Pastperfect

PastPerfect is the world's leading collections management software for museums, archives, libraries, and historical societies. Used by over 12,000 museums worldwide since its initial release in 1998, PastPerfect is designed by museum professionals for museum professionals, combining collection cataloging and contact management into one affordable, easy-to-use software package that has transformed how institutions of all sizes manage their cultural heritage collections.

PastPerfect offers both a traditional desktop application (Version 5.0) and PastPerfect Web Edition, a cloud-based solution that provides the full power of PastPerfect with the convenience of working from anywhere — whether at a desk, inside a gallery, at an offsite storage location, or in the field. The software handles the complete lifecycle of collection management from acquisition and cataloging through loans, exhibitions, and deaccession, while also managing the institutional relationships with members, donors, and stakeholders that keep museums running.

Key Features: Collection cataloging for artifacts, documents, photographs, and archival materials, acquisition and accession tracking with full provenance documentation, loan management for incoming and outgoing loans with tracking and agreements, exhibition planning and object tracking across gallery spaces, deaccession workflow management, donor and membership management with contribution tracking, contact database with mailing list creation and email campaigns, custom report generation and form creation, image management with photo attachments for catalog records, location tracking for objects across storage and display areas, condition reporting and conservation notes, insurance valuation tracking, barcode integration for inventory and location management, advanced search and query tools across all collections, data import and export capabilities, PastPerfect Web Edition for cloud-based access from any device, and PastPerfect Online for publishing collections to the web for public access.

Pricing: PastPerfect 5.0 desktop software is available as a one-time purchase starting at approximately $870 for a single-user license, with multi-user network licenses available at additional cost. PastPerfect Web Edition is offered as a subscription service with pricing based on institution size and user count. PastPerfect Online (for publishing collections to the web) is available as an add-on subscription. The software includes email and phone support, and upgrades are available for existing users. Volume discounts may be available for museum consortia or state museum associations.

Use Cases: Small and mid-size museums cataloging permanent collections of artifacts, art, and historical objects, historical societies managing archives of documents, photographs, and genealogical records, libraries with special collections tracking rare books, manuscripts, and ephemera, natural history museums cataloging specimens with detailed scientific classification data, museum registrars managing incoming and outgoing loans with full tracking and agreements, development offices tracking donor relationships, membership renewals, and fundraising campaigns, institutions conducting collection inventories using barcode scanning for location verification, museums publishing their collections online for public research and education access, and heritage organizations transitioning from paper-based cataloging to digital collection management.