MUSIMS - Museum Information Management System
Public Access Systems - websites, portals, kiosks
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Introduction
An integrated approach to collections management and public access
The increasing capability of information systems and global communications offers many opportunities to museums and galleries. MUSIMS, the MUSeum Information Management System, has been specially developed by System Simulation to provide comprehensive collections management facilities, library and archive catalogues and creative support for a range of accessible public services.
The MUSIMS solution is modular. It enables you to address your long term and short term needs and requirements in a controlled way and at a pace that suits your budgets and schedules. MUSIMS is based on the concept of creating a common electronic repository adhering to the MDA Spectrum Standard for data structures and procedures. The same repository of text, images and multimedia assets supports secure curatorial and collection management services and scholarly access, as well as interactive public access systems delivering selected contextual and thematic materials.
Our experience has shown that each museum or gallery needs a system that can be readily adapted to its specific needs, rather than a system which forces a change in working practices. We can tailor a system to suit your specific requirements rapidly and economically. The result is an integrated back-of-house/front-of-house system configured from the MUSIMS modules to your unique specification.
MUSIMS Modules
MUSIMS Collections Management System
A collections management system supporting acquisition, inventory management and cataloguing - capable of supporting small scale and large scale networked implementations with complex data and security requirements.
MUSIMS Terminology
Facilities for developing and managing thesauri, term lists and authority files - can be used in conjunction with other MUSIMS modules to support terminology control for data entry and thesaurus-based retrieval.
MUSIMS Image Management
Supporting image acquisition and cataloguing. The image aquisition module facilitates the integration of images with watermarking as required. Images can be stored in any open format and in any resolution required.
MUSIMS Archive Management System
An Archive Management System which conforms to the ISAD(G) standard for Archive description. This module features intuitive drag & drop hierarchical management of archive units and automatic generation of unit reference codes.
MUSIMS Public Access
A system for supporting the creation of high-quality multimedia public access facilities. This module can work together with Content Management Systems. Access can be via web, kiosk, workstation or CD-ROM.
MUSIMS Interoperability
Providing facilities to servve your information to other systems with protocols like Z39.50, OAI and XML. The Index+ Bridge Module enables you to integrate content from other collections' databases into your own MUSIMS system.
back to topMUSIMS Collections Management System - the digital resource
International and open standards
System Simulation Ltd has developed MUSIMS as an information management system for Museums, Galleries and Image Libraries, based on its Index+ search and retrieval software. MUSIMS has been designed to implement an integrated software technology strategy for museum, gallery and image library IT. All data is acquired and stored following open standards so that it can be considered as a primary digital resource capable of being repurposed for future electronic projects. Formal and de facto international standards are implemented as appropriate. MUSIMS follows the MDA Spectrum 2 standard for data structures and procedures. MUSIMS can meet any meta-data standards required including Dublin Core or heritage specific variant such as DC Culture. Controlled term lists and hierarchical thesauri, such as the Getty Institute's Art and Architecture Thesaurus can be integrated to ensure compliance with the terminology standards required. MUSIMS Archive Management System conforms to the ISAD(G) standard and is fully integrated with the Collections Management System.
Access and presentation can be via stand-alone or networked server/client systems. Web and Z39.50 gateways allow access on the Internet or on a museum-wide intranet. We are also currently developing a broker architecture which will enhance MUSIMS' existing abilities to interwork with software components from other systems, particularly proprietary database products like Oracle and Informix.
System Simulation is committed to a programme of continuing R&D, keeping its software at the leading edge. We give sustained commitment to our clients, sharing the latest software and hardware advances as technological needs change.
Consultancy Services - your requirements
We can work closely with you to specify your needs and turn these into a requirement for a system that fits your purpose, your budget and your schedule. On the software side, this can include advice on data structures, functionality and user interaction design for the collections management system and public access services. We can explore your requirements using fast prototypes and simulations as appropriate.
Through a range of collaborations we offer a complete service from software supply and development to hardware procurement. Through your chosen supplier we can advise on the selection, installation and running of the hardware and network required to run your system and to ensure it can grow as your requirements grow.
We can advise you on how to set up an image digitising studio internally, or agree an outsourcing route for digitising your images.
Supporting Services
Data import - we work closely with our customers to implement new systems and have considerable experience in migrating existing data sets from legacy systems such as MODES.
Training - a training programme ensures your staff acquire the knowledge and skills to manage the system.
Support and Maintenance - support is provided for fault fixing and advice and help with the operation of the system. Maintenance contracts can be agreed for on-going developments.
Web hosting- we can work with your own web host or recommend and appropriate web server.
Design - we can work with your designers or provide a full design service from our creative in-house team.
MUSIMS Collections Management System & terminology control
Information storage
MUSIMS consists of a database in which the collections information is stored, together with several different screens for data entry, editing, searching and record browsing. Images and other multimedia elements are held in standard file resources, and are fully integrated into the system so that you can display them within the records. Information for each object is held in Acquisition, Inventory, Catalogue, Group, and Image records, with structured text fields, controlled term lists and hierarchical thesauri for terminology control.
MUSIMS is based upon the MDA Spectrum 2 standard for data structures and procedures, but can be changed to suit your needs. Based on open systems architecture, MUSIMS can be considered a standard digital information resource that can be re-purposed at any time for future use.
Data entry and terminology control
Data entry is quick and straightforward, taking advantage of all the standard Windows features such as mouse control, text boxes, buttons and drop-down lists and hot-key accelerators.
