PastPerfect Museum Software

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PastPerfect Museum Software

• Making It Work For You

Society of North Carolina Archivists Spring
Meeting, March 4, 2005 Session III Making Our
Lives Easier? Using Database Management in
Archives
Adina L. RigginsArchivist/Special Collections
LibrarianUNC Wilmington
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Advantages

• Relational database functionality
• Ease of use, reduce need for database design
• Can include digital images in catalogs
• Helps with a variety of archives activities

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Archives Activities

• Accessioning
• Cataloging (Arrangement and Description)
• Researching/Searching on-site patron
• Research/Searching remote (virtual) patron

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Accessioning

• Accession
• one or more objects acquired at one time from
  one source, constituting a single transaction
  between the museum and a source
• --(Burcaw 1997), as quoted in PastPerfect Museum
  Software Version 3.0 Users Guide
• Accession
• 1) the act and procedures involved in taking
  records or papers into physical and legal custody
  of an archival agency or manuscript repository.
  2) The materials involved in such a transfer of
  custody
• --Glossary provided by Michelle A. Francis,
  Hometown History Workshop, Wilmington, NC, 5
  June, 2002

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First Step Create an Accession Register

• Purpose To keep track of who gave what
• And to record other key administrative
  information about the transaction
• Helps to make management decisions about
  processing priorities

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Traditional Accession Register
Thanks to Michelle Francis, Providing Access
component of Hometown History Workshop, 5
June, 2002, NHCPL, Wilmington, NC
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PastPerfect Accession Register
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Accessioning in PastPerfect
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Archival Arrangement and Description

• Archives Catalog is for cataloging unpublished
  materials such as document collections,
  manuscripts, oral histories, videotapes and
  personal papers
• Unit of Description Item level or fonds level

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Research

• All the hard work of cataloging pays off
• Allows for in-house patrons to search and view
  objects
• Allows for staff to research collections in
  interesting ways, plan exhibits, assess
  collection needs

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Web Research

• Virtual Exhibit 4 Web Sites Made Easy
• Separate from PP4 and Evaluation VE4
• Can create up to 6 searchable online exhibits

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Uniforms

• Uniforms exhibit
• Can browse or search this exhibit
• Functional display, customizable

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Search for Camp Lejeune in Belongings Exhibit
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Credits

• Benedetti, Susannah and Andy Dutka. NC ECHO panel
  discussion on successful digitization grant
  projects at the NCLA biennial conference,
  Winston-Salem, NC, 24 September, 2003.
• Francis, Michelle. Providing Access at
  Hometown History workshop, New Hanover County
  Public Library Northeast Branch, Wilmington, NC,
  5 June, 2002.
• Pfohl, Dan, Systems Librarian at UNC-Wilmington.
  E-mail interview, 28 February, 2005.

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Resources

• PastPerfect by AltaMira Press www.museumsoftware.
  com
• World War II Through the Eyes of the Cape Fear
• http//capefearww2.uncwil.edu/
• Randall Library Art and Treasures Tour
• http//coast2.lib.uncwil.edu/arttour/tourpage.
  html