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Re: image cataloguing software



Getting people to comply is one of those ongoing problems that I can't offer
much advice on, other than reminding photographers that it may be them who
comes to you in 15 years looking for information about the photos they took,
and you'll only have enough to give them if they provide it to you now.

On the software issue, your best bet is probably to use standard off the
shelf database software and customize it to your own needs.  I'm not a big
fan of subject/object/whatever specific databases - they tend to be too
narrow and don't allow for the kind of flexibility that a generic DB program
will allow.  Granted the standard programs require more work - you have to
set up the fields yourself, you have to design your own searches, etc., but
I still think the ability to set up things precisely how you need them is
worth the time.  Add to that the ability to create as many new databases as
you want - e.g. create a video database, create a newspaper DB, an object
DB, whatever - and I think you've got much more room to be creative without
having to buy a brand new package for each specific project.

I've written too many times about Inmagic's DB/Textworks to bother repeating
myself other than to say I think it's the best program out there; if you're
familiar with Access, use that.  I still think you're better off with a
standard program that you can customize to your heart's content and expand
to suit whatever needs you might have later than locking yourself into a one
use only package.

DS

______________________________________
Daniel Sokolow, Archives Coordinator
David Taylor Archives
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
155 Community Drive
Great Neck, NY 11021
mailto:dsokolow@nshs.edu

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