Usage tracking in digital asset management software?

August 26, 2014 2:53 PM

I'm looking for software that will help track usage of digital assets such as photographs, as well as stories contained within Word documents. For instance, if a photograph is used in a publication, I'm looking for a way to easily document that so that others in my organization can also see a record of this. Does anyone know of any software / workflows that makes this simple and straightforward? Or even the language to describe this to help better guide my search of this software?
posted by perpetualstroll to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

My knowledge of this kind of thing is based around libraries, since that's where I work. However an ILMS (Integrated Library Management System) is probably overkill for what you need. That being said, there are some smaller-scale type lending organisations like tool libraries which maybe you could adopt: this one looked ok. Even the diagram on the home page which shows the different areas that need to be managed is a useful representation.

The other thing you could look at would be inventory and/or asset tracking. MS Access would be one way of managing, but there's other tools about. Just google asset tracking free and there's lots of options. As I said, since I work in a library we have our own highly specialised tracking systems, so haven't used any. But it's the same kind of theory.

Even if those tools turn out to be not quite what you are after, it might help you work out the workflows. If you have anyone who has a modicum of talent with database construction, it shouldn't be hard to construct a database to keep track of things.
posted by Athanassiel at 11:02 PM on August 26, 2014

I wonder if ITTT would help you.
posted by Lynsey at 12:57 PM on August 27, 2014