Hi Sue,

We have not used Virtual Objects at Smithsonian American Art Museum, but I have proposed using them for portfolios that have covers that are not accessioned objects but need to have the location tracked.  The accessioned items in the portfolio would each have a separate record and the Virtual Object would be a record for the portfolio with all its non-accessioned parts.  For counting records, this works well since the individual accessioned objects get a count of 1 and the Virtual Object gets a count of 0.

We are cataloguing 2-sided objects (recto and verso) in a single object record.  The limitations of an object record make it somewhat difficult to record separate artists, media, dimensions (if one is portrait and the other landscape). etc.  but it works well enough so far.  The count for such an object is 1.

Mary Ellen Guerra
Collection Database Administrator
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Tel: (202) 275-1553
Fax: (202) 275-1707
[log in to unmask]

>>> [log in to unmask] 01/07/04 09:29AM >>>
I am interested to know if--and how--others are using Virtual Objects. We are considering using them for objects like books that contain numerous catalogued works, or for objects that have works on both recto and verso. This has led to a renewed discussion of the use of components, object level and objects groups (created by making object-to-object links.) If anyone has advice on this issue, I would appreciate it.

Thanks...and Happy 2004 to everyone!

Susan Foster Garton
Data Administrator
Center for Electronic Research and Outreach Services
National Portrait Gallery
Tel:  (202) 275-1842
Fax:  (202) 275-1907
[log in to unmask]