Amanda, Software for Collections Management:
Here in the UK MDA is often asked the question "Which collections management system should I buy?". What we generally say that is not possible to give a simple answer and advise them to make their decision based on a number of different factors: * How much money do you have to spend? One thing to note is that the number of objects being managed is not an issue for price. * What do you want the system to do? For example does the system enable web publication. * What do others say about a system? You are doing that here, but do not hesitate to ask for a reference from a system vendor, specifically for your type of museum, if possible. * Does a system support standards? These could be ICT technical standards, but key here is support of museum information management standards. For example MDA publishes a information management standard, SPECTRUM, which many systems vendors used to design their systems. The standard is now free to download and use non-commercially: http://www.mda.org.uk/spectrum.htm We have over 3,000 licences for SPECTRUM worldwide (about 250 in the USA), and have just signed an agreement for translation and localisation in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). Since 2005 we have run an MDA Partner scheme for those who wish to use SPECTRUM commercially and to have the opportunity to have their systems validated against the standards. Information about these MDA Partners' systems can be found at: http://www.mda.org.uk/software.htm Hope this is of help Gordon. ******************************************************* Gordon McKenna e-mail: gordon at mda.org.uk MDA The Spectrum Building, The Michael Young Centre, Purbeck Road Cambridge CB2 2PD, UK Tel: +44 1223 415760 Fax: +44 1223 415960 Setting the standard for managing collections information *************** http://www.mda.org.uk/ ****************
