Hello Ella, In our catalogue raisonné database we have the equivalent challenge with ex-collection constituents. We have been handling it by putting "Private Collection" (or whatever identification the anonymous owner wants) in the DISPLAY NAME of the constituent record. This allows us to use the various search fields (e.g. KEYFIELDS, LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, INSTITUTION) while effectively hiding the name in all "public" screens and reports. We also take the extra precaution of adding a status flag to objects whose current owners want to remain anonymous. This isn't very good practice from a database "normalization" standpoint, as it requires extra clerical diligence to keep the object and constituent data in synch. If the current owner deaccessions the object we have to clean up the status flags when we change the role to "previous owner". It's probably just cosmetic, but we go to the trouble because we are sort of paranoid about accidentally revealing the name of someone to whom we have promised confidentiality. Dick Richard Grant The Richard Diebenkorn Catalogue Raisonné Project 3200 College Avenue #2 Berkeley, CA 94705 510-428-1400 PLEASE NOTE MY NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ella Rothgangel Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 8:41 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: anonymous donors We are looking at the issue of whether to add the names of anonymous donors into acquisition constituents. On one hand, we want to make the donors’ names as anonymous as we can and we have some trepidation about the anonymity of acquisition constituents. On the other hand, we don’t want to lose the ability to search for all objects given by a particular donor if all or some of that person’s donation was anonymous. Do others include anonymous donor names in acquisition constituents? Thank you, Ella Ella Rothgangel Collections Database Administrator Saint Louis Art Museum [log in to unmask] 314.655.5408