From Grammar to Museums: My Journey with PastPerfect Software
When you hear the term PastPerfect, what comes to mind? High school grammar lessons? Or perhaps museum software?
As a volunteer for the Nemaha County Historical Society, I’ve taken a brief “detour” from my genealogical research to work with the society’s PastPerfect database. Recently, the society received a grant from Rainbow Communications to upgrade our museum software to a web-based version. This upgrade will enable access to the database from any of the museum’s buildings — a big step forward for efficiency and accessibility.
But before that can happen, there’s a crucial task at hand: data cleanup. As I work my way through the process, I’m learning firsthand how museums catalog and classify items. This experience has given me a deeper appreciation for the behind-the-scenes effort required to maintain historical records. I also believe that the skills I’m developing will prove useful in my genealogical research, especially when it comes to organizing, cataloging, and accessing information.
While it’s a “detour” from my usual path, I see it as an opportunity to contribute to the society while also enhancing my own research abilities. It’s one more reminder that every piece of history — whether it’s a museum artifact or a genealogical clue — deserves to be carefully documented and made accessible to future generations.
