What's the best way to set this up?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Susanna
  • Start date Start date
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Susanna

Hey there.

I'm an intern at an arts non-profit. I was today given the
task of redoing the entire mailing list and database
system. I'm using 2002 Access, and Microsoft Office
Professional.

Here's the problem. Currently, there are a bunch of
different tables within a single database, one for
artists, one for curators, one for mailing list, etc.

But this means that when a new entry needs to be entered,
it must usually be entered in five different places.

The information is vastly out-of-date to begin with, so I
must find out what is current and such in any case, so it
definitely makes sense to redo the entire thing. (At least
it seems to.)

What I want to know is whether there is some way to set it
up so I can enter the information once into the form, and
then simply say, "put this into the artists table, the
curator table, AND the mailing list table." and it will.

And if there is then presumably some way to edit the
information and find it, so that if a mailing list person
suddenly decides to become a member, I could go and just
find their name in the mailing list, and say "put all this
person's information into the membership table, too."

Another issue is that the computers are all networked, so
one person could have the artists table open, and another
could be doing a mail merge with the mailing list open,
but they couldn't both have the artists open at the same
time.

That means that storing all the information in one table
(which would cumbersomly have to have separate columns to
determine what functions the person had, volunteer, donor,
artist, etc.) is not an option, because everyone in the
office is constantly having to have various tables open,
and needs to be able to access (no pun intended) the
information all at once, or as close as possible to all at
once.


Thanks so much for any help!
 
Here's the problem. Currently, there are a bunch of
different tables within a single database, one for
artists, one for curators, one for mailing list, etc.
Click to expand...

But this means that when a new entry needs to be entered,
it must usually be entered in five different places.
Indeed.

What I want to know is whether there is some way to set it
up so I can enter the information once into the form, and
then simply say, "put this into the artists table, the
curator table, AND the mailing list table." and it will.
Click to expand...

VERY good thought!

Here's how I did a very similar (church membership, with many lists)
database:

- a table of People. Any person in the system - artist, donor, whoever
- getss put into the People table. (Well, in my case it was a Family
table with addresses linked to a People table, but that's probably an
unneeded complication for you). If you have organizations on the
mailing list just treat them as a type of "person" - they'll still
have a name and address.

- A table of Lists - in your case, containing records like "Artists",
"Donors", "Curators", "Mailing List", etc.

- A third table, Membership: each record in this table has a PersonID
linking to People, and a ListID linking to Lists.

This lets you put any person on any desired number of lists; any list
can have any number of people; people's data gets entered once only
and needs to be edited only in one place. You can very easily generate
a mailing-label report by joining the three tables, and putting a
criterion of (say) "Artists" on the list-name field.
And if there is then presumably some way to edit the
information and find it, so that if a mailing list person
suddenly decides to become a member, I could go and just
find their name in the mailing list, and say "put all this
person's information into the membership table, too."
Click to expand...

Just add a record for that person the Membership table. No need to
"put all that person's information" anywhere that it isn't already!
Another issue is that the computers are all networked, so
one person could have the artists table open, and another
could be doing a mail merge with the mailing list open,
but they couldn't both have the artists open at the same
time.
Click to expand...

Access is inherently multiuser. Provided that the two users aren't
actually *EDITING* the content of the same record at the same time,
there should be very little conflict.
That means that storing all the information in one table
(which would cumbersomly have to have separate columns to
determine what functions the person had, volunteer, donor,
artist, etc.) is not an option, because everyone in the
office is constantly having to have various tables open,
and needs to be able to access (no pun intended) the
information all at once, or as close as possible to all at
once.
Click to expand...

The scheme above does this very smoothly.

If you'ld like a copy of the church membership database as a model
drop me an EMail at jvinson <at> wysardofinfo <dot> com and I'll send
you a copy.
 
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