Message-Id: <mailto:199409300421.XAA19701@library.wustl.edu> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 1994 13:02:20 PDT From: Elizabeth Schmidt <mailto:eschmidt@FHIGATE.FHI.ORG> Subject: slide database software? To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB <mailto:IMAGELIB@ARIZVM1.BITNET>
I'm new to the list and have a question I hope you all can help me with. I'm a librarian at a health research company in North Carolina. Our researchers have a real need for a slide database which is searchable by subject or index term in the same way as a bibliographic database. Searching capability - not necessarily image quality - is the key for our users (though subject cataloging of images is another issue).When I was hired last April (in part to spearhead this image database project) the software that we were planning to use had already been purchased. Developed for the Duke University slide library by Graphic Detail, a local software company, "Thumbs Up" runs on a Mac and is very impressive looking.
The image quality is super, and the image and record are well integrated; however, the database end (4th Dimension) just does not fit our needs. Each image record has about 100 short (30-60 character) alpha-numberic fields, searchable by an exact match left to right (you can truncate). Unfortunately, this set-up doesn't allow us to have a one-to-many subject field with all terms searchable, date fields, or any other more complex database structures. No authority lists either.
We're waiting to hear about modifications (we're told they may not all be possible), but meanwhile are looking for alternatives. Can anyone suggest an integrated image-record system with a more powerful database (Mac or IBM)? I'm not a graphics expert, but I've been working with our database manager and we both think there must be something out there that better fits our needs. I'd appreciate any advice you can give (products, software companies, journals, people to contact, etc. ).
Thanks,
Elizabeth Schmidt mailto:eschmidt@fhi.org Library Systems Coordinator Phone (919)544-7040 Family Health International Fax (919) 544-7261 Research Triangle Park, NC