- Textual data is entered into records by clicking in (or tabbing to) fields and selecting values from drop-down lists. There is no limit to the number of records, fields or field-lengths in MUSIMS. Captions for labels or catalogue entries can be as short or as long as needed.
- Facilities for developing hierarchical and flat authority files are provided.
- All data entered can be checked or validated automatically to see that the correct terms have been used as defined in the controlled terms lists and thesauri, and that values such as museum numbers are unique for each object
Searching facilities
MUSIMS has a powerful and fast search engine to enable you to find any information in the database by entering text into a search screen. You can perform global searches (across all fields), or field-specific searches in any combination. You can also:
- Create powerful multi-criteria searches using Boolean, wildcard and term-proximity operators.
- Specify date ranges to match dates within, encompassing or overlapping record and object attribution dates.
- Include multi-lingual indexing and searching as required.
- Use the thesaurus and controlled term features for even more powerful searches.
- Save search patterns and results so that you don't have to keep specifying them if you regularly use particular search criteria.
- Combine previous searches with new ones to generate more specific search results.
Information display
- You can switch between standard record summary lists, full-screen record displays, image grids, or customised views for any set of records. All the latest 32-bit Windows environment features are supported, such as tabbed screens, text boxes, buttons and context-sensitive help.
- An integral high-resolution image browser allows you to browse object records by their linked images, if you require.
- Related records are all interlinked so you can display associated Inventory, Catalogue and Acquisition records for any item with a single mouse-click.
- Tag sets allow you to permanently bookmark any set of records, allowing you to work on them all in one batch without having to make repeated searches.
- Standard office documents can be linked to any record type.
Access and security
- MUSIMS supports full user-name and password controlled access to record information as standard, ensuring the security and integrity of the data.
- The system administrator can set each user's access rights to any set of records and commands, i.e. 'Catalogue records only', 'find-and-read only', etc.
- 'Search only' access is simple to set up for scholarly research or public access on local networks, intranet or Internet, including Z39.50 protocols.
MUSIMS Collections Management installations
The Victoria & Albert Museum
SSL has implemented the V&A's Collections Information System (CIS) using the MUSIMS package built on Index+. This is a comprehensive and large scale system providing full control of acquisitions, inventory, catalogues (objects and parts of objects) and groups (of objects) for all departments of the V&A. CIS stores and retrieves both text and images through powerful and comprehensive search forms. The interface enables the creation and editing of all records including location changes and transfers, with full security and audit trails. It follows the Museum Documentation Association’s Spectrum data standard closely. A full range of terminology control is provided including local term lists, name authorities and the Getty Institute hierarchical Art and Architecture Thesaurus.
SSL continues to work closely with the V&A and we have integrated the
Picture Library (V&A PL) and Collections Information System (CIS) supplied
by us. A key objective, now complete, was the preparation of an online
access infrastructure with an initial total of 10,000 images with
appropriate search and retrieval facilities to enable the V&A to provide
access to images via its website. The infrastructure allows for new images
and new content to be added at any time. Newly created catalogue records and
images, once registered in the CIS/Pic Lib system and stored in the ‘Image
Arena’, can be approved, and submitted to the online 'Access to Images'
website without the need for further technical manipulation or processing.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/resources/buying/
The British Museum - Collections Management
SSL has implemented the British Museum’s new Merlin collections management system based on MUSIMS. Data has been imported from the previous legacy system and the data structures and procedures have been upgraded in line with modern and international museum standards. The Terminology Client includes thesauri developed by the British Museum and other international standards. The Unicode facility enables the museum to catalogue and search using historical and non-European scripts. The Merlin system manages in excess of 1.7 million records.
Merlin provides data and resources for use in the COMPASS public access
system through an integrated Index+ Content Management System also supplied by SSL.
The Tank Museum, Bovington - Collections Management
SSL has delivered MUSIMs for Tracer, the Tank Museum’s new collections management system to catalogue the entire collection to international standards. All catalogue records are linked to relevant digital images, audio, video and other resources. MUSIMS enables the museum to take part in a Resource funded project to prototype metasearching via an online portal into a number of disparate digital catalogues.
Public access kiosks supporting the ‘citizenship’ aspects of the National
Curriculum are being designed and developed by SSL. These are driven by
data and digital resources from the catalogue enhanced with specially
authored materials.
www.tankmuseum.co.uk
Newport Museum and Art Gallery - Collections Management
SSL has delivered MUSIMS Collections Management configured for the
diverse collections of the Newport Museum and Art Gallery including
Tredegar House and the Transporter Bridge. Image acquisition is under
way and the system will be able to publish data and images to a planned
public access web interface via a narrative publishing module.
The Gilbert Collection - Collections Management
The Gilbert Collection is using MUSIMS collections management software
to manage its spectacular collections. Browsing terminals currently allow
researchers to access the collection via the intranet and a public access
interface is planned. The system was specially configured to assist with
the transfer of objects to Somerset House before the museum opened.
Islamic Arts Museum, Malaysia - Collections Management
SSL has configured a MUSIMS collections management system for the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in Kuala Lumpur.
Index+ Content Management System
Large-scale public access projects need careful and rigorous editorial management and control of the content being developed. We can tailor the Index+ Content Management System to manage the complete process of developing content within a structure that supports the creative vision and overall concept of the project.
The Index+ CMS can import selected data from the MUSIMS Collection Management System and integrate this with the contextual/thematic content developed and managed in the Index+ CMS. The CMS supports the writing, editing