Todd makes an excellent point, FoxPro is also an excellent tool for data
management that, at least recently hasn't gotten the press it deserves. MS
Visual FoxPro 3.0 provides even more automation tools for building and
managaing data than version 2.6. for database beginners who don't want to
delve into the nuances of XBASE programming. Either FoxPro or Access would be
fine choices for a small museum to catalog its collections.
Kevin Comerford
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 15:52:33 EDT
From: Todd Robinson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: MS-Access for Collection Management/Cataloging
>>Suzanne Quigley recommends going with a "smaller off the shelf" version.
>> Any specific recommendations on software that works?
> AlphaFive by Alpha Software, 617 229-2924 - tho' you might want to wait
>for Version 2 for Windows 95 - Version 1 is so-so. $50 for basic version.
> I currently use an older version (AlphaFour v4) with 13,000+ plus
>records. Works pretty well, except for printing reports - it is pretty
>bad at that.
OK, here is my 2 cents (but mostly because no one else has mentioned it yet).
I've been using FoxPro 2.6 for all my data needs. I have an artifact database
with over 15,000 items in it, other lists of names for mailing lists, several
hundred thousand points of survey data, etc. I picked it because of its
speed,
flexibility and now its overall integration with other microsoft products. I
can access data in FoxPro directly from Word or Excel, making everything from
form letters and press releases to some financial statements a snap. I would
imagine using Access would have similar benefits. The only difference between
the two is Access's performance drops off significantly after 3 or 4 users,
while FoxPro will usually make it to 5 - 7 users. If you need more muscle
than
that you can move your data to an SQL server, and go Client/Server. Of course
that is applicable to any situation. Lastly, it is actually pretty easy to
setup and operate. Most tasks are automated through the use of wizards
(little
programs that pop up and ask you question and guide you through what you want
to
do). If the wizard can't do what you want, the programing language is very
english like and not that hard to learn.
To sum it up; If you need it now, or the thought of any kind of programming
makes you dizzy, find a canned program to do what you want. If you've got
some
time and you are interested in simple programming, Access will probably do you
just fine. If you have Microsoft Office (Word and Excel), you get even more
benefits. Have fun!!
Todd Robinson
"With one foot slightly out of four-space"
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 15:58:12 -0400
From: Mary Day Kent <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: What really happens to deaccessioned items?
In the hypothetical case presented of the hundreds of unwanted
paintings, perhaps this would be an ideal transfer to the Museum of
Bad Art which we have read about on this list? I think the MBA is
located in Somerville or Cambridge, Mass. However awful they are,
there is something horrifying about the idea of destroying them. I
inherited several paint-by-numbers works from my ex-husband's aunt,
and even those I felt, & still feel, like a criminal for trashing!
Mary Day Kent, University of Pennsylvania Museum
>You are not the only one, I'm sure. We have a lot of these itmes,
>partially bought by the museum/the city in the postware time for charity
>reasons, some came into the museum by pure ignorance, especially in this
>mass.
>You can't destroy them!! Find other ways.
>We give every year a bundle of those subjects to x-mas charity auctions,
>if good enough, we use it for representive gifts by the mayor. But this a
>very dangerous thing. Politicans very easy understand the museumas a
>self-service for gifts, a bit of Idi-Amin...
>Be very careful in deaccessioning those items, think about the opinion of
>still living (and probably better) artist who might give parts of your
>work to you.
>Be very careful, but you can perhaps rent a garage and store all this
>stuff there for the next twenty years. Be sure it is rain- and antproof,
>look once every year inside an decide again.
>You can also decorate the town-hall with it.
>Gerhard Dangel-Reese
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 09:59:26 -0700
From: "Robert O. Dahl" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Dials sponsorship of the Phoenix Art Museum
After reading here about Dial threatening to remove funding for the
Phoenix Art Museum, I located a Dial site on the web with an email address
and wrote them a note criticsizing this behavior. I just received the
following reply:
From: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 12:31:12 -0400
X-To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: (no subject)
We HAVE NOT withdrawn our funding from the Phoenix Art Museum. We continue
to be one of it's biggest contributors.
