You could create a single object record for each pedestal, and attach
them as related objects instead of using components or crates. That way
you have only one location to update and can relate as many objects as you want
to the pedestal.
From: The Museum System
(TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jennifer
Ritchie
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 11:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Tracking Pedestals
Hello
everyone –
I
have a very simple question and wanted to know how others have approached the
issue.
I
have just taken over the pedestal inventory from our Associate Curator who was
previously tracking them in an excel spreadsheet. We keep all of our
pedestals in off-site storage and reuse them for the display of other objects
if the size is right. I am currently tracking them as components of
objects for which they have been used in the past or for which they are
currently used, so the pedestals numbers may appear as components for many
objects. Since the components section is usually used for tracking
individual pieces of an object (not crates or peds, etc.), this has not been
ideal for pedestals. The location of each component is tracked in
the objects module along with the object itself, but if a pedestal is listed as
being in a certain gallery, then my location reports will list these pedestals
as objects. In addition, since we use pedestals for up to three or four
objects in different shows and installations, and if I change the location of
the pedestal as a component to an object, I have to repeat it for each object.
Do
any of you track pedestals in TMS? If so, how do you do this, especially
if you are an institution that may have pedestals that are used for the display
of many objects at different times? I considered attaching it as a crate
in the Container Assistant, but then there is no way to cross-reference the
pedestal to its object(s). My intern suggested we create an object in the
objects module called “Pedestals” and list ALL of our pedestals as
components. That way, we would have them in one place and be able to view
a list that our curator could use to identify pedestals he could use for future
installations. But again, we cannot attach it to a specific object.
I
would like to hear any other ideas some of you may have. Perhaps there is
something in TMS that I do not know about….
Thank
you for your help!
Jennifer
Ritchie
Head
of Registration and Rights and Reproductions
Nasher
Sculpture Center
2001
Flora Street
Dallas,
TX 75201
(214)
242-5166 Fax (214) 242-5179