PastPerfect Museum Software Newsletter, March 2005

1. Changes to Contacts
2. PastPerfect 2005 Conference Schedule
3. PastPerfect Training classes in your area
4. Free Updates for PastPerfect Museum Software
5. Upgrading Virtual Exhibit from version 3 to version 4 is free
6. Technical Tip of the Month
7. Look Who's Using PastPerfect
8. Contact Information

1. Contacts- Many New Recent Changes!
With the release of PastPerfect version 4 come many changes with how Individual and Membership information is handled in the program. The most noticeable change is that the two catalogs of Individuals and Memberships in version 3.5 have been combined into one catalog called Contacts. This allows for greater flexibility and ease of use in generating lists, printing letters and labels, and also emailing people in your Contacts database.

Recent updates to PastPerfect version 4 have added several more features to the Contacts database, many at the suggestion of our users. Some of these new features include the ability to batch process and report on dues and donation payments. You can now specify when a batch should begin or end and print reports of all receipts entered in that particular batch. Another change you will find is that the In-Kind gifts section has been greatly expanded to include an unlimited number of In-Kind gifts and also includes the ability to send thank you letters for these gifts. One of the new reports that has been added to the Dues & Donations portion of PastPerfect is the Dues, Donations and In-Kind gifts report. This report allows you to print, preview or export to Excel a list of Dues, Donations and/or In-Kind gifts that were given between date ranges, above a specifiable amount, or are part of a particular campaign.

In the Contacts catalog, there are many other changes, such as the ability to mark a membership as Complimentary, the To-Do list available for Contacts, as well as a new button on each record called Giving Summary, which shows a summary of the dues and donations given by a particular contact. There are also many new reports that have been added under Contacts, as well as Dues and Donations.

Watch the Free Updates section of this newsletter for a full list of the new features added in the most recent updates!

2. PastPerfect 2005 Conference Schedule
Please visit Pastime Software staff at the following conferences in 2004

Kentucky Association of Museums & Historical Confederation of Kentucky*** Frankfort, KY June 8- June 10

Association of Indiana Museums ***
Crawfordsville, IN
September 11-September 12

Mountain Plains Museum Association (MPMA)***
Omaha, NE
September 12- September 16

American Association for State and Local History
Pittsburgh, PA
September 21- September 24

Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC)
Jekyll Island, GA
October 4- October 8

A *** indicates that a member of Pastime Software Company will be presenting during the conference. Please come by and visit with us!

3. PastPerfect Training classes are coming to your area!
Training classes for PastPerfect Museum Software are well under way in 2005! To find out more information about the scheduled training classes below, or to inquire about possibly scheduling a session in your area, please contact our Training Coordinator, Amy Dunn, by phone at 610-304-0973 or by email at training@museumsoftware.com.

Little Rock, AR
Hosted by the Museum of Discovery
March 8-11

Statesboro, GA
Hosted by the Georgia Southern University Museum March 14-17

Portland, ME
Hosted by the Maine Historical Society
April 12-15

Cincinnati, OH
Hosted by Historic Southwest Ohio
April 19-22

West Barnstable, MA
Hosted by the Cape & Islands Historical Association at the Cape Cod Community College
April 26-29

Nashua, NH
Hosted by the Nashua Historical Society
May 2-5

East Lansing, MI
Hosted by the Historical Society of Michigan
May 10-13

Jacksonville, OR (***Please note this class has been rescheduled***)
Hosted by the Southern Oregon Historical Society
May 10-13 Now June 14-17

Marquette, MI
Hosted by the Historical Society of Michigan at Northern Michigan University May 16-19

Also, be sure to check out our website at www.museumsoftware.com/training.htm for additional training dates and other information!

4. Free updates for PastPerfect Museum Software!
Did you know updates are available from our website for your PastPerfect Museum Software versions 4.0 and 3.5? These free updates are released every few weeks and are available for download by going to http://www.museumsoftware.com/software_updates.htm. If you would rather receive an update on CD, please contact our Support Office toll free at (800) 562-6080.

