Hello everyone!

Has anyone encountered problems 're-using' Object records? The sort of
thing I'm thinking of is related to 'alternate' numbers. For example,
where an object was a long loan in, with an 'L' pre-fixed Object record
number, was returned to it's lender and then borrowed again, re-using
the Object record, but with a new 'X' pre-fixed number assigned. Our
users are concerned that it's not immediately apparent that a short-term
loan was once a long-loan and they're also not keen on over-writing
credit lines where this is the case. On the latter I've suggested that
we could store previous credit lines as a text-entry and for the former,
create a status flag indicating that an Object has an alternate number -
or more explicitly that an Object has changed it's status at some point
- for example 'previously long-loan'?. Maybe it's a training issue? One
thing that has occurred is that it would be useful if the Object Number
quick search feature searched all object numbers for an Object. It would
also be useful if 'alternate numbers' could be included in use defined
forms.

Also, we're not sure how to proceed cataloguing 'temporary' objects e.g.
a wall painting created for a specific exhibition and then painted over
so that, in effect, they no longer exist. Create an object status; a
status flag; record via a location? Something else? How have you tackled
these sorts of objects?

A final query... does anybody else use the Object status on the
Exhibition record to record whether an Object is
agreed/declined/provisional for a given Exhibition? Any
problems/thoughts? We have written reports summarising Exhibition
records that include/exclude Objects based on the value of the Object
status and that also provide details of the Object status - useful where
an object is provisionally agreed (this can't be done with the yes/no
included/excluded windows on the exhibition record). But users still
tend to want the list of Objects visible on the Objects tab to be the
actual Objects in the exhibition and to simply delete Objects not in the
exhibition - which loses the information about them having been
considered, but subsequently rejected/declined etc.. More training?! :-)

Thanks
Jon


Tate
Millbank
London SW1P 4RG

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