At 09:45 AM 7/16/2002 -0400, you wrote: >This is an issue I've also been working on and am curious to >know what other TMS using institutions are doing. > >I have produced a TMS data entry manual which is part >instructional guide to doing the actual data entry in TMS, >and part style guide. As I work on this one manual it is >becoming clear that we might benefit from a data entry >manual (an extract from the TMS User's Manual) and a style >guide (Data content and formats) as separate references. >Are any other of you heading in this direction? > >Also, I am curious to know what sorts of data entry other >institutions are allowing outside of the Registrar's or >Collections Management office. At the Freer/Sackler we >have, in the past two years, begun to allow our curators to >do their own data entry to the Curatorial Remarks, >Description, Label Copy, Bibliography, Published References, >Provenance, Title and Multi-Text entry fields. The curator >has a data entry training session with me and I give them a >one-page style reference and the appropriate security >rights. Their rights allow them to Add new entries, but not >edit or delete previous entries which are part of the >objects record of scholarship even when they disagree with >the content. Thus far, this has been a successful >development and the curators seem pleased to have direct >access and some power over the data content of their >objects. Although one problem has been achieving >parallelism in the data where there are format and content >differences practiced by various specialists. > >A further problem we have encountered is the difference >between our in-house, TMS data content/style and a style >that is effective and appropriate for public access/delivery >to the web. For the purposes of the TMS record we aim to >capture specialist data for the asian art initiated user >(primarily our staff, docents and visiting researchers). >But as we work toward putting collections data on the web >via both an in-house developed web site and eMuseum we have >found that the content must be reformatted for the asian art >novice or visiting public. Has anyone else dealt with this >issue of turning, what have historically been, collections >managements research and inventory systems into something >accessible and meaningful to the "general public?" > >David > > >>> [log in to unmask] 07/16/02 08:39AM >>> >I am working hard on a data-entry manual for our >institution too. I also >needsome one with more experience. >The fact is that we have different small museums (in fact >all are small) >in the Netherlands Antilles. The Manual I am working on is >for the new >user to implement the TMS fast, without having to be going >through the >Big GS Manual. > >Regards, > >Lida Pandt > >-----Original Message----- >From: The Museum System (TMS) Users >[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On >Behalf Of Anne Marr ( >Sent: dinsdag 16 juli 2002 8:41 >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Policies & Procedures > >I don't know what happened to the rest of my message, I >must have hit >send before I was finished. I mean all of those Linda. I >have been >attempting to produce an institutional data-entry manual, >and I'm sure >there must be a lot of you out there with much more >experience than I >have, who could share their experiences. For instance do >you have your >own classification system or do you use Chenhall (sp?) or >something >else? Really, any advice would be welcome, even to know >what pitfalls >to avoid would be a help. > >As far as the technical and administrative end of things >are concerned, >I admit I am out of my technological depth. We have a >casual IT person >who looks after that at the moment but I feel that the >museum really >needs a dedicated IT position. > >Anne >-----Original Message----- >From: Linda Pulliam [mailto:[log in to unmask]] >Sent: 15 July 2002 5:16 PM >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Policies & Procedures >Ann, > >Do you mean data entry standards, (capitalization, >punctuation, etc.), >field use standards, or process standards? > >Linda Pulliam >Manager of Collections Information >Museum of Fine Arts, Boston > >-----Original Message----- >From: Anne Marr ( [mailto:[log in to unmask]] >Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 4:15 PM >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Policies & Procedures >I'd like to introduce myself as a new user to the group. >My name is >Anne Marr and I am the Registrar at the New Brunswick >Museum in Saint >John, New Brunswick, Canada. We have been using TMS for >over a year now >but we are still wrestling with problems with our data, >not, I hasten to >add, Gallery Systems' fault, but rather with the original >data that was >converted from CHIN (Canadian Heritage Information >Network). Just >trying to get my head around the idea of relational versus >flat-file >databases is big deal to me! I would, like Jack, be >interested in the >experiences of others so that I don't feel that I'm >reinventing the >wheel trying to develop standards and . > >Regards > >Anne Marr >-----Original Message----- >From: Jack Edwards [mailto:[log in to unmask]] >Sent: 28 June 2002 1:04 PM >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Policies & Procedures >Alberta Community Development is a new user to TMS. We are >looking for >documentation, policies, procedures, best practices, etc >related to the >implementation of TMS. Any information that is available >would be >appreciated. > >Regards >Jack Edwards I will be out of the office the week of 8 July on vacation. I will be out of the office the week of 15 July on business. Please leave a voice mail message at the number listed below. I will not be checking email. Thank you. L.Lynne Addison Associate Registrar Yale University Art Gallery Tel: (203) 432-0604 Fax: (203) 432-7159 L.Lynne Addison Associate Registrar Yale University Art Gallery Tel: (203) 432-0604 Fax: (203) 432-7159