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Re: newspaper indexing (longish)



In general, any database program will serve better for indexing than a Word
document.  While you can search a Word doc (using the "Find" feature on the
Edit menu), a database is far superior in that it will allow you to
manipulate your data and output in a way that no Word doc will do.  Most DB
programs will let you sort your data, select items to display, alter fonts
in your reports, etc.

As most of you may realize already, I'm not a big Access fan.  It'll do what
you need, but it's much more difficult to learn than some other programs.
One of its major benefits, of course, is if your repository already has MS
Office, you don't have to spend any more money; better programs, like
DB/Textworks, will cost you.

The key to any DB creation is thinking it through clearly BEFORE you start
entering data.  I strongly reccommend you clearly lay out what information
you want before you start entering data.  If you can build your fields
properly, you won't discover two months later that there was something else
you wanted in the DB, as has happened to me far too often.

For a newspaper index, you'd want at least the following fields (in no
particular order):

Article title; Newspaper title; date of article; person/people;
organization; abstract; photograph

I always add a Notes field to every DB I create, in case there's some
comment I want to add that doesn't belong anywhere else.  I sometimes will
create two Org fields, one for internal departments and one for outside
orgs; depending on your institution, you may have hundreds of subsidiaries
or divisions that you want to keep as a separate list from any outside
companies.  Some people add a Subject field, and use LC or similar guides
for each record.

That's all I can think of right now.  Additional fields particular to your
needs can be used, and there's probably others I'm not remembering.
Incidentally, this kind of database is very useful for in-house newspapers
or newsletters.

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lisa May [SMTP:LMAY@DIOGH.ORG]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2001 5:03 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      newspaper indexing
>
> Is anyone using MS Access to create a newspaper index?  We have a brief
> but
> growing index to our diocesan newspaper - it's currently a Word document
> that has spiraled out of control.  Our IS people suggested using Access,
> and I'm looking for some guidance.
>
> TIA,
> Lisa
>
> Lisa May
>
> Archivist
> Diocese of Galveston-Houston
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>
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> Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
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>
> Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>