If sustainable funds are available for your (current) static website &
you are able to source one off funds for specific projects, why not
develop a system (in house or paid for) that creates a static html
version of the database & provides a user friendly interface or
methodology to upload it to your website?
After all, if you were creating a CD-ROM, you would have to export the
data to another readable format, so why not make that format plain html
(or even better xhtml) and have the catalog online as a 'normal' site?
Granted, you would be limited in terms of searching and the system
would have to be designed very carefully both graphically and
technically, but full text search engines are available for free, and
the system (if it was to be effective) would have to allow for a fully
extensible menu system so you were able to access collections of
objects / information exactly how you wished. This methodology is
similar, in many respects, to how (some) large database projects are
developed.
Tom
Tom Keene - - Multimedia Developer
m.07930 573 944 - [log in to unmask] - w.www.tomkeene.com
On Thursday, December 11, 2003, at 12:19 PM, Sarah Jillings wrote:
> Thanks to the replies I have received about this. I actually agree
> that it
> would be far preferable to have our database online - in this way it is
> fully updateable and reaches a wider audience than is possible through
> CDs.
> Our problem remains that of sustainability. We can find development
> costs
> for the creation of websites, development of computer catalogues and
> the
> creation of resources such as CDs, through funding such as the DCF
> scheme.
> What we cannot do through funding is find people to pay ongoing costs
> of
> hosting. As an independent museum, a web presence is vital, and we can
> support costs of maintaining a "normal" website. t However, as I
> understand
> it, the costs will rise significantly to host an online database, and
> are
> an ongoing month on month, year on year cos. We may be able to get a
> database up online through time limited funding, but we cannot
> guarantee to
> keep it online unless we can secure outside assistance or find someone
> to
> host it at a nominal fee. What is worse - to put up a database online
> and
> then take it down, or not to bother at all???? This is a problem
> specific
> to those museums that do not have access to large local authority or
> academic servers (and IT support), and to judge from Alistair's
> response,
> it is going to be an increasing problem for many of us as we become
> more
> and more involved in the use of IT to deliver access to our
> collections.
>
> Sarah
>
> Sarah Jillings
> Curator of Collection
> Jewish Museum, London
>
>
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