Discover TMS Collections, the world’s leading collections management system for museums and cultural institutions. This powerful, web-based solution centralizes acquisitions, cataloguing, loans, conservation, and digital assets in one configurable system designed to improve accuracy, efficiency, and collaboration.
TMS Collections is the core of the TMS Suite, providing museums, archives, special collections, and cultural institutions with a single, centralized source of collections data. It connects cataloguing, exhibitions, loans, and reporting within one system to streamline daily operations and support effective collection management.
Streamline collection management with comprehensive documentation, connected workflows, and integrated operational tools designed to help museums manage objects, exhibitions, and collection activities with greater accuracy and efficiency.
TMS Collections anchors the TMS Suite ecosystem, ensuring that data remains centralized, consistent, and seamlessly shared across applications. The TMS Suite includes eMuseum for publishing online collections, TMS Media Studio for digital asset management, and TMS Conservation Studio for managing conservation documentation and workflows. Together, these integrated applications enable institutions to manage collections data, oversee media and conservation records, extend access to internal and public audiences, and maintain consistency across systems.
Professional Services Specialist, Gallery Systems With a museum career spanning multiple institutions and over a decade partnering with Gallery Systems clients, Chad brings a rare combination of…
The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Collection Management Software Many institutions manage their collections, exhibitions, conservation records, rights and reproductions, and digital assets across a…
The National Art Museum of Mexico City is dedicated to ensuring that visitors can experience its collections both in person and through digital platforms. Spanning the 16th through 20th…
At the center of this operation is Thomas Megaw, Lead Curator (Collections Management), who oversees documentation workflows and collection access across the city’s public-facing and purpose-built…
Professional Services Specialist, Gallery Systems With a museum career spanning multiple institutions and over a decade partnering with Gallery Systems clients, Chad brings a rare combination of…
The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Collection Management Software Many institutions manage their collections, exhibitions, conservation records, rights and reproductions, and digital assets across a…
No. While TMS Collections is widely used by museums, it is also implemented by corporate collections, special collections, foundations, artist estates, archives, libraries, universities, government organisations, and other collecting institutions. The system is designed to support organizations that manage and preserve cultural, historical, and artistic assets of many kinds.
TMS Collections supports a broad range of collection types and disciplines, including fine art, decorative arts, archaeology, anthropology, natural history, archival materials, design, photography, and time-based media. Its configurable structure allows institutions to adapt cataloging and workflow practices to their specific collection needs.
TMS Collections provides comprehensive tools to manage the full lifecycle of collection objects. This includes cataloging, acquisitions, loans (incoming and outgoing), exhibitions, locations and movements, conservation, provenance, rights and reproductions, and reporting. The system is designed to centralize collections data and support collaboration across departments.
TMS Collections includes modules that support object records, constituents, exhibitions, loans, acquisitions, conservation, locations and movements, and related collections activities. Additional capabilities are available through the broader TMS Suite, allowing institutions to expand functionality as needed.
TMS Collections aligns with internationally recognized museum and cultural heritage standards. The system is fully SPECTRUM compliant, supporting best-practice workflows for acquisitions, cataloguing, loans, and related collections procedures. It also supports CCO (Cataloging Cultural Objects) guidelines to promote consistent, structured descriptive cataloguing and enables data interoperability through standards such as LIDO (Lightweight Information Describing Objects).
With full Unicode compliance, multilingual functionality (24 interface languages), a robust Thesaurus Manager for controlled vocabularies, and structured data import/export (including Excel, XML, and API integrations), TMS Collections helps institutions maintain data consistency, interoperability, and professional standards across their collections management practices.
TMS Collections is the current evolution of the TMS for Window platform. It builds on the established foundation of TMS for Windows while incorporating enhancements in usability, deployment options, and integration within the broader TMS Suite. Existing TMS for Windows users can transition to TMS Collections to benefit from ongoing development and expanded capabilities.
TMS Collections is offered through a licensing model structured around the number of concurrent user licenses required by your institution. This means licensing is based on how many users need to access the system at the same time, rather than the total number of named users.
Every institution is different, so the level of configuration and training required will vary. Factors such as the size and complexity of your collection, the condition and structure of existing data, and whether you are an existing Gallery Systems client all influence the scope and timeline of implementation.
Some organizations may require more extensive configuration and training, while others can move more quickly depending on their starting point and internal resources. We encourage you to contact us for a personalized assessment so we can recommend an implementation and training plan tailored to your institution’s specific needs.
Yes. TMS Collections is a web-based application accessed through a browser, which means it can be used on both Mac and Windows computers. Due to the system being browser-based, there is no need for specialized desktop installation.
Pricing for TMS Collections varies by institution. Costs are typically based on the number of concurrent users, hosting requirements related to the volume of collections data, and the level of onboarding or configuration needed. Institutions are encouraged to request a tailored proposal to receive pricing aligned with their specific requirements.
No. TMS Collections can be deployed either through secure cloud hosting or on-premise infrastructure, depending on your institution’s requirements. Many organizations choose Gallery Systems’ hosted environment to reduce the burden on internal IT teams and ensure reliable system performance.
Gallery Systems’ hosting infrastructure is designed to meet rigorous security standards, including FedRAMP-authorized environments and ISO-certified practices, helping institutions ensure their collections data is protected. For organizations that require it, on-premise deployments are also available.
