Hi Rob,

 

At the MFA in Boston, only the conservation staff in our six labs, and
our collection management staff create conservation records. Curatorial
staff, the registrars, and administration have read-only access to the
conservation section.

 

When we converted to TMS about 5.5 years ago, there were about 10,000
electronic (mostly in Word) conservation reports. Conservation records
were created for these by hand, and the reports were copied and pasted
into the corresponding conservation record.

 

In the past few years we have been linking conservation images to
specific conservation line items. Today we have about 23,000 images
linked and more are being added all the time. Each lab is responsible
for completing the Excel spreadsheet that we use to assure that the
image is linked to the correct object record, the correct report (by
date) and the correct line item. Our programmer created a special
"image-extractor" plug-in for use only by conservation and collections
management staff. This makes it possible for them to download their
images but prevents conservation images from being copied and used by
non-conservation staff.

 

One lab has a work-study student scanning old conservation reports.
These will be linked as media to conservation records that she has
created. Other work-study students have been busy scanning conservation
slides and other non-digital media that will be linked to older reports.

 

Our Crystal Report writer has created 61 reports that are available in
the report area of the conservation section that are used to support
various procedures (accessioning, deaccessioning, loans, exhibitions,
etc.). 

 

If you are ever in the Boston area and would like to see any of this,
we'd be happy to meet with you.

 

Linda Pulliam

Head of Collections Management

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Rob Morgan
Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 4:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Conservation

 

Hello TMSers, 

Does anyone use the conservation section of TMS?  Is so, who on staff
enters this information?  Conservators, registrars, curators?  

Thanks, 
Rob Morgan 
Collections Database Administrator 
Baltimore Museum of Art 
10 Art Museum Drive 
Baltimore, MD  21211 
[log in to unmask] 
410-396-6489 (phone) 
410-396-6562 (fax)