[Rockhounds] labeling

[Murowchick, James]

I use FileMaker Pro (originally made by Apple, but later split off as a separate company) for both my curating databases, and for making labels for my personal collection, the university's Sutton Museum of Geosciences, and the department's teaching collections.  I found FMP much easier to learn than Access, and I can have work-study students enter info in Excel (they all know how to use that), and then it is a simple matter to import the Excel file into FMP. We are considering using it to make a web-accessible virtual museum compilation of the specimens on display.
	The advantage of a true relational database like FMP or Access is the ability to find related data, filter with complex terms, and present the data in many formats (specimen labels, a catalog with photos, locations, size, etc.) and can contain photographs and even recordings.  Much of that can also be done in Excel, but databases make it much simpler once the format has been configured.  With one click, I can make labels or see ALL the information I have on a specimen.  Any database takes a lot of work to get established, but it can be relatively simple to keep up-to-date.
	There are some great ideas in this thread--thanks!
Jim 
James B Murowchick, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Geochemistry & Mineralogy
UMKC Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
420 Flarsheim Hall
5110 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110
murowchickj at umkc.edu