Object Entry Use Cases

Museum of the Moving Image

Intake (for possible Acquisition)

Donor contacts museum about possible donation OR museum contacts donor with a request for a donation.

If deemed appropriate for the Museum's collection, the artifact(s) is delivered to the museum (donation lot). An artifact receipt is created from a template in Microsoft Word, and issued to donor as proof of transfer of the property to museum for consideration as a donation.

Once a donation is accepted, an intake record is created in the CMS which includes: donor information (managed by the name authority), an accession number, the extent of the donation, the credit line, method of donation, deed of gift date, notes (for valuation and rights). Documents (such as a PDF of the deed of gift) can be attached to this record. The artifacts in the donation lot are given individual number assignments (sometimes in the CMS, sometimes into the Excel inventory worksheet).

Object Entry (after Acquisition or Loan In)

Objects coming in to the Museum are generally inventoried using Microsoft Excel. These inventory sheets are attached to deeds of gift or incoming loan forms. Objects are listed on these inventory sheets at varying hierarchical levels: some in groups, others individually.

Once the donation or loan is formally accepted, the Registrar may assign object accession numbers (handwritten directly onto the Excel sheet) as the objects are processed, or the entire donation/loan may receive one number.

Accession numbers at the Museum are modeled: Year.Donation Number.Object Number, e.g. 1984.5.63. In the CMS, zeros are added to these numbers to ensure proper filing, e.g. 1984.005.0063. If the Registrar does not assign individual numbers to an object, each object is given just the first two parts (e.g. 1990.45). Loan numbers are modeled IL.Loan Number.Object Number, e.g. IL24.35. Again, for filing purposes, these numbers are entered into the system as IL0024.0035.

Objects are then given object records in the CMS. The Museum's current CMS allows the user to create a given number of new object records based on a generic template; this feature is not used. For inventory-level only records, the accession number, artifact title, classification, a brief description, extent, and location are added. Some descriptive elements, such as material, technique, or creation date may be added. Some authorities may be linked (e.g. production title, manufacturer, etc.) In the Museum's current CMS, authorities are all added on one screen, they are not added along with an object's basic information.

University and Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley

Loan request (such as from a researcher), leading to Object Entry, Acquisition , and Loan

(See also the last paragraph, about the handiness of bulk group or lot data, entered at a previous time during Object Intake, flowing into Object Entry screens for individual CollectionObjects)

November 19, 2008: Chris Hoffman and Jess Mitchell visited the University and Jepson Herbaria on the UC Berkeley campus.  Dick Moe, Manager of Collections Data and Informatics, gave us a tour of the  Herbaria collections and talked with us about various workflows and use cases.  Captured here are some notes especially about object entry:

As we came in to the museum main entry, Dick pointed to an open folio of dried plant specimens (collected in the late 1800s according to the label on one of the folio pages), saying these were probably about to go out on loan. These lacked bar codes or they had not yet been entered into the collection management system. Only something like 20% of Herbaria collections are catalogued in the database. Of importance to us, the first time an object is entered into the collection management system might be when it is about to be loaned out! The Herbaria only needs to collect a minimum amount of information as the specimen goes out on loan.

In other cases, initial data entry occurs when data entry resources have been acquired (e.g., via a grant to enter a specific collection into the database in order to make it available to other researchers and the public). In that case, the existing folio pages are gathered together, data entry from the physical labels is performed, and bar codes are then assigned and attached to the folio pages. So at this point, the folio pages will have annotations such as re-identifications. I don't know how much of that enriched data is entered into the collection management system.

Entering the collections area itself, Dick took us through the rows of cabinets, pointing out some of the different kinds of specimens they house (cones, fruits, seeds, as well as dried plants). One of the activities that is quite common in the Herbaria is taking samples (e.g., leaf cuttings) to send to other researchers and collections.

Here is a fairly typical workflow for object entry in the Herbaria:

• A researcher brings in a set of specimens that have been partially prepared: They are dried, stored between sheets, and will have some varying amount of information on labels (where located, species included, date, collector).
• Museum staff ties these into larger bunches that are sandwiched between heavy cardboard sheets into bunches that are up to about 5 inches thick. One collector's submission might end up as one or many of these bunches. Each bunch is assigned a lot number, and information is written into a physical register (the lot log). Dick said they are thinking of creating a digital lot log so there is some initial computerized information.
• These lots are placed in storage cabinets (is the cabinet information then entered into the lot log?)
• Due to a scarcity of data entry resources, these lots could sit in the storage cabinet for decades.
• If there is justified reason to do further work on a lot (e.g., researcher interested in the species collected, is a specimen from a specific area), then it will be processed using a workflow that we didn't really discuss. I suspect that steps include further physical processing to produce proper folio pages, creation of a label that has the appropriate information, data entry into the collection management system, assignment of a barcode, and filing of the physical folio into the correct location. I imagine there is a lot of variability in timing and amount and quality of data, driven by research needs as much as anything.

