A SOFTWARE EVALUATION GUIDE FOR COMPUTERIZED GIFT PROCESSING IN MUSEUMS
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Authors
Coates, Darcy Gilliard
Issue Date
1993
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
Theses (Museum Studies) 2. Museum registration methods--Data processing. 3. Museums--Acquisitions--Data processing. 4. Gifts--Data processing.
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop guidelines for evaluating collections management software with potential to computerize gift processing, the documentation and long-term tracking of donated objects in museum collections.
Questionnaires were mailed to 357 California museums to identify typical gift processing practices and problems and the extent to which computers were used for this application. Findings appeared to indicate that gift records were difficult to manage, often in a state of disarray, and seldom fully computerized.
Case studies were subsequently conducted at seven museums where data processing was applied to collections management. Through managerial interviews and system observations, six software criteria were developed for computerization of gift processing. These in turn determined the design of an evaluation tool with which registrars could rate, according to their automation priorities, the gift processing potential of commercially-developed or user-customized software.