Collective Conversations with Allison Galland

Training Manager, Gallery Systems

With a decade of experience supporting museum collections and a deep passion for cultural heritage, Allison Galland brings a rare blend of subject matter expertise and enthusiasm to her role as Training Manager at Gallery Systems. From her early days at the Brooklyn Museum, where she documented deaccessions and developed a strong foundation in the TMS Suite, to leading database training at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Allison has spent her career helping institutions enhance how they manage and care for their collections.

In this conversation, Allison reflects on her journey from collections assistant to training expert, the mentorship that shaped her path, and the rewarding challenges of guiding clients through TMS Collections and beyond. She also shares insights into evolving training methods, the value of museum experience within a tech company, and the joy she finds in strengthening client relationships across the GLAM sector, often one batch update at a time.

Please can you tell us a bit about your museum background?

I began my museum career at the Brooklyn Museum, where I worked for 5 years as the Collections Review Assistant. There, I worked closely with the permanent collection, researching and documenting the objects being proposed for deaccessioning, and finding new homes for them. I became TMS savvy because TMS was instrumental to documenting this information. At the Brooklyn Museum, I worked closely with another Gallery Systems colleague, Stephanie Leverock. She taught me all about the TMS Suite! I had a brief hiatus from museum work while I finished my master’s degree. I then went on to work as the database administrator at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for 5 years. At both museums, I would provide TMS onboardings and trainings to new staff.

Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA.

What drew you to work at Gallery Systems?

More like WHO drew me to work at Gallery Systems – Stephanie Leverock! I had a brilliant working relationship with her when we were at the Brooklyn Museum together. Stephanie really took a chance on me when I came to work at the Brooklyn Museum with an art history background and no museum experience. Her passion for working with collections, using TMS, and enforcing strong data standards really rubbed off on me. Several years later, she reached out to me when a training position was available at Gallery Systems, and I was thrilled to continue my career working with TMS products. Stephanie and I continue to work closely together, and she is an amazing mentor and friend!

Allison and Stephanie earlier this year.

What does a typical day look like for you as a training manager?

I spend my days preparing for trainings. Many days, I deliver 4-6 hours of remote training (With breaks! Don’t worry!). I also log issues and questions to follow up about later. These days, most of the trainings we deliver are about TMS Collections, TMS Media Studio, TMS Conservation Studio, or TMS for Windows. I try to connect with other trainers and make sure they have what they need to get the job done. I also work closely with the Professional Services team so that I can stay on top of the clients coming up in the training queue and to be informed about the status of their projects. On the very best days, a CAT shows up in somebody’s Zoom video!

What’s one part of your role you find particularly rewarding or challenging?

Talking for a long time can be challenging! If you have tips on preserving your voice, please send them along! Drop suggestions for your favorite herbal teas! I think very hard about having an animated voice when I deliver training, because I don’t want to have a boring voice that’ll put you to sleep!

The most rewarding part of my day is looking at the “pain points” in customers’ workflows and cataloguing processes, and workshopping a better solution in TMS Collections to solve the issue. Maybe a Flex Field Group could be created to track a process. Or, a new Status Flag can signal a record set that needs to be followed up on later. The fact that these fields are now batchable is a huge time-saver and an asset to the team! I love to help troubleshoot.

Another especially rewarding thing is developing long relationships with clients. It is so much fun to work with someone several years ago on a TMS implementation, then to see them again for TMS Collections training. Or to see them again at our user conference, Collective Imagination and get to heat about how they’re using the TMS Suite in innovative ways!

Allison teaching a workshop at Collective Imagination 2025.

How has the TMS training evolved since you joined the team?

When I began at Gallery Systems, almost every training was offered in person, and it was extremely rare for me to conduct remote sessions. I was traveling all over, sometimes 2 or 3 weeks in a month! When the pandemic hit, all training became remote. It was great to be able to adapt and to continue providing training services safely to our clients. Now, most trainings are delivered remotely. However, on-site training is still available, and we have seen it start to pick up a bit in recent times!

What topics or skills do you most enjoy training others on?

