integrating museum systems: accessing collections information at the victoria and albert museum
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Integrating museum systems: Accessing collections information at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Christopher Marsden Sarah Winmill, Frances Lloyd-Baynes 17 September 2007. This presentation. Describes the V&A’s Core Systems Integration Project (CSIP) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Integrating museum systems: Accessing collections information at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Christopher Marsden
Sarah Winmill, Frances Lloyd-Baynes
17 September 2007
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This presentation
Describes the V&A’s Core Systems Integration Project (CSIP)
Looks at the challenges the project has presented
Explores the technical and content-related issues of delivering
collections data taken from a variety of sources and generated using
varied approaches via a single interface
Offers some lessons from the V&A’s work for others undertaking
similar initiatives
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The Victoria and Albert Museum: Background
Victoria and Albert Museum, front façade
One of the world’s largest museums of art and design
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V&A Collections
Approximately 1.5 million objects; object data is held electronically in the Collections Information System (MUSIMS) and in paper-based documentation
Approximately 1.5 million items are held; most Bibliographic material held by the National Art Library. The NAL is also the curatorial department for the art, craft and design of the book. Items are documented in the Horizon database and available both on site and online
V&A archives comprise the Archive of Art & Design, the V&A Archive and the Theatre Collections Archive; data available via XML files and the Horizon database (at collections level) and in paper-based documents
Over 160,000 digital and analogue images, documented in the Digital Asset Management database and available for purchase online
Objects
Bibliographic and Archival material
Images
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The challenge
Large, mature cataloguing solutions following diverse standards
A growing number of record ‘copies’ and ‘harvests’
Systems linked in a complex mesh
Poor (if existent!) system inter-dependency documentation
Growing technological aspirations
Poor customer data access
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Existing V&A systems
Firewall
Projexs projectdatabase
Internal Web
Loansdatabase(s)
CISObject Database
ARTstorSCRAN
Culture Online
nightly refreshLinked
DynixLibrary Database
Photo Catalogue(Image
management)
IPAC
Web ContentManagement System
Gallerydatabases
CollectionsOnline
Main V&AWeb site
Finance
Personnel
Prostock picturelibrary database
ConciseConservation
database
nightly refresh
Securitysystems
Data flow
Black shapes: Existing systems
Archive XMLfiles
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CSIP Aims & Objectives
to develop system architecture whereby applications can access object information via a Virtual Repository rather than mastering object data locally.
to integrate the Museum's core systems and remove the dependencies on manual data manipulation tasks inherent in current practice, thus improving efficiency and accuracy of data delivery.
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CSIP project deliverables
Gallery Services application
Image linking to NAL system
PROMIS project management system
Publishing Process
'Virtual Repository'
Data Mastering Protocol
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Existing V&A systems
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Core Systems Integration Project: phase 1
System Simulation Ltd.
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Gallery Services Application
V&A, South Kensington, Information Desk
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Gallery Services: key requirements
The provision of access to information on objects (i.e. 'non- bibliographic'
material)
Access to the objects' current location
Access object details through 'surrounding information' such as peoples' names (e.g. artist/maker; people depicted), periods, places, dates, materials, etc.
Quick access to data
Concise results
Illustrative images
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NAL bibliographic record
NAL web catalogue entry: MARC and public output
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Object records
Object records from CIS and V&A Access to Images web site
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Archival records
V&A Archive records: public output and XML mark-up
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Issues
The hierarchical nature of the archival findings aids
Item level vs. collection-level descriptions
Authority-use variation and granularity
System structure vs. user expectations
Appropriate mapping model for CSIP
Harvesting vs. Z39.50 retrieval
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Archival material
F in a n ce D e pt(su b -fo n d s)
M iss A 's f ile(f ile )
B 's a p p lica tio n fo rm(ite m )
B 's re s ig n a tio n le tte r(ite m )
M r B 's f ile(f ile s )
P e rso n a l f iles(se rie s )
P e rso n ne l D e p t(su b -fo n d s)
R e sa rch & D e s ign(su b -fo n d s)
H a b ita t U K(F o n d s )
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Issues
The hierarchical nature of the archival findings aids
Item level vs. collection-level descriptions
Authority-use variation and granularity
System structure vs. user expectations
Appropriate mapping model for CSIP
Harvesting vs. Z39.50 retrieval
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Common Data Model: Dublin Core
Dublin Core draft map
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Common Data Model: CIDOC CRM
CIDOC CRM map for Sculpteur project
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Common Data Model: Sculpteur project
Www.sculpteurweb.org
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Issues
The hierarchical nature of the archival findings aids
Item level vs. collection-level descriptions
Authority-use variation and granularity
System structure vs. user expectations
Appropriate mapping model for CSIP
Harvesting vs. Z39.50 retrieval
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Gallery services application
V&A Gallery Services application mock-ups
V&A Gallery Services Search
Who
When
Where
Object
IDs
Location
Materials
(Persons)
(Objects)
(Places)
(Times)
(Drop down?)
