Databases used for cataloguing local history collections

Technology and Historical Societies Report

In 2003 a survey of how societies affiliated with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria (RHSV) were using technology was undertaken. The survey looked at types of computers and peripherals used by societies, the software being used and how generally societies were using technology to preserve and promote collections. A copy of this survey is available in the Shared Files of the Computers & Cataloguing My Connected Community (mc2).



Collection Management was one of the areas investigated in the survey.

Of the 74 societies using computers for cataloguing:

• Inmagic DB/TextWorks (55%) was the database most used by societies replying to this survey
  DB/TextWorks and its predecessor, Inmagic Plus, were used by 62% of societies.


• Sixteen percent of the societies were using Excel spreadsheets for collection management.


• Nine percent used Access and nine percent used FileMaker databases.


• Five percent used Heritage IV.


• Four percent used Microsoft Works database.


• One percent used Claris Works and one percent used Collections Mosaic

These figures are four years old and many more societies are now using databases to catalogue their collections, but Inmagic DB/TextWorks is still the software used most widely in Victoria for cataloguing historical society collections.