Initial analysis of BAMCollection and requirements

Owned by Chris Hoffman
Mar 25, 2014
8 min read

Notes on BAM/PFA Art Collection

11/22/2013

 

BAM/PFA maintains a FM Pro database named BAMCollection as the collection management system for the art collection.  In October, IST-RIT held four meetings with the users and the systems provider of this service (Orlando, Lisa, Genevieve, Lucinda, Stephanie, Beth).  

Note:  Items in blue text are gaps that need to be addressed (not links).

 

Summary 

There is a good fit between BAMCollection and CollectionSpace.  Customizations to CSpace would be quite modest:

  • Adopt Exhibition Tracking and Condition Checking procedures from Walker/CSpace or add a few fields that map to their current schema

  • Add a few fields to other CSpace records

  • Image workflows: Add bulk image upload capability (being developed for other deployments shortly)

  • Extracts and reports: A modest set of reports and data extracts would be needed

  • Integration with BAM/PFA Drupal web site: Build a feed to make metadata available for Drupal web site

  • Adapt PAHMA web apps for move support

Note that these are based on a preliminary analysis of the BAMCollection system and staff use of the system and focuses on replicating the basic functionality currently in place.  Additional work to develop custom workflows and more reports could address important challenges at BAM/PFA (e.g., by making it easier to see if an object is already on loan or if a loan has been requested; to see objects in the context of exhibition histories and the collections they belong to).

Some of the more challenging issues would be driven by social issues.  The main developer of BAMCollection works in close proximity to the users of the system and is able to respond to requests for data and system changes very quickly.  CSpace deployments have a different model.  Someone like Orlando could definitely be trained to write reports and extract data from CSpace, and there’s a possibility that he could be trained to make some layout changes.  However, things like schema changes would require work by IST staff.  While the IST team tries to be responsive, we are supporting multiple customers, and the amount of work we can perform on any one deployment is limited.  The relationship with the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology is likely to be a suitable analog.  There, Michael Black has developed significant expertise in extracting data from CSpace, and he has even invested time in learning the web application framework that sits on top of CSpace in order to build special purpose applications.  Equally important, BAM/PFA is already joining a community of CollectionSpace institutions via the implementation of CineFiles-CollectionSpace for the PFA Library.  As a member of an open source community, there is an expectation that BAM/PFA will help drive the software platform forward by participating in prioritization and decision-making about enhancements and encouraging others to take a look at CollectionSpace.

 

Basic information about the system 

BAMCollection has evolved over the last decade or so with significant improvements in design and functionality by Orlando.  As with other long standing systems, there are some relic data issues (e.g., artist/maker is now a repeating field, but the value is typed again into the legacy field so it shows up on some reports, some artist names are in all caps, etc.).  There are four registrars who edit records and use the system heavily and about five curators who edit less frequently but use the system extensively. Sometimes specific project teams will assemble and use the system extensively for a period of time (e.g., the CASC project team right now).  Approximately 10 users have read-only access and use the system.  There are about 19152 objects in the system, including 18288 permanent collection records.  About 3500 mages tied to collection records.  The BAM Collection System size is approximately 75 MB.

 

(See screenshots that accompany this document.)

 

Important considerations

  • FM Pro works by doing searches and then applying views, which makes it simple to create reports on subsets of the collection.  CSpace has a less elegant approach where the user finds records, adds them to a group, and then runs a report on the group.

  • Orlando frequently responds to requests for data as well as for changes to the system.

  • Changes to the system (layout and fields) are discussed by a committee (e.g., whether to remove a field no longer used and add a new one used by the CASC project).  It sounded like these design discussions were taken very seriously.  Despite its limitations, FM Pro has very nice tools for flexible layout.  CSpace’s layout capabilities are not quite as flexible.

  • BAM/PFA will continue to face interesting decisions about naming, numbering, and relationships between objects in the collection.  (We wouldn’t want to take away all your fun!)

 

Main buttons

  • Collection Items: Takes you to the Collection Entry screen and tabs

  • Artists: Takes user to a screen for maintaining the authoritative artist/maker names.  Minimal metadata (good CSpace match)

  • Collections: Basic list of about 20 acceptable collection values (an object can be in multiple collections).  (We would probably want to make collections list a dynamic managed list).

  • Texts: Takes you to the Text/Labels screen which has text labels from exhibitions.

 

Collection Entry screen and tabs: Tab overview

  • Collection Entry (described below)

  • Text/Labels: Text labels for gallery (exhibitions).  This is repeating.  (CSpace: Add repeating field group or use SMK or Walker exhibitions module.  Walker/MMI has Presentations procedure which references the Exhibition authority.  Text labels could go on Presentations but might need to be simpler to get to). Regarding current content and functionality, Orlando reports: “With FileMaker users could apply styles but the text labels that are currently in the system don't have any styles at the moment. Note that there are only about 260 labels/texts in the system. We hope to add many more labels/texts in the near future. For instance, there are no current labels/texts in the FileMaker database at the moment. They are in Word or inDesign documents.”

  • Images: Shows related images (though they show up as thumbnail on Collection Items too) (CSpace good fit for Media Handling)

  • CASC Project: Better handling for objects that have many images (as CASC project often does).

 

Collection Entry tab

Above a series of subtabs (discussed below) is some core information about the collection object.  This looks very familiar.  Here are some particular observations related to CSpace:

  • T.R. Other Numbers - text field for entering the temp TR number and any other numbers (separated by commas). Important for their workflow.  CSpace: Probably use Other Number for this though then Object Number (if used for Accession number) would need to be not required

  • Accession number: Made up of six subfields or parts.  CSpace: Probably good to maintain this same  subfield approach and calculate the final Accn Number.

