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The History Computerization Project's Internet Home Page was reviewed as, "the best index for finding history resources, history department home pages, and history teaching materials on the Internet" by the Archival Outlook of the Society of American Archivists (on May 1996, page 12, written by Leon C. Miller, Manuscripts Librarian at Tulane University.)
The Magellan Internet Guide gave the site three stars for offering "a wealth of vital information and an exhaustive database of historical resource directories from such varied sources as universities, museums, Web-searching programs, and Internet-accessible library catalogs." Other reviews have called the site "the most comprehensive" or simply "the bottomless pit" of history on the Internet.
The History Computerization Project (of the Regional History Center of the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles City Historical Society, and the Conference of California Historical Societies) has as its goal the creation of a history information network for the exchange of historical information. The Project offers free workshops at USC to show researchers and organizations how to create historical databases using the History Database program. Those who cannot attend can still receive a free copy of the History Database tutorial if they contact the History Computerization Project, 24851 Piuma Road, Malibu, CA 90265-3036, or phone (818) HISTORY.
The free workshop tutorial demonstrates the use of the History Database software in an actual cataloging of photographs. I found it clearly written and instructive. It is aimed at the non-expert, but, like all well written documentation, everyone who reads it will get something from it. If you only skim the large type headings the key ideas are there (for example, "THE BLINKING CURSOR MEANS 'YOU ARE HERE'". A simple message, but if they can't find the cursor, they can't enter data.)
Lots of screen printouts let you follow what would be happening in an interactive session. There is also a good, non-technical discussion of why the data is split into collection-level and item-level data, rather than kept as a single data table. From here the tutorial uses examples to assist you in filling in the screen form with information from the building of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1910. Anyone who has tried to instruct volunteers in filling out computer forms should send for this tutorial. You will learn a lot.
If you like what you see in the tutorial, you can order the History Database software and the course textbook. The project employs the History Database program, running on IBM PC compatible computers. The program is used for both cataloging and individual research with all types of historical materials, including photographs, museum objects, archives, books, journals, and oral history interviews. The free tutorial explains in detail the methods employed and the costs involved.
The course text, Database Design: Applications of Library Cataloging Techniques, by David L. Clark, is published by the TAB division of McGraw-Hill. The book is one of the few genuinely useful textbooks for teaching information management, as it applies to museums, that I've come across. It follows the same style as the tutorial, but with a great deal more detail into the theory and practice of setting up and using an information management system.
The chapters on how to estimate your system needs and costs give good general guidance. I particularly liked Chapter Three, "Do You Need a Database?" It summarizes the three great truths everyone should know about computers: 1) "Computers are stupid"; 2) "Learn concepts rather than technical details"; 3) You do not have to be a mechanic to drive an automobile". These three pieces of sage advice alone are worth the price of the book.
The information standards recommended by the History Computerization Project are the Library of Congress MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) Format, Library of Congress Subject Headings, and Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules. These standards were developed for use in a library and archives setting.
To conclude, I see the History Computerization Project as a stage in the development of online resources for museums, libraries, and archives. I applaud the free tutorial, and the textbook is worth a read. We should consider this a first step into this realm for those unfamiliar with the concepts and practices of modern collections information management. For many groups it will be enough. For those of us involved in creating information management systems, let's not get bogged down in the details of setting up and enforcing this standard over that standard. We should instead heed Clark's advice to "Learn concepts rather than technical details."
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Last changed: July 31, 1996