Hi Dave, Yes, I'm still receiving listings, and yes, I'm very interested in your project. We are about to start cleaning and enhancing data in a limited number of core fields across our relatively small collection, with the aim of establishing our collection mangement system as the authoritative, current and complete source for this information. Gillian Essam Collection Information Manager The National Gallery Trafalgar Square London WC2N 5DN tel: 020 7747 2543 fax: 020 7753 8179 email: [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Dave Pearce [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 18 March 2003 14:39 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Test and a question Hi Everyone, Hopefully you all received the listserv email from Mignon Erixon-Stanford about the recent move of the TMSUSERS listserv to a new server with slightly different domain address. According to Mignon the transition was to have been seemless and we would have noticed nothing. But a few of you have written to me recently about the lack of activity on the list and wondered if there was some technical problem or if things had just been quiet. So if you're receiving this message, let us hear from you. Also, my supervisor and mentor Bruce Young (Head of Collections Management at the Freer and Sackler for many years) and I have been talking recently about data standards. Here at our museum I have recently formed our first Collections Information System Data Content Committee made up from Collections Management and Curatorial advisors. This is a major step for us as our administration and the curators have joined us in support of tasking the data base to serve as the primary and authoritative source for collections information instead of our long venerated paper records and published comprehensive catalogs. The questions that will have to be answered and procedures that will have to implement to accomplish this are too numerous to mention here at once. Are any other of you doing something similar? And if you're already well into the process would you have any wisdom you could share? I have considered the idea of sending out an email on a very focused issue once every two weeks. Would you all be interested in discussing and sharing your ideas on topics such as retiring paper files, managing massive data entry projects, style sheets, thesauri, collections information system mission statements and TMS functionality in relation to your goals, etc.? Looking forward to hearing from everyone. Best as always, Dave ========================================================== Current Exhibition: T I T I A N Until 18 May 2003 Advance Booking Recommended Open every day Wed-Sat late opening until 9pm For information and tickets: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/titian