This is really specific, but I love it when I am able to look at data and target some areas in need of data scrubbing. I love to share some workflows that help folks achieve this in a way that’s not so daunting (perhaps using the Batch Update tool, or using saved Dashboard queries). I love to do a little bit of data clean-up during a training and leave my clients’ data just a tiny bit better than we found it!

Another thing I have REALLY loved training on is the new TMS Media Importer in TMS Media Studio! It is such an awesome tool that people have been wanting for a long time, and it is super fun to use and gratifying to be able to import hundreds of Media records into the application at a time. It is a very cool feature – I wish it existed when I was a client!

What do you believe sets Gallery Systems apart in the field of museum technology?

To me, it is the people. The fact that Gallery Systems is staffed by former museum professionals who understand that an Exhibition might have several rotations, or a short-term Loan could become a long-term Loan (or even an Accessioned Object). We understand and can answer your questions about these kinds of things.

Loles, Angela, and Allison at Collective Imagination 2025.

How do you approach gathering feedback and incorporating it into future training sessions?

I send a post-training survey to everyone who attends any training. It is short, so if you ever receive one, please fill it out! It really has informed our training plan, and given us valuable information for how to improve the trainings we offer (and it has even inspired some new courses to be created)!

How do you see training changing over the next year or two?

We are beginning to offer group classes on more of our products. Previously, to receive TMS Media Studio or TMS Conservation Studio training, the only option was custom training. (Custom training is when trainers work directly with your institution, and the class is taught in your database.) This fall, we will be offering our first TMS Media Studio group class. (In a group class setting, clients come from all different institutions to take a class together, and we use a demo database for hands-on practice.) I’m glad to see our group trainings expand!

Additionally, I hope to make more video lessons available. I am working towards this with my team. Small, topic-based, bite-sized video lessons could help fill the gaps or provide refreshers for folks who use our products.

What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about your role?

When I began at Gallery Systems, I split my time 50-50 between data conversion and training! The training needs were so great that I soon was 100% devoted to the training side. I actually loved the data conversion part of my job, and it was especially cool to be a part of data mapping for a client, and then performing their training . At that point, I knew their data (and where it was mapped) extremely well!

What inspires or motivates you most in your work?

I work hard so my cats can have a better life. (Shoutout to Justin and Vivian!)

In all seriousness, I believe in leaving the world a better place than we found it, and I feel grateful that my position supports the individuals around the world who are caring for the artworks, artifacts, and historic objects so that they may be around for generations to come. Many folks will ask me if I miss working on the museum-side. In a way, I do – however, in my position as Training Manager, I truly feel that I now just work at a LOT of museums! When we have a training together, for a short time, I become a member of the team. That’s an honor!

Justin and Vivian relaxing at home as Allison works hard.

Any advice for someone looking to break into software training?

Be a user first! Like so many at Gallery Systems, I landed in my role out of a love for art, art history, and museums. If you told me 15 years ago I’d be working at a software company, I wouldn’t have believed you! My love of TMS products comes from my love of collections, and the fact that this product is perfectly suited for tracking and accessing everything I need about the objects in my care. I don’t think I could easily teach others to use a program I’d not used myself in the “real world.” When I am your trainer, I am coming to teach your class with 10 years of TMS use (as a client) under my belt, and now I have another 10 years of working closely with clients all over the world. So, when I teach a class, I try to bring real-world examples as much as possible – my own, and from other organizations I’ve worked with.

Lastly, what’s one fun or unexpected fact about you that might surprise people?

My roommate/dear friend is a drag queen, and I love making props and costumes for his performances!

With a deep understanding of museum workflows, a talent for translating complex systems into practical solutions, and a genuine dedication to client success, Allison brings both heart and expertise to her work as a Training Manager. Her journey, from collections assistant to trusted trainer, reflects a passion for collaboration, problem-solving, and the long-term care of cultural collections. As the museum field continues to evolve, Allison’s commitment to empowering users through thoughtful training, responsive support, and shared learning underscores the vital role that human connection plays in every technological advancement.

To learn more about how Gallery Systems can support your institution’s collections management journey, or to discuss how our solutions can meet your specific needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to hear from you.