Collections Database Officer, Tate Galleries
As Collections Database Officer at Tate Galleries, Beth Arscott sits at the intersection of data integrity and collections care. Drawing on a background in object handling at national museums and now overseeing TMS data for one of the UK’s most prominent art institutions, Beth ensures that Tate’s collections records remain accurate, complete, and accessible. Her role spans five museum sites across the UK and includes leading TMS training, producing tailored Crystal Reports, and developing solutions that bridge the needs of curators, conservators, and collections staff.
In this conversation, Beth shares her path into collections data work, how her hands-on collections experience informs her approach to systems management, and a recent cross-departmental project that introduced a smarter way to track light exposure and rest periods in TMS. Her story offers a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to support complex, high-volume collections while laying the groundwork for a future transition to the TMS Suite.
Please can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Tate Galleries?
My name is Beth Arscott, and I am the Collections Database Officer at Tate Galleries. I look after all the data stored on TMS, making sure it’s accurate, complete and conforming to industry standards. I manage the TMS training programme, training staff at all 5 Tate sites in London, Liverpool and St Ives. I create Crystal Reports so staff can export collections data in formats useful to their teams. I also get involved in conversations around cataloguing standards, providing Collections Management advice to colleagues.
The Tate Modern stands on the bank of the River Thames, offering views across the water.
How long have you been working at this institution, and what brought you into this field?
I have been working at Tate since late 2020 and have been in the same role throughout. I came to Tate from a background in collections at other National Museums. I had previously worked on Decant teams for the Imperial War Museum and the V&A, preparing objects for their move to new storage facilities. Although I used databases in these roles, I was much more object-facing, photographing, hazard checking, barcoding, packing and condition checking objects from firearms and swords to Oscars and poisoned arrows. Working in these roles, especially on audits, made me realise how important comprehensive and accurate documentation is to those working hands on with objects and kickstarted my interest in collections information. Nonetheless, starting at Tate during Covid, it was a bit of a learning curve to figure out how to manage an entirely new database from scratch, while working remotely! But I’ve always kept my collections hat on when working with TMS, and I think that background has meant I can understand what our users need and expect from their collection management systems.
What is your favorite part of being in your role?
What with Tate being a multi-site gallery, I get quite a few opportunities to travel to Liverpool and St Ives to deliver training and in person support. As well as getting to eat fish and chips on the beach at lunchtime when I’m in St Ives, this also means I get to see the exhibitions on display at all sites. It’s always fun to see the exhibition realised in person after watching the exhibition record being developed on TMS over a few years! I recently saw the Ithell Colquhoun exhibition at Tate St Ives and seeing how it has morphed into something new now that it’s being shown at Tate Britain has been really interesting.
View of the sea from Tate St Ives.
Which Gallery Systems product(s) are you currently using?
We are currently using TMS for Windows. We are migrating from Oracle to SQL Server this year, which will enable us to move from TMS for Windows to the TMS Suite applications. We have over 400 active TMS users, so making sure TMS Collections works for Tate’s collection care and curatorial procedures is going to be an extensive project.
Can you tell us a bit about Tate Galleries and its mission?
Tate’s remit is to collect British art from 1500 and international modern and contemporary art from 1900. Its mission is to increase public knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of art from its collecting period. As a National Museum, entry to the galleries at Tate Liverpool, Tate Modern and Tate Britain is free. I think one of the best things about the UK museum sector in general, which isn’t always replicated elsewhere, is that the public can engage with collections of national and international importance without the need to pay. The works we display have been collected by the nation, for the nation and that’s something everyone has the right to enjoy.
Tate Liverpool, one of four Tate museums in the UK, showcasing contemporary art and exhibitions.
Can you tell us about a recent project your team completed using Gallery Systems software?
We have recently created a flex field to flag when objects have had too much light exposure and need to go on rest. We were approached by the Paper Conservation team, who were hoping that recording this on TMS would mean colleagues in other departments could make more informed decisions about what works to request for display, as they would be able to see in advance works which were ineligible. Conservation staff add the rest period flex field to the object on rest, putting in the date at which the work started its rest, the projected end date for the rest, and any additional notes. We also paired this with a status flag – visible to all staff – noting that the work is on rest. Colleagues then know to check the flex field tab to see when the work will next be available for display so they can plan their projects accordingly.
The Alerts feature on TMS for Windows is what pushed this project from being temporary data recording to a really useful workflow. We have set up an alert which notifies Conservation teams when the projected end date for a rest period exceeds today’s date. This prompts conservation teams to check on the record and remove any rest period data that is no longer needed once the rest period is complete. I have also developed a Crystal report which pulls rest period information along with basic object information so staff can export this data to share with colleagues, enabling them to plan the storage and display of works more effectively. We’ll also be looking to incorporate this data into more reports in future if there are projects, such as rehangs or storage moves, where it would be relevant to planning.
Beth Arscott’s work at Tate Galleries demonstrates how effective collections management depends on more than just technical systems—it relies on people who understand the objects, the workflows, and the institutional mission behind them. By developing tools that support preventative conservation and proactively collaborating with teams across Tate, Beth exemplifies how thoughtful database stewardship can enhance both planning and preservation.
As Tate Galleries prepares to transition to TMS Collections, her experience serves as a compelling example of how institutions can build smarter, more responsive systems tailored to their evolving needs. If your museum is looking to streamline collections data or strengthen cross-team collaboration, contact us to learn how Gallery Systems can support your goals.
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