What you might be referring to is the recent story about the museum's
clarification that The Dial Corp is NOT the sponsor of the flag exhibit.
Sorry you got the wrong impression.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-----------------
--
Robert O. Dahl
http://www.indirect.com/user/ottar
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 18:00:02 GMT
From: Ira Laufer <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: women in museum history?
Just for information re: Women in Museum History.
A new state of the art museum, The Skirball, has opened in Los Angeles,
with a long term exhibit, "Visions & Values, Jewish Life from Antiquities
to America". It's a wonderful 4,000 year trip in a Cultural Center
designed by Moshe Safdie (Montreal World's Fair Habitat; National
Gallery, Ottawa; etc). Building is 125,000 s.f.
Emotional & inspirational experience for all people whose ancestors
emigrated to the U.S.
Museum Director for the Skirball is Nancy Berman. Curator is Barbara
Gilbert.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 15:45:34 -0700
From: jeff northam <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: N.A.M.E. (National Assoc.for Museum Exhibition)
This announcement is directed to any subscribers from California who are
either NAME (National Assoc.for Museum Exhibition) members or otherwise
would be interested in receiving e-mail announcements of upcoming meetings
or workshops within California that are sponsored by NAME. At present most
activities consist of irregularly scheduled monthly meetings held in the
San Francisco Bay area.
We hope to both broaden our audience and also reduce mailing costs related
to using snail mail. N.A.M.E. members and other interested parties should
provide their name, membership # (if applicable),institution, e-mail
addresses and other pertinent information.
______________________________________________________________________________
Your name:
N.A.M.E. membership number:
(*if not a member please indicate)
Institution or Organization:
position or title:
e-mail address:
real world address:
ie.- street
city
state
postal code
telephone number(s)
facsimile
Note: Information is for internal use only.
*Please indicate if you would like membership information sent to you.
Send to:
attn:Jeff Northam, (N.A.M.E. State Coordinator for California)
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 15:37:21 -0400
From: WCG1962 <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: A Museum is----?
>far, this query has been treated with kid gloves-
Herein lies a clue perhaps - the use of white cotton gloves (not kid
leather - those contain fats and acids) means it's a museum...
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 19:19:36 MDT
From: Jan Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: apologies for mental lapse - duh!
Hi. Well, I thought I'd zip this off before I open my mail. On the way
to campus I realized that one of my cogs slipped (again) the other day.
I meant to write ADA and IDEA, formerly EHA but wrote instead IDEA, formerly
ADA. Hope I didn't confuse anyone (besides myself, heh heh). Cheers. JanW.
[log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 19:40:47 MDT
From: Jan Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: "Teaching" in Youth Museum
Hi,again. I had meant to write you before -------- I guess it would be a side
road -- on the topic you brought up about possible "anti-intellectualism."
I think there is a dearth of empirical (whether "qualitative' or
"quantitative") studies on the effectiveness of different kinds of museum
education experiences. (Of course, how many public school teachers engage in
"action" research?) That's my opinion, not that my opinion is worth much.
Jan. [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 19:46:57 MDT
From: Jan Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: "Teaching" in Youth Museum
Well, duh! again! I should just stay in bed (what's that?). I meant to send
a reply to John Bunch and didn't pay attention to the headers. My apologies.
Jan. [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 19:10:21 -0700
From: Elizabeth Kidd <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: "Teaching" in Youth Museum
Hi- I'm not sure whether you are aware that your messages are being sent to
1000 people on the Museum -L instead of to the one person I think you think
you're sending this to! It's interesting however! cheers.
At 07:40 PM 5/6/96 MDT, you wrote:
>Hi,again. I had meant to write you before -------- I guess it would be a side
>road -- on the topic you brought up about possible "anti-intellectualism."
>I think there is a dearth of empirical (whether "qualitative' or
>"quantitative") studies on the effectiveness of different kinds of museum
>education experiences. (Of course, how many public school teachers engage in
>"action" research?) That's my opinion, not that my opinion is worth much.
>Jan. [log in to unmask]
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 22:56:02 -0400
From: Tim and Amy Marshall <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Deed of Gift = Accession?
I don't get any address other than MUSEUM-L with my posts. If you forward
your e-mail address off list, I'd be happy to send you a copy of our
standard deed of gift from my SOP.
