Day Harvey – Heart of Florida United Way 211

As most of us are well aware, one of the only things that is constant in the social service world is change. This is especially true for those of us responsible for I&R Database management and curation. Whether it’s programs that come and go due to funding changes; organizations that are new, merge with one another, or dissolve; seasonal assistance programs like free school supplies, holiday assistance and tax preparation services; or a particular event or disaster the sparks the creation of numerous programs that require fast, but effective vetting; all of these things can be taxing on a Database Curator team or individual. No matter what type of resource it is, we have a sense of obligation to provide the most accurate information to our Community Resource Specialists so they can provide the best level of service to our community members in need. With all of that said, it’s both figuratively and literally a lot to manage! Luckily, we have an entire network of I&R experts to bounce ideas off of, and now a blog! Here’s some tips and habits that I have learned about database management from my peers along the way:

1. Set calendar reminders to start on seasonal projects… before the actual season. It’s always nice to get a head start (pun totally intended) on confirming and updating seasonal programs that you know occur every year like back-to-school events, holiday toys, etc. This is also helpful to make sure you are able to update information for programs that require a sign-up well before the season starts (like a number of holiday assistance resources).
2. Set aside actual time to work on “cleaning-up” the database… put it on your calendar if you have to! We all have times where there are resources that have become out of date, but the agency hasn’t completed their survey. Or, maybe it’s a program that is offered at multiple agencies that you want to re-index or update the service description for, but haven’t had the time to do them all at once so they are consistent. Put some “cleaning” time on your calendar on a weekly or monthly basis to make time for this routine maintenance so you don’t wind up with more than just “spring cleaning” after the New Year.
3. What’s better than consistency for a database curator?? Nothing! Create templates for service descriptions, eligibility phrasing, and intake procedure formatting. It saves you effort and time! If you’re really feeling zealous you can create “shell” programs that house the basic information for certain programs that are uniform throughout your coverage area. That way all you have do is plug in the details.
4. Think like a Community Resource Specialist… Ask for their feedback. It can be easy to get lost in our database curating and forget to touch base with our Community Resource Specialists to see how the database is working for them. It can be extremely rewarding to hear positive things about the resource database. It can also be really helpful for the Community Resource Specialists’ ease-of-use if we are aware of things that we as Curators could improve on or provide further education/context for them regarding the database and resources.
5. Lastly, have fun with your fellow database nerds curators! Make jokes about taxonomy, indexing and formatting that only a true DC could understand! A good laugh can be inspirational or just the motivation you need for a particular project.