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GKS Uploads From Museum

DatabasesRichard Laurin

MMSt Candidate – Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

GRASAC Research Assistant

SECOND GRASAC

RESEARCH

CONFERENCE

13-14 JUNE 2014

Woodland Cultural

Centre

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Presentation outline

Project

Project Needs

Challenges & Solutions

Recommendations & Project

Contributions

1

2

3

4

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Project

My internship at the Manitoba

Museum introduced me to:

a) Working in a museum setting

b) Working with databases

c) GRASAC

Context for my contribution: Project

part of 2013 summer internship at the

Manitoba museum.

My Responsibilities: Upload object

records identified in the earlier

incarnation of the project to the GRASAC

website.

Pretext: Relevant museum records

aready identified. I came in to complete

their transfer to the GRASAC website.

Documents supporting my project:

- Digital photos of objects in the

collection;

- Museum database printouts;

- Spreadsheet started by Dr. Matthews;

- Copy of the GRASAC upload

procedures created by Dr. Willmott.

GRASAC’s online

database

The Manitoba Museum records

Project Spreadsheets

Project breakdown

1. Transcribe museum data to spreadsheet

2. Copy data from

spreadsheet to …. GKS

“contribute forms”

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Project Needs

How can I make sure I don’t make any errors uploading

information from The Manitoba Museum records to the GKS

database?

“”

My suitable solution:

a spreadsheet that acts as a bridge

between these databases, creating

an intuitive interface for the

implementation of the project’s

goals.

In other words:

How do I systematically transfer information from one

unrelated database to another without:

A) losing any information

B) altering the data

C) evaluate that I have managed to implement A & B

Project Goal:

Transferring the information

from one database to the

other.

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Challenges & Solutions

Dividing – structuring the layout of the spreadsheet

>Mimicking the 11 sections of the GKS “Contribute

Form” ffenabled me to replicate a top-down approach

to data ffpreparation for easy transfer to the online

database.

GRASAC webpage

Project spreadsheet

Colo

ur-

codin

g t

o m

atc

h s

ections

Challenge: organizing the transfer of data

Solution: mirrored design & section colour-

coding

Integrating – user-based spreadsheet design elements

These input-based colour codes

helped remind me of different

process-based and verification

requirements.

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The red “save your work” row is an example

of a ‘place-based’ reminder based on Dr

Willmott's document that suggested saving

your progress at this point in the uploading

process.

An secondary colour system to highlight priorities, tasks and

track the project’s progress.

Challenge: integrating previously recognized

suggestions/tips

Solution: colour-coded user reminders rows

Embedding – metadata and project progress

2

1

2

1 Data rows help track the progress from one database to the other.

Section dedicated to tracking, and providing metadata on the

image(s) associated with the record added to GKS

Similar to the integration of input-based colour-coding elements, the light-

green input categories added metadata to the spreadsheet, enabling it to act

as a project management tool and a record of the project.

Challenge: embedding verification cues within the

spreadsheets

Solution: spreadsheet metadata, visual information

checklist

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Recommendations & Project

Contributions

Recommendations

Contributions

Ask yourself three questions:

1) What are the communities you are serving?

2) Why do they want to connect?

3) How do your skills as a ‘bridge builder’ enable a successful connection?

GRASAC

The Manitoba Museum

Myself

Spreadsheets are a terrific project tool. Highly adaptable

to the specific needs of the project and researcher.

Template for future data transfer projects.

1. Template for future research;

2. Structurally, it might also provide the framework for future

database modifications to enable quicker or more effective

transfers of records to GKS.

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QR code to spreadsheet template:

Download URL link :

http://goo.gl/p3ub2D

Richard Laurin 2014

Please feel free to download,

customize and disseminate

widely!