NPG curators, exhibitions staff, and interns all help to enter the data and images directly into TMS for exhibitions planning.  Curators generally begin with the research records of the Catalog of American Portraits that are on TMS and create object packages for the objects they are interested in.  Then they do further research and find other portraits and enter them in TMS as exhibition records.  Once the exhibition is firmed up, an exhibition record is created and the objects are linked to the exhibition.

From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Smith, Jeffrey
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2010 4:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Import process for TMS exhibition records

Dear fellow TMS users,

I would like to know if any have developed procedures/methods so that curators can research & develop exhibitions, amass the object & lender information needed, then import this data into TMS. Perhaps some of you are using TMS itself for this purpose - that would be helpful to hear about, too.

At the Freer-Sackler we've successfully used a relational FileMaker database with multiple image capability, and then an import app to bring the records into TMS. Of course, our curators don't like it, and gravitate more towards visual solutions like ImageAXS or IView Media Pro (now Microsoft Expression Media).

With the new import tool coming in TMS 2010, we're looking for an updated solution. I would love to hear about any success stories in this department, or software recommendations.

Thanks!

- Jeff

Jeffrey Smith
Assistant Registrar for Collections Information
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Avenue SW
MRC 707, P.O. Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012

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tel: 202-633-0348 / fax: 202-633-9770

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