The National Portrait Gallery enters the most recent name as the preferred
name and the former names in alternate name along with the name types, ie.,
maiden name, married name, former name, alias, pseudonym, etc.  We have been
requesting a combined search for preferred and alternate names since we
first went on TMS.  To us, separate searches never made any sense.  How
would a user know which is the preferred name?  Gallery has promised a
combined search in one of the coming upgrades, but I'm not sure which one.
In the mean time, we deal as best we can with two searches for our
constituents.
 
Linda Thrift
Center for Electronic Research & Outreach Services
  Catalog of American Portraits
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
P.O. Box 37012
Victor Building, Suite 8300, MRC 973
750 Ninth Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20013-7012
Tel 202-275-1847
 
 
>>> Ella Rothgangel <[log in to unmask]> 10/28/02 10:58AM >>>
 
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }I was wondering how other TMS users
deal with the issue of constituents that change over time (museums,
companies, and individuals).  Do you create constituent records for all
incarnations of a company or museum (say Tiffany for example) or for the
most recent version of the name?  If you attach the historic name, how do
you address issues of searching?  Does the Alternate Name section solve this
problem?  And finally, do the same rules apply for individuals? Thanks in
advance! Ella RothgangelCollections Database AdministratorSaint Louis Art
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