Museum Collections Management Blog Articles
Discover the latest in collections care and museum news on the Gallery Systems blog, from interviews with industry professionals to tips and tricks for maximizing your collections management workflows. Find articles most useful to you by browsing your role, or navigate through the archives for case studies, conversations with clients, grant guides, and more resources.
Collective Conversations with Cyndi Tiedt
Cyndi Tiedt, Collections Manager, Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University
Tasked with huge responsibility, the Jim Crow Museum displays America’s largest viewable collection of artifacts of intolerance to promote social tolerance and equality […]
Do Museums Need a DAMS?
Overwhelmed by your digital assets? Implementing a DAMS could provide the solution
Within museum ecosystems, where digital assets are abundant, DAMS can offer considerable benefit. But when allocating yearly budget, museums may face reluctance to invest in the software's implementation and maintenance […]
Collections Management Depends on Regular Software Upgrades
Upgrading your CMS means better efficiency now and less hassle in the future
Museums need the latest tools to manage, preserve, and share their valuable collections. Failing to upgrade collections management software could result in disruptions to institutional budget, workflow, and security […]
How EODEM Streamlines Data Exchange for Exhibition Registrars
And how it’s making exchanging data for exhibitions so much easier
Exhibition workflows can be hectic, but there’s a new way to simplify data exchange between institutions. This is where EODEM, or the Exhibition Object Data Exchange Model, comes in.
Collective Conversations with Robin Craren
Robin Craren, Collections Research Coordinator, Barnes Foundation
The Barnes Foundation is a cultural institution located in Philadelphia, PA, dedicated to the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture. Gallery Systems recently caught up with Robin Craren, Collections Research Coordinator at the Barnes, […]
20-Year Client Anniversary with Zurich University of the Arts
An Interview with Judith Scheiber Dahou, IT Project Manager
Zurich University of the Arts is a leading arts university in Europe that has the unique benefit of having its own museum, the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich. The museum is the sole institution in Switzerland that, from 1875 onwards, has collected posters, graphic design and objects that represent quotidian design [...]
Collective Conversations with Jeremy Munro
Database Administrator and Digital Project Manager, National Museum of African Art
The National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) – part of the Smithsonian Institution – is dedicated to traditional, modern, and contemporary sub-Saharan African arts, distinguishing itself as the first museum in the United States to include a sustained focus on modern and contemporary art [...]
Meet Gallery Systems’s new General Manager
An Interview with Paul Thyssen
It’s an exciting time at Gallery Systems. Over the last year and a half, we’ve migrated more client projects than ever to our web-based solutions, successfully transitioned our staff to working remotely, and pivoted all our regular training and conferences to virtual events. We’ve also had a change in leadership and are pleased to introduce Paul Thyssen [...]
Blanton Museum of Art Case Study
Transitioning to a New Collections Management System
The Blanton Museum of Art recently took a step up with its collections management. As long-time users of EmbARK and EmbARK Web Kiosk, the team members decided to upgrade their collections management system to TMS Collections and their online collections software to eMuseum […]
Collective Conversations with April Brown
April Brown, Registrar, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida, stewards the world’s most complete collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany works. To manage this important collection, the Morse Museum team selected TMS, Gallery Systems' leading collections management system [...]
Collective Conversations with Amanda Shields
Amanda Shields, Associate Registrar, Brandywine River Museum of Art
An early adopter of eMuseum with expansive online collections, the Brandywine was already actively engaging its web audience. The Museum further expanded its online program by launching Brandywine at Home, an ambitious array of opportunities for online visitors to virtually experience its collections, special exhibitions, and [...]
Leveraging Multilingual Functionality in Collections Management Software to Support Inclusion and Accessibility
Creating and Managing Object Records in Multiple Languages
In our global age, a collections management system (CMS) with multilingual functionality offers tremendous benefit for any institution with culturally diverse visitors, staff, and collections. Museum professionals understand the importance of museums in society as inclusive spaces for education, public engagement, and societal change [...]
Royal Ontario Museum Case Study
Migrating Canada’s Largest Natural History Collection to a New Database
Read how the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), one of Toronto’s most acclaimed institutions, successfully completed the ambitious project of transferring 15 databases into a single collections management solution, The Museum System (TMS) and eMuseum […]
Collective Conversations with Adele Barbato
Adele Barbato, Collections Information Manager, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Self-described as “locally rooted and internationally engaged,” the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) showcases the possibility of art for inspiring, educating, and enriching lives. As the city’s largest public arts institution and one of the most visited museums in the United States […]
Louisiana State Museum Case Study
Centralizing Collections Management across Multiple Museums
Streamlining collections management within a single institution can be challenging, let alone for the Louisiana State Museum (LSM), an interconnected network of national landmarks. Comprised of long-time TMS users, the LSM team opted to upgrade to TMS Collections, while also adopting TMS Media Studio and managed hosting [...]
Collective Conversations with Melanie Garcia Sympson
Curatorial Associate, The Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University Northwestern University’s The Block Museum of Art is placing a stronger focus on its digital initiatives in a resounding response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a teaching and learning museum, the institution is upholding its mission statement of “presenting art across time, cultures, and media” […]
Collective Conversations with Alexandra Bancroft
Alexandra Bancroft, Technical Support Specialist, Collection Information & Access, The J. Paul Getty Museum
Adapting swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of The J. Paul Getty Museum staff went digital when its two locations temporarily closed their doors. To learn how the Getty Museum team is managing its collections from home, Gallery Systems reached out [...]
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Creating a Versatile Online Collection with eMuseum
A relative newcomer to the cultural heritage institutions scene, Crystal Bridges Museum was interested in quickly raising its public profile. The Museum sought out creative ways to share its expansive collection of American art, spanning five centuries from the Colonial era into our [...]