[Web4lib] gallery/museum software experience?

[Robert Sullivan]

> Has anyone out there had experience with any of the following products?
>
> Gallery Systems
> PastPerfect Museum Software
> Re:discovery
>
> Our home-grown and woefully aged Special Collections and Art Collection DBMS
> needs replacing.

Our local historical society has a couple of copies of PastPerfect and
some interns entered part of their museum and library collections this
summer.

Having joined their board arlier this year, I downloaded the
evaluation version and am about half way through the 400pp manual.

It appears to be quite comprehensive; they claim to be the world
leader in collection management software for museums, so someone near
you might be able to offer some real world opinions.  I would say
unless you are part of a larger organization with an IT department
able to create and support such a system, it is probably better to buy
into something like this.  In addition, it is built on top of a Visual
FoxPro database, so someone familiar with that should be able to
extend it if necessary.

<http://www.museumsoftware.com/>

They support non-networked organizations and even allow your
volunteers to install the software at home if they want to enter data;
there is a module which is cheaper than a full copy of PastPerfect
which will export the files for later merging with the "official"
database.

There is a "Virtual Exhibit" module which functions as a Web site
builder for those who need help.  It can include the catalog records
of the items on exhibit.  I haven't studied this part in detail yet,
but it appears to be focused on exhibits rather than putting the
library or museum's catalog online.

--
Bob Sullivan
Schenectady Digital History Archive
<http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/>
Schenectady County (NY) Public Library