After the start of each new year, it is important to back up your data and perform a full Reindex to make sure the yearly dues and monetary donation totals are correctly calculated for Contacts.

Here are the steps to ensure amounts are displayed correctly in your donations and dues summary information.

1. If using PastPerfect on multiple networked workstations, make sure all others completely close PastPerfect, and ensure that you are on a wired network connection.

2. From the Main Menu, click the "Hard Drive Backup" button, then click "Backup Data to Hard Drive". This step is important before any reindex is performed.

3. Once the backup is complete, exit back to the Main Menu, then click "Reindex".

4. On the Reindex screen, make sure all boxes are checked, including Spelling Dictionary, Rebuild Catalogs, and Keyword List.

While we will continue to offer, support, and develop desktop software for Windows computers, we also offer PastPerfect Web Edition, a cloud-based software that only requires an internet connection and a web browser. Web Edition has both collections and contacts management functions, like our desktop software, but there are differences in the interface.

If you're curious about upgrading to Web Edition, attend one of our free, weekly webinars. These hour-long sessions provide a good introduction to the new interface and highlight some of the differences. To register for a webinar, please use this link https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/7600487791510349071.

Our website also offers a number of resources on the Web Edition product page: https://museumsoftware.com/webedition.html. Resources include short introductory videos, packages and pricing information, a price calculator, answers to FAQs, and the User Guide.

After participating in webinar, email the Web Edition team for information about moving forward in the upgrade process. We'll request a copy of your PastPerfect data to review and let you know if anything needs to be addressed before upgrading. Then you'll have the opportunity of a trial of Web Edition with your data and images, so you'll have a chance to explore the software and decide if moving to Web Edition is the right step for your organization.

The Query screens in Web Edition enable you to create filters to find records and select fields for search results in the Browse grid, which also impact the fields displayed on reports and exported to CSV. For Catalogs and Contacts, you can customize which fields are available for both Filter and Option fields. Each of the Query screens under Catalogs can be customized with different fields for each catalog type (e.g. Objects or Photos). For Contacts – Query, you have the option to select fields from Contacts, as well as Donations, Membership, Volunteer Hours, etc. By modifying these selections, you can tailor the Filter and Option fields for your collection and constituents.

Settings for Filter and Option Fields are found under the Settings menu on the Navigation Bar. Choose either "Catalog Filter & Option Fields" or "Contact Filter & Option Fields". For Catalogs, select the tab for the catalog you want to choose fields for. Then begin adding fields by selecting the field in the Field List on the left, and clicking the right arrow button to add to the Filter Fields list.

We are expanding our Knowledge Base, so PastPerfect Web Edition users have an additional resource available 24/7 for their software questions. We have started adding articles that answer frequently asked questions encountered by our support team. We plan to continue adding articles and invite you to make suggestions. Please email suggestions to [email protected].

View our Knowledge Base at https://pastperfect.zendesk.com/hc/en-us.

We are asking each of our staff to choose a favorite item from one of the many online collections. This nutmeg grinder was selected by our newest staff member, Caroline, from the Keeler Tavern Museum's online collection. Caroline picked this item because:

"I always enjoy seeing practical, household tools at museums because I feel that they can really give insight into the day to day lives of ordinary people. I also love to see how much care and craftsmanship was put into something that originally had a more utilitarian purpose."