This repository contains schema, sample data (created with AI), queries, and documentation for my final project SQL based database in class INFO-639: Database Design & Development.
The LIFE Photographer Assignment Return Management System is a relational database whose primary purpose is to help manage and track the return of photographic negatives process to LIFE freelance, LIFE contract, and TIME + Fortune magazine photographers, where those assignments are not owned by the LIFE Magazine Picture Collection. Within the LIFE photo archive, there are original materials including prints and negatives from staff photographers (usually owned by LIFE) and freelance, contract, and TIME + Fortune magazine photographers who may still own copyright. In assignments where LIFE does not own the copyright, we are required to return original negatives to either the photographer or their estate. Currently, this process is on spreadsheets and Google Drive folders with correspondence and shipment labels. This decentralized system makes it challenging to:
- Track return status across multiple photographers
- Identify outstanding or delayed returns
- Monitor shipping and tracking information
- Maintain clear documentation of communication
This system aims to build a systematic, centralized MySQL relational database that enables systematic collection, updating, and retrieval of return-related information. The database will provide accountability, increase transparency in workflow, and mitigate risk of lost materials or missed contractual deadlines.