Search
Dynix (Books)
Archive
All (key word search)
Here we would typically put helpful comments abouthow users might conduct their wildcard searches
On Display only
Filters:please check the appropriate box to filter your search
CIS (Objects)
V&A Gallery Services Search
Your search returned 115 object records, 36 bibliographic records and 1035 archival recordsCurrently showing records 1-25 of all 1186 recordsShow only object records show only bibliographic records show only archival records
The Three Graces (Canova 1757-1822)On Display: Room 119, Case FS(??)
Marble statue: Here would go the first part of some descr iptive text about the three graces… (AtoIpublic access record if exists - history record if not.)
Book: Canova desegni (Canova, Antonio: 1757-1822)NAL Library General Collection: 507.f.39Marble statue: Here would go the first part of some descr iptive text about the three graces…(Description and Notes)
The Three Graces (Canova 1863-1922)On Display: Room 119, Case FS(??)Marble statue: Here would go the first part of some descriptive text about the three graces… (AtoIpublic access record if exists - history record if not.)
The Three Graces (Canova 1863-1922)On Display: Room 119, Case FS(??)Marble statue: Here would go the first part of some descriptive text about the three graces… (AtoIpublic access record if exists - history record if not.)
The Three Graces (Canova 1863-1922)On Display: Room 119, Case FS(??)Marble statue: Here would go the first part of some descr iptive text about the three graces… (AtoIpublic access record if exists - history record if not.)
V&A Gallery Services Search
Title: The Three GracesObject: GroupLocation: On Display: Room 119, Case FS(??)Date : 1814-1817Techniques Carved marbleArtist/designer Canova, Antonio, born 01/11/1757 -
died 13/10/1822 (sculptors)Place Rome (city), ItalyDimensions Height 173 cm x 97.2 cm (base) x 57 cm (base)Weight 825 kg
585 kg (sculpture)240 kg (base)
Museum Number A.4-1994
Object TypeThis marble figure group was made for the Sculpture Gallery at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, and was originally housed in a speciallydesigned Temple of the Graces. It was commissioned from Antonio Canova (1757-1822) by John Russel, 6th Duke of Bedford, whovisited the sculptor in his studio in Rome in 1814, and was captivated by the group of the Three Graces which Canova had carved forthe Empress Josephine, the estranged wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. She had died in May of that year, and the Duke offered to buythe group from Canova, but Josephine's son claimed it, and that version is now in the Hermitage, St Petersburg. The Dukecommissioned a second version from Canova; this was begun in 1814, finished in 1817, and installed at Woburn in 1819. Canovacame over to England to supervise the installation. In the Temple it was displayed on a pedestal adapted from an earlier marbleplinth, with a rotating top.
Subject DepictedThe Three Graces, celebrated in classical literature and art, were the daughters of Jupiter (or Zeus in Greek mythology), andcompanions to the Muses. Thalia (youth and beauty) is accompanied by Euphrosyne (mirth), and Aglaia (elegance). Canova had first
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Lessons so far
It is possible to integrate your data without putting it in one system
High-level buy-in for the project is essential
Market your project carefully – talk about benefits and deliverables, not technology
The major challenge is no longer the technology, but the underlying understanding of our data
Don’t wait for perfection
Christopher Marsden
Victoria and Albert MuseumCromwell Road LondonSW7 2RLUnited [email protected]
Integrating museum systems: Accessing collections information at the Victoria and Albert Museum