[Rockhounds] labeling

[Alan Goldstein]

I use Filemaker Pro at work for the park collections - geology, Native American artifacts, & historical artifacts. I have been using it for 25 years. Still works great. The state threatened to stop supporting the program, but someone in IOT changed their minds because it is used in other data-collection reports through the state park system.

For my own collection, it's cataloged, but I am not consistent keeping with labels with specimens. I do save labels of specimens from the source when purchased or traded. I have put the disposition of my collection in my will - in case something happens to me before I donate portions to several museums and sell other specimens. With a little luck, that will be in 20 years or so - or when I decide to downsize my house. I need to scan the pages that predate having a computer when I used that old antique called a typewriter!

Two relevant stories:
> Working with Steve Garza's collection has reinforced the importance of curating your collection because if you don't do it, it will become a disaster. Those historical specimens I've found of Steve's often have a label glued to the specimen. I've become adept with recognizing specimens from the same locations after going through tens of thousands of specimens. Plenty of mysteries though...
> In 1977, working with the Gerard Troost collection (ca. 1810-49) motivated me to start cataloging my personal collection. Now, with about 5K minerals & 5K fossils, I would never have time or be able to motivate myself to start! It is fun to revisit specimens I collected or traded 40 to 50 years ago, but these days it's to photograph them and occasionally replace a number that fell off.

Alan G.

________________________________
From: Rockhounds <rockhounds-bounces at rockhounds.drizzle.com> on behalf of Murowchick, James <murowchickj at umkc.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2021 1:07 PM
To: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors <rockhounds at rockhounds.drizzle.com>
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] labeling

I use FileMaker Pro (originally made by Apple, but later split off as a separate company) for both my curating databases, and for making labels for my personal collection, the university's Sutton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


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