Hi Jenny,

At the Whitney we use our loan and exhibition modules religiously but
our registars do end up using ACCESS for all logistical data because of
the ease in manipulating information....we can't get them to consider
alternative ways. On the flip side, we have begun to consider ways to
integrate the output of other departments and relating their work back
to the exhibition record...we're still testing. 

Our goal is to integrate exhibition and loan information, and each
departments' output as it relates to the exhibition, into the Exhibition
Record in TMS. We are hoping to create an archive of the ephemera,
brochures, catalogues, the press kits, the programming, events, rights
info, etc. but also to make this information available and downloadable
to all APPROPRIATE museum staff via their desktop, when necessary!

Some of the issues that have come up for us: 1)most importantly, server
space! Image related documents and hi-res images can be quite large and
we are looking at not only making them accessible via TMS [one example
that comes up are the wall labels] but also archiving on our server. A
terrabyte doesn't get you very far we have found! 2) security and
appropriate staff access 3) developing a protocol for who is responsible
for what to attach to each exhibition record, where to save it on the
server 4) how not to slow down the database and 5) reports! [always a
favourite for us!]...and I'm sure tomorrow a few more things will crop
up.

But we are quite excited at the possibilities...
Good luck!
Diana


Diana Lada-L'Henaff
Documentation Manager
 
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
New York, NY  10021
 
t: 212.570.3671
f: 212.570.4171
e: [log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Wilker, Jenny
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 10:06 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Exhibitions!


Hello TMSers-

Thanks for the excellent deaccessioning discussion.  Very helpful and
indeed inspiring.

Now for the Exhibitions module.  So far we have been using Exhibitions
(and
Loans) to:
1. manage and track outgoing loans to other institutions' exhibitions 2.
archive our own current and past exhibitions, with links to objects in
exhibition, label copy (also used to update object information as
appropriate), gallery views, website.

We have not been using the module to:
1. plan and manage upcoming exhibitions (and incoming loans for
exhibitions), because Access is the preference of our registrars and
curators for that purpose (flexibility, ad-hoc reporting).  It's a bit
problematic, because we eventually have to re-enter the objects into TMS
after the show has opened. (Note to GS: nice if one could import!)

New project:
In order for the entire staff to learn about upcoming exhibitions,
however, we have just launched a new project.  We are creating records
for future exhibitions to which we link prototype records for objects
with images that have been cleared for publicity, as well as several
forms of text files (press releases, website, draft Word or PDF files
from upcoming catalogues). Each exhibition record serves as a place for
staff members to go to find publicity and rights information, and to
read about the show while preparing educational materials.  We hope that
this project will represent a breakthrough of sorts in sharing! And in
establishing one place with up-to-date and accurate information.
Ultimately the complete exhibition will be archived on the same record.

Is anybody else doing this?  Are there any pitfalls we are not noticing?
(primarily about making all this material available to staff)

Looking forward to your responses,

Jenny Wilker

________________________
Jenny Wilker, Ph.D.
Manager, Collection Information
Information Services
Philadelphia Museum of Art
215-684-7746