TY - JOUR
AU - Steele, John L.
AB -  For the last few years, a number of articles regarding computerbased data management systems for museum-structured organizations have been presented. Some have been commercial packages bought for general database purposes; some have utilized existing database systems on available computers; and others have been custom-designed systems for specific computers. Drawbacks in this diverse collection of database systems involve problems with standardization, availability, and transferability to other museums. This paper describes an approach taken to computerize the Shuler Museum collection, utilizing a custom-designed free-form database system. Although designed on a mainframe computer, the system is intended to be transfxable to other computer@) that might later become an integral part of the museum. THE MUSEUM’S SETTING Although commercial database packages are used in one museum and customized versions in another, how is the choice made? Which is affordable both in time and money and results in the desired effects? The answers depend upon a museum’s particular objectives and situation. At Southern Methodist University, the Departments of Anthropology and Geological Sciences are organized in associa- Copyright 0 American Museum of Natural History 1987. All rights reserved. tion with a corporately independent institute, the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man (ISEM). 
TI - A Custom‐Designed Free‐Form Computer Data Management System
JF - Curator the Museum Journal
DO - 10.1111/j.2151-6952.1987.tb00665.x
DA - 1987-09-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/wiley/a-custom-designed-free-form-computer-data-management-system-dA623DukcU
SP - 216
VL - 30
IS - 3
DP - DeepDyve
ER -