Reasons for this might include:
HUG is a very effective initial way of dealing with documentation backlogs, allowing material to be dealt with on a "group" basis, while allowing SPECTRUM data such as storage locations, descriptions, associated documention, history etc to be speedily recorded and searched.
- you don't have time to do the detailed work neccessary at the moment
- the material needs to be sorted and evaluated before a subset is finally kept for accessioning
- the material is being kept for exchange, or destructive use in teaching
- you don't know what to do with the material
The HUG approach deliberately keeps a distinction between the documentation and managment of HUG collections and any formally accessioned collections which an institution may hold. This allows proper management of material without imposing unwarranted requirements regarding, for example, disposal.
HUG was originally a paper-based system,
but a software version has been in use in the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery
for the past four years.
Remember to back up any museum computer records
- Will run on any Windows computer. A Mac version could be made available if enough demand is forthcoming.
- Simple flat-file structure can handle almost any kind of object
- multi-user: Simultaneous access by multiple users if kept on a shared network drive.
- Full-text indexing: ultra-rapid searching af any words in any fields, with AND, OR etc
- Full power of SQL "select" statements for more complex searches or data manipulation.
- SQL statements can be saved for future use/editing.
- freely available to University museums in the UK.
- automatically prints sticky labels for boxes/drawers.
- various forms of summary and full listing of records.
- Uses Foxpro 2.6 .dbf file format: universally readable by other database/spreadsheet applications.
- currently testing Web front-ends for searching of HUG datasets. Geology or Zoology!
Download the HUG manual
(RTF format)
Download HUG software
For further details contact J.W. Faithfull@museum.gla.ac.uk