Some general observations: This workflow reminded me of some of the archives. A group of materials comes in - perhaps a couple hundred specimens perhaps of different species from one collecting event or one donation event. That group is divided into an appropriate number of lots, basically to make them physically manageable. The core information (collector, date, location and such) is probably shared across the group. If there is funding or need, the group (a set of lots at this point) will be further divided, processed, identified and annotated. So the hierarchical splitting of an original grouping of objects seems to hold. Dick Moe and others talked about how nice it would be if the original information from the initial group would cascade into the data entry screens as they processed the objects into more granular groupings.

Additional notes on specimen collections from UC Berkeley workshop (Susan Stone, UCB)

Object (specimen) entry usually follows entry of a collecting event or expedition, including collector, date, and location

Objects may come as a donation

Before intake make sure accession is legal and required collecting permits have been obtained

Inventory related specimens from collecting event: bulk loading of related objects is desirable

Compile contextual information tied to specimens (e.g., recordings, images, field notes)

Specimens are accepted into the collection and assigned a barcoded collection number ("UC" plus number for the UC collection or "JEPS" plus number for the Jepson collection).  The specimen is usually dried, pressed, and mounted on a specimen sheet, but it can also be preserved in liquid, stored in a bag, etc. Specimens can come from collecting activity, the botanical garden, or other sources.

Accessions

1. Single specimen that consists of a single object (e.g. mounted on a single sheet).  This is the most common situation.  A collector or collecting group collects a specimen during a collecting event.  The specimen is then accessioned into the collection whereby it can be used in a project or sent out on a loan.  The following kinds of data can be applied to a specimen:
   1. collecting event: Specimens are collected during collecting events.  Through this collecting event, one can establish the collection location (geography/locality), collection dates, collection agents, and collection method.
   2. agent: An agent is a single entity that can perform an action on the specimen.  The entity can be a person, a group of people, or an institution/organization.  In addition, agents can have multiple roles such as collector, annotator/determiner, author, loan requestor, institutional owner.
   3. annotation/identification/determination:  Specimens can be identified multiple times, but there must be one and only one accepted determination.  A history of annotations must be maintained.
   4. usage: Specimens can be cited in a publication, used in a project, loaned out to another institution, or sampled for DNA analysis.
   5. voucher (specimen characteristics):   Voucher data are bits of information related to specimen characteristics.  It can be culled from the specimen itself, as well as any notes or observations (physical or not).
      1. Examples of voucher types: type, habitat, color, phenology, reproductive biology, nomenclature, odor, cytology, anatomy, other label numbers (i.e. other identifiers assigned to the specimen by institutions or persons such as USDA number or garden number).
      2. Examples of voucher data sources: specimen, labels, notes, annotations, publications, drawings.
   6. other specimen/object characteristics (not voucher):  Some informational bits about the specimen or object are not stored as vouchers.  Examples:
      1. object type  (e.g. specimen, folder, exsiccata)
      2. original collector number
      3. preservation/storage type/method (e.g. dried and mounted on specimen sheet, preserved in liquid)
2. Single specimen that consists of multiple objects (e.g. mounted on multiple sheets).  Specimens that consist of multiple objects require special handling  for data related to loans (tracking) and possibly vouchers (observations specific to one sheet).  In the example of a specimen with multiple sheets, each sheet would be a single object of an object type "Sheet" that makes up the object type "Specimen". Data specific to object type "Sheet" can include dimensions, material type, mounter (person who mounted the specimen onto the sheet).
3. Multiple specimens bound together in a volume (e.g. exsiccatae).  An exsiccata volume or fascicle consists of multiple specimens.  It can be considered another object type.  For example, the object type "Exsiccata" is made up of multiple objects of type "Specimen" which can consist of multiple objects of type "Sheet".  As with Case II, these objects require special handling for data related to loans and loan tracking.  In addition, data concerning the object type must be maintained.  For example, exsiccata name/title, collectors, volume, pages.
4. Multiple specimens mounted on a single sheet.   As in Case II, sheets that consist of multiple specimens require special handling for data related to loans (tracking) .  A loan request for one specimen should also tag all specimens on that sheet as part of the loan.  This example highlights the need for object tracking. One or many specimens are mounted on a sheet which is filed in a folder which is ordered in a cabinet.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Records for incoming objects: pre-accessions

Contact

Potential donor contacts curator to offer a work for the collection; or curator contacts potential donor to solicit a donation; or curator contacts vendor to negotiate a purchase.

