Thanks Jeffrey!  That's a really interesting spin on the situation...
Once we get it written, I like that approach.

 

 

Of course, at this rate, by the time I have this written for us, we may
be using mind melds to communicate the information, so there won't be
any need for a plugin...

 

Thanks, though.  I really appreciate your input.

 

David

 

From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Smith, Jeffrey
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 3:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Data Standards Manual

 

I have found it immensly useful to create the Freer-Sackler manual as
web pages within a simple frameset. This allows me to offer them
throughout TMS via the plugin feature. I just create a plugin called
"Database Standards" and link it to the main index page. As things
shift, or new data elements come into play, I update the various pages.
Each page has the date it was last updated at the top.

 

This way it's always available & folks have no excuse not to consult it.
It even runs inside of Citrix, for those working at home.

 

From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Milby, Jessica
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 3:17 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Data Standards Manual

 

David-

We have many users with access to many TMS fields, so we've had a Style
Guide since we started using TMS.  We rely on the curatorial staff to
enter their own cataloging information for instance, so the guide
primarily addresses cataloging.  

We don't have a written guide for other fields like valuations, etc.,
but I write all of our how-to manuals incorporating data entry style
guidelines in them.  It sounds like a pain to write all this
documentation, but it's incredibly valuable to be able to send a pdf to
someone who has forgotten how to do their job ("I noticed you've been
entering information as X instead of x, please see the attached guide").
This is my version of Jeri's smack on the back of the hand with a pencil
(though I imagine the pencil is more effective...thwack!...awesome).

Most of these manuals were written to address procedural changes, but in
some cases there were guides floating around that I was able to
incorporate and standardize to save myself some time.  The Style Guide
was created before my time, and by a committee that did a lot of
arguing, but it was worth the time and... um..."collegial discussion":
it's stood with only minor changes for years.  I would highly recommend
having a guide and emphasizing that standards lead to better search
results.

--Jessica

 

 

 

______________________ 
Jessica Milby 
TMS Systems Manager 
Philadelphia Museum of Art 
Phone: 215-684-7283 
Fax: 215-235-0035 
[log in to unmask]

 

________________________________

From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Aylsworth, David
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 4:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Data Standards Manual

 

Here's a two part (sorta) question for you all.  How many of you have
some sort of data standards style manual that you use to control the
types of data entered in each field, and the style it is entered in?
What I am thinking of is something that would be institution specific
that is based on the Gallery Systems manual, but specific to your own
style and methods.   I'm thinking both about points like "when do you
use 'Object Name' or 'Title' fields?" as well as "do you capitalize more
than the first letter of the medium field?".  

 

For those of you who do have such a manual, would you be willing or able
to share it with me?  

 

Over time, we've made periodic attempts to make something like this,
assigning a "chapter" on "Valuation and Insurance" to one registrar;
"Medium" to another.  The goal has always been to compile these
individual chapters into one huge bible for every field that we use in
TMS, and how we specifically use it here at MFAHouston.  We're gradually
opening the system up to a wider circle of users who will be doing their
own data entry, so the need seems to be even greater to have a
consistent, institutional approach to every detail, but maybe I'm being
overly dramatic and foreseeing chaos and the end of the world as I know
it if we don't have such a document before we do this.

 

I know data standards are a rallying point for a lot of TMS
Administrators... But I don't know how you all have individually
addressed the issue.  Can you let me know?

 

Thanks,

David

 

David Aylsworth

Collections Registar

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

tel:  713-639-7824

fax: 713-639-7780