  • Artist: Move Production Person up to top.

  • Number of Scans: Add field for instructions to scanner

  • Date in: Maybe add field for this to accommodate workflow.

 

Detail subtab: This tab is the default view and therefore is important to all BAM/PFA staff who look at system.  Some data entry fields; others are display summaries from other subtabs (e.g., measurement, current location, current sub location, acquisition info, credit line) and from artists table (Origin/Place, DOB and DOD).  CSpace’s ability to display summarized information from other tabs is limited.  Might be some data migration issues and changes in workflows regarding use of CSpace structured dates, etc.  Detail subtab has fields for Origina/Place, DOB, DOD, Dates Active, Earliest Date, and Latest Date, Circa, Century.  Are these all about the collection object or are some of them about the artist?

Classification subtab: Fields for Part Of (e.g., part of a broader context), item counts, subjects/themes, period/style, curatorial comments, collection (can be repeating), description of work. Fields like Part Of are used differently by different users, so there would need to be some discussion about how much of CSpace object hierarchy to use.  CSpace good fit.

 

Object Specs subtab: Measurements in English and Metric units (height, width, depth).  Legacy fields and newer repeating group.  Some fields here are then summarized automatically onto Detail subtab.  CSpace: pretty good fit but would take some adjustments.

 

Acquisition subtab: Date in, legal status, status date, how acquired, value, etc.  CSpace: We would need to add 4-6 fields and adjust layout.

 

Copyright subtab: Four basic fields (copyright credit, copyright holder, copyright notes, permission checkbox) -- add fields or adopt SMK approach.

 

Location subtab: This screen appears to have both legacy non-repeating and a new repeating block for tracking location history.  Legacy fields: Main location, sub location, location purpose, comments, checkbox:located, cataloger (who updated).  Repeating fields: Located (checkbox), location/sublocation, location purpose/comments, updater/date.  CSpace: Looks like a good fit though this probably needs a bit more investigation.  Note: BAM/PFA will be planning a major move for the new building and would benefit from some of the PAHMA web applications.  There is a button for Unknown Object.Orlando set this up a while back when Registration was doing an inventory. It was used to enter a temporary number and other information for a particular item that could not be identified in the database.

 

Condition subtab: Basic fields (condition notes, conservation history, condition date) not repeating.  Add to CSpace or adopt condition check procedure.

 

Notes subtab: One big text field.

 

Registration workflow notes 

Lisa and Genevieve described and demonstrated typical use of the system, from assigning T.R. (temporary) numbers, acquisition, and so on.

 

CASC project notes 

This IMLS-funded project is documenting the Conceptual Art Studies Collection.  Workflows and content overlap with the archival model.  One artist can have multiple folders (e.g, correspondence with another artist; one specific art project), and each folder will have multiple documents (letters, envelopes for the letter, articles about the performance).  They are trying to catalog everything at the item level.  Lots of discussion about numbering, naming, and hierarchical relationships.  There are physical items as well (costumes, objects), and some of those might already be in the system.  Cataloging and digitization workflows occur in same office.  Cataloging is usually at a deeper level than what Genevieve does because they are capturing much more information and taking more images.

 

Image handling workflows 

Currently, images are processed via software and moved into folders on hard drives.  Orlando has scripts that watch those folders and then process them to move them into new locations and create FileMaker records that can be related to collection items [to be confirmed].  Other UCB CollectionSpace deployments (notably PAHMA and UCJEPS) want a bulk image upload process, and this is in the works.  More work is needed to identify the right solution for BAM/PFA.

 

Reports and data extracts 

As mentioned above, there is a frequent need for reports and extracts, and FM Pro is very capable in this regard.  The solutions we are working on for UCB CSpace deployments are not as simple, but they are becoming quite powerful.  For all deployments, IST has built a number of reports that can be run from within CollectionSpace (canned reports that run against a specific record such as a loan or a group of collection items) or from a dedicated web site (i.e., reports that take parameters such as a year or artist name).  Orlando could certainly be trained to use these tools so that he could respond to data extract and report requests.

 

Integration with Drupal web site
IST would need to build a feed that could provide metadata (and images?) to the Drupal web site.

 

Other FM Pro databases

We still need to look at the other FM Pro systems.  

 

One or multiple CSpace systems? 

We have not really talked in much detail about whether one CollectionSpace system could meet the needs of BAM/PFA.  The issues are:

  • CSpace permissions are somewhat limited: Currently we can not limit access at a very fine-grained level. E.g., if you wanted Nancy to be able to edit CineFiles records but you don’t want her to be able to edit Art Collection records, then we would need to have two separate systems.  It is technically possible to extend the CSpace permissions code to handle this, but it would be something we would need some additional financial support to perform.

  • CSpace does not have the ability currently to provide different views of the collection item based on its type or collection.  E.g., for CineFiles records, you might like to see one set of fields in one layout, but for Art Collection records, you would want a different set of fields in a different layout.  (The exception is when you are creating a new record, you can select a template to facilitate data entry.)  Additional programming could be done to build this capability, but it would require additional resources.

  • On the other hand, if all BAM/PFA collection items were in one collection management system, it would eventually simplify operations for BAM/PFA and IST.

 

The Hearst Museum has worked around these issues, and so discussions about this with them might be helpful.  

 

Conclusions 

Overall, the fit between CollectionSpace and the BAM Art Collection is very good, and we are excited about the possibility of working with this collection and these people.