Initial collections information record

If the contact is successful, the assistant curator creates an agent record for the donor (if none exists) and an object record in CMS, the collections management system. Initial records include contact information for the donor or vendor and all available object information, such as artist, title, date, medium, dimensions, insurance value, provenance, and reason for deposit.

Offer letter - gifts

The curator provides the donor with suggested text about the work for inclusion in the donor's official offer letter. Text about the work is derived from the new CMS object record.

Curatorial defense

The curator presents a justification supporting the purchase of a work to the accession committee. The justification is included in the work's hardcopy records and CMS record.

Accessions summary

Various staff may collaborate to develop an accessions summary for complex, multipart installations considered for acquisition. Summaries describe known requirements and costs associated with acquiring, displaying, preserving, and loaning the work. Summaries exist as Word documents and may be supplemented by images and diagrams, most if not all of which live outside CMS.

Pre-accessions borrowed for an exhibition

When a work proposed for acquisition is also to be included in an upcoming exhibition the assistant curator prints a loan form from CMS for signature by the donor/lender.

Delivery

The registrar creates a shipping record in CMS with information about the work's transportation and delivery. Receipts are printed from CMS and sent to the donor or vendor after the work arrives at the museum. Another receipt is issued if the work is not accessioned and returned to the potential donor or vendor.

Temporary ID number

Each incoming work is assigned a unique temporary identification number.

Tracking

Registrar records the location of the work in CMS once it is under SFMOMA's jurisdiction. Locations include on-site and off-site storage, and on-site or off-site exhibitions.

Condition report

Registrar completes a condition report upon receipt of the work. The condition report form is printed from CMS and filled out as a hardcopy. Works are occasionally condition checked off-site, making off-site access to the database a desirable feature.

Unpacking and installation notes

Registrar obtains necessary unpacking and installation instructions from the donor or vendor. Instructions may be added in whole or in part to the work's CMS record. The location of any comprehensive set of instructions, as well as any images of unpacking and installation, may be referenced in the CMS record.

Images

Staff capture and/or receive from the donor, vendor, or artist one or more digital images of the work before or after receipt. Images are linked to CMS records and added to DAM, the digital asset management system.

Accessions ballots

Ballots are prepared by administrative staff for meetings of the accessions committees and subcommittees of the museum's four curatorial departments. Ballots are printed from CMS.

Walker Art Center

Information regarding possible acquisitions and gifts is given to the registrar for the permanent collection from the curatorial staff or director. A record is created in a FileMaker Pro acquisition database, created for each acquisition meeting, for the work. A deed of gift is generated from the database and sent to the donors. 

The information collected to create a minimum acquisition record includes: object id, donor name, date, title of work, artist name, medium, credit line, value.

Upon receipt of the object, a blank condition report, including tombstone information and an image of the work is printed from the acquisition database, written and stored in a paper file. Additional, information regarding the object is input into the acquisition database.

A loan number is assigned, L2009.15.1-.5(L+year.object number.number of pieces, if more than one) and object information, artist, title, owner, purpose of loan, is entered into a FileMaker Pro Registration ledger, into which every artwork entering the building is recorded.

The loan number is entered into the acquisition database and a receipt is generated and sent to the donor/vendor.

Following formal accession, Offer of Gifts/Purchases are printed from the acquisition database for the Directors approval, accession numbers are assigned to the object, year.objectnumber.number of pieces, if more than one. An accession memo is produced from the database and stored in a paper file. Records for the acquisition database are then imported into the CMS FileMaker Pro database. Additional data is entered as needed.

Storage technicians then physically number the objects, program and attach RFID tags to the objects, which automates the recording of storage or exhibition location into the CMS.

As the work is further processed additional information regarding reproduction rights and digital image file location is added to the CMS record.