All the Best,
Amy Marshall
At 01:18 AM 5/2/96 -0600, you wrote:
>
> Can anyone forward a sample "deed of gift" to this museum management
>neophyte?
>Much obliged.
>
> Mark Bacin, Ventura County Maritime Museum
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 21:42:51 -0700
From: Rebecca Andrews <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: volunteer and gloves
Did you try different types of gloves?? I knew of a very similar
situation, where the volunteer did not want to wear cotton gloves working
in an archives because they couldn't pick up anything (tips of gloves were
too thick). But when 'plastic' style gloves were suggested as an
alternative, it worked!!
Rebecca Andrews
Burke Museum
University of Washington
Seattle
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 01:08:26 -0400
From: David Harvey <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: volunteer and gloves
Just a note about using non-cotton gloves (ie., "plastic gloves")
Some people have serious reactions to latex gloves which can range from
simple skin irritation to full-blown reactions on a par with bee-stings. Be
really careful if you issue latex and warn volunteers to discontinue use at
the first sign of discomfort or skin reaction. The other type of non-cotton
glove is vinyl. These work well although you have to be aware that they
often have a fine white gloving powder on them (talc) which can get smeared
all over an artifact if someone is oblivious to the presence of the powder.
It pays to make it an habitual practice to wipe off these gloves when you
first don them before handling an object.
If you are wearing non-cotton gloves for a period of time you will tend to
sweat within these gloves (they don't breathe) and this can lead to mild
dermetitis. In this instance, if touch-sensitivity isn't a concern, you can
wear cotton gloves inside of the vinyl or latex, which makes the process much
more comfortable.
Dave
David Harvey
Conservator of Metals & Arms
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
P.O. Box 1776
Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-1776 USA
voice: 804-220-7039
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 22:32:46 -0500
From: Murph the Surf <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Interesting Web Sites from artnetweb
A few Web sites we've found this week we thought would be of interest to
the group. Some were found on this list so please forgive the
repetition.
artnetweb (http://artnetweb.com)
@NY
(http://www.news-ny.com/)
Biweekly internet newsletter
voice.of.the.net
(http://dougal.derby.ac.uk/seanc/votn/)
Project fromSchool of Art and Design at the University of Derby, UK.
The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross
(http://www.bobross.com/)
Museum of Modern Art, NY
(http://www.moma.org/)
webCATS
(http://library.usask.ca/hywebcat/)
All library on-line public-access catalogues that have a web interface.
Fabrica
(http://2061517193.global.net/benetton/fabrica/intro.html)
Benetton's new media research center.
Internet Poetry Archive
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/dykki/poetry/home.html)
Scoop des Arts
(http://www.scoopnet.ca/scoopdesarts/)
Arts journal from Montreal. In French.
Good Old New Media
(http://www-wjp.CS.Uni-SB.DE/art/jens/p1/index.html)
Interactive installation by Jens Geelhaar.
FUTURElessFUTURE
(http://plaza.interport.net/FLF/)
Exhibition organized by Paul Warren.
The Mondrian Machine
(http://desires.com/2.1/Toys/Mondrian/mond-fr.html)
Indulge in Plasticism care of Mark Lewis and Urban Desires.
Picasso
(http://www.clubinternet.com/picasso/homepage.html)
Official estate website for the work of Pablo Picasso.
Stroom Center for the Visual Arts
(http://www.stroom.nl/)
From the Netherlands.
dn/a
(http://adaweb.com/~dn/a/)
Drawing oN Air (dn/a) links trends in art and exhibitions toward open,
participatory systems to the evolving architecture of the Internet.
Honoria in Ciberspazio
(http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~slatin/opera/)
Collaborative opera.
French Language Course
(http://www.kd.qd.se/iii/languages/french/course/)
--
ROBBIN MURPHY, creative director, artnetweb
[log in to unmask] -- http://artnetweb.com
426 Broome Street, NYC 10013 212 925-1885
NEW THIS WEEK: http://artnetweb.com/resource/new.html
------------------------------
End of MUSEUM-L Digest - 5 May 1996 to 6 May 1996
*************************************************
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