Hello Bryan,

The City Archives in the Peterborough Centennial Museum and Archives has used
one version or another of InMagic db/Textworks since the late 1980's. We have
always been very happy with its relative ease of use, flexible search features,
content validation, authority lists functions and basic web features.  It is
'easy' to master, 'easy' to design databases with and the company provides
adequate support. The Trent University Archives uses db/Textworks too.

I have never been a fan of MS-Access. It is a relational database  targeted to
business. It is better suited to number crunching and bits of information not
variable length content that museums and archives generate in cataloguing and
collections management.  MS-Access is "too much software" for most museums and
archives in my opinion. I don't particularly want to take a night school course
to master a software package. With Access, that is almost what you will have to
do in order to use it properly!

Start by sketching out the functions you want from a database package. Make sure
you know what you want a software package to do for you. Focus on a simple
database inventory that is designed around current archival standards such as
the Rules for Archival Description (RAD). Consider published authority lists
like the Library of Congress Subject Headings, AAT, etc. Design of the database
and content decisions, are far more important than the specific software chosen.

Hope some of these ramblings help.

Jim Leonard, City Archivist
City Archives / Peterborough Centennial Museum and Archives




bryan parnell wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have just started an 8-week contract as an archives technician with
> Lakefield College School and have been asked to do some research into the
> possibility of switching database software. We are using MS Access 97, but
> we are thinking of switching to InMagic DB/Textworks 4.0.
>
> I have several questions about this process. Has anybody out there switched
> from Access to DB/Text? Was it a difficult project? Is MS Access widely used
> in the field of archives? Is it a worthwhile project to switch from MS
> Access to DB/Text? Finally, roughly how long should it take to set up a
> DB/Text database for a small archives?
>
> Answers to any, and all, of these questions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Bryan Parnell
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