Announcing a web site dedicated to a project for developing a records management system for genealogical and historical societies.
Our society has reason to use a web based relational database for membership records management, tying our member-related surnames to a unified contact and dues-accounting system. Such a system is ideal for societies that do not have a fixed-location office, do not own their own computer, and depend on a rotating volunteer officer cadre to manage the affairs of the society.
Please visit the MRM project web site to read how this might be done.
And if you want to become involved in the project express your interest through comments on the blog.
I agree completely on the need for such a system and the general architecture proposed so far. An additional use of membership data is to generate labels for our monthly newsletter. We fully expect that the labels will need to include bar codes in the future. Our current Microsoft Works and Word process doesn't yet do this. My society does its own bulk mailing, a rather specialized activity, so our membership director now generates labels as a Word file and e-mails them to our bulk mail specialist. In a perfect world, the bulk mailer would simply access the membership database on a remote server.
ReplyDeleteJohn McCoy (RealMac@aol.com)
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to figure out a way to convert our membership process to a web-based service as well but have been met with some resistance due to privacy concerns. I would love to collaborate with you on coming up with a solution to this problem. Please keep me up to speed. Ginger grs3275 at yahoo dot com.
As Chairman of the Macomb County Genealogy Group in Michigan, an informal but a very active group without dues, I am interested as more information becomes available. anniefaulkner@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteGinger, Your comment inspired me to post the item "Privacy Issues".
ReplyDeleteIt mentions the need for societies to have a written privacy policy which ties in with records management.
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