PastPerfect Version 4.0 - New Update Available 4.0B2
The current update now available is 4.0B2. New Features found in the 4.0B2 update include
* Batch processing for Donations, Dues and In-Kind gifts
* Add fields: campaign, campaign#, activity, activity#, in memory, in honor, and tax deductible amount to in-kind donations
* Add field: Dear (selectable) for inclusion on mail-merge letters
* Add fields: dues change date, previous dues amount, largest donation date, last donation tax deductible amount to contacts
* Add field: first receipt date to campaigns
* Add field: tax deductible amount to donations
* Add Id# to list of contacts screen displayed to select an accession donor
* Add incoming loan# to catalog default data screens
* Add To Do list to contacts
* Add new reports: Batch Deposit list, Batch Details Report, Batch Details Report by Code, Batch Donation Receipt Mailing Labels, Batch Donation Thank you Letters, Batch Dues Receipt Mailing Labels, Batch Dues Receipts, Batch List Report, Contacts To-Do List, and Donations- Dues and In-Kind gifts
* Add In-Kind gift type setup to contacts setup screen
* Command button to display associated In-Kind gifts from the campaign screen
* Command button to sort mail merge letters alphabetically
* Command button to sort combo authority file entries alphabetically
* Double click on the membership overdue list takes you to that contacts record
* Increase length of field check# in Dues & Donations
* Increase length of field frame in Objects to 120 characters
* New contacts Giving Summary screen
* Only allow changing the setting for Skip File Test on the Setup/General Information screen
* Option to assign next donation receipt#
* Option to edit donation receipt #
* Option to export the donations by fund report to Excel
* Option to include source field recfrom on printed research and query results
* Option to limit results of Donations by Fund Report to only donations over a specified amount
* Option to print a range of Word Rite letters
* Thank you letter for In-Kind gifts

PastPerfect Version 3.5 - Current Update Available 3.5B6
The current update available for PastPerfect version 3 or 3.5 is 3.5B6. New Features found in the 3.5B6 update include
* Add Market Evaluation to reason for appraisal list
* Add Evaluation to condition report type list
* Add authority file to medium field on Archives/Maps Screen
* Change catalog record update when an image is added or changed

5. Upgrading your Virtual Exhibit from 3 to 4 is free!
If you have purchased version 3 Virtual Exhibit, and have already upgraded your PastPerfect to version 4, the upgrade to Virtual Exhibit 4.0 is free and can be downloaded from http://www.museumsoftware.com/upgradeVE.htm. You can also request this upgrade on CD from the Support Office, if you prefer. Directions for upgrading Virtual Exhibit from 3.0 to 4.0 can be found on our website at http://www.museumsoftware.com/Download/TechTip1_2005.htm or call us at the Support Office toll free at (800) 562-6080 with any questions.

6. Technical Tip of the Month- Authority File Verification
One of the newest features in PastPerfect version 4 is the ability to notify or restrict data entry personnel from entering information that is not contained in the authority file for that field. The Notification setting simply notifies data entry personnel that information they have entered is not listed in the authority file for that field; however they are still capable of saving that information anyway. The Restriction setting notifies users that they have not chosen information from the authority file and will not allow them to save until they choose information that is listed in the authority file. You can set Authority File Verification (with or without security being turned on in PastPerfect) by following these steps:

1) Click on the Setup button on the main menu of PastPerfect
2) Click on the Authority Files button
3) Click on the option you want, either notification or restriction, at the bottom of the Authority File Editor screen (it defaults to None).
4) Then click the Exit button.

Your program is now set for Authority File Verification!

If you have suggestions for new features or fields you would like to see in PastPerfect in version 4.0, please e-mail them to suggestions@museumsoftware.com. We are always eager to hear your comments and learn ways that PastPerfect can better serve our users.

7. Look Whos Using PastPerfect *Nevada Museum of Art*
The Nevada Museum of Art is located in Reno, Nevada, and is the only nationally accredited art museum in the state of Nevada. Founded in 1931, the museum hosts 13,482 square feet of exhibition space, a theater, a café, and a library, as well as street-level and rooftop sculpture galleries. Their collections, education programs, exhibitions and community outreach opportunities help fulfill their mission to provide a forum for the presentation of creative ideas [and] serve as a cultural resource for every member of the community. Their permanent collections vary from historical to contemporary and include a wide range of pieces from sculptures and paintings to contemporary landscape photography and assemblage/installation art. The Nevada Museum of Art maintains the focus of their collection to revolve around Nevada and the West, with a particular emphasis on the environment.

Currently, the Nevada Museum of Art is using PastPerfect to catalog their collections, to maintain their incoming and outgoing loans, and to provide an accurate schedule of their current exhibitions and exhibition history. They especially appreciate PastPerfects ease of use and security features. Current projects and goals include the attachment of images to all of their records in the program and to use the expanded home location fields offered in the objects catalog in PastPerfects Version 4.0.

Learn more about the Nevada Museum of Art at their website, www.nevadaart.org.

8. Contact Us!
Address: 300 N. Pottstown Pike
Suite 200
Exton, PA 19341

Website: www.MuseumSoftware.com

Sales & Product Info: 800-562-6080 or sales@museumsoftware.com

Support: 800-562-6080 or support@museumsoftware.com

Training: 610-304-0973 or training@museumsoftware.com

Data Conversions: 800-562-6080 or conversions@museumsoftware.com