, but the fortunate part is that there are many people who have this knowledge, or places you can obtain it (lots of community education courses for example). I'd be glad to help out or talk to you further in person or on e-mail (cquinn at fishability.biz).
> 
> Cliff
> 
> On 2013-09-20 4:08 PM, "Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv." <bcma at lists.vvv.com> wrote:
>> To museum collections cataloguers and curators: please recommend an up-to-date ideal electronic accessions programme (software or online) that could be used by the new "Vintage Trucks" museum in Cloverdale.
>>  
>> Thanks!
>>  
>> Dan Gallacher
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> BCMA mailing list
>> BCMA at lists.vvv.com
>> http://lists.vvv.com/mailman/listinfo/bcma
> _______________________________________________
> BCMA mailing list
> BCMA at lists.vvv.com
> http://lists.vvv.com/mailman/listinfo/bcma
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.vvv.com/pipermail/bcma/attachments/20130923/f3ca687b/attachment-0001.htm 