Software advice please!

[Anne in Carlisle]

I belong to a One Name FHS with about 200 members. I have volunteered to co-ordinate the research, which involves a lot of correspondence and notes about each member's interests.

Having taken over from a previous manager, I am needing to reorganise things and update the very old database. It is still just about useable but hasn't taken very well to my computer (WXP2).

What I need is a computer equivalent to a card index system so, for each member, I can enter name; addresses; special interest; date of joining; dates of correspondence; which other members are in the same family group; etc etc. I also need to be able to keep updating it easily, for example the date when another letter/email is sent.

I'm sure there is lots of software out there but it would be great to have some personal recommendations - or warnings against rubbish!!

Thanks
Anne

[Nana Anna]

Do you have MS Office package? You might have Access loaded, if so and you could make your own database. I have done it before and it's quite easy to do.

[WendyPusey]

Snap Anna, that is what I would advise too.

[Anne in Carlisle]

Thanks Nana Anna and Wendy! I do have MS Office but not Access. Do you know - would I have to buy it as a separate package or can I add it on?

I have fiddled about with MS Works database and its not what I want (unless I'm doing it wrong - not unlikley!). With Works I can make fields but can only type one line in a cell so if I want an ongoing list of correspondence dates for one person (in one cell) I can't do it.

Anne

PS My MS Office has: Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point and Publisher. (I added Publisher when we got the computer)

[Carol Bird]

Ann

How about the database in Open Office recommended by John-Nihon on this board?

Haven't used myself, but people seem to recommend this free suite of programs.

Carol

[Anne in Carlisle]

Aw! Thanks Carol but I had a play with Access on someone elses computer and it seems to do just what I want and I ordered it from Amazon. It came today - complete with "Access for Dummies".

No doubt it will take me ages to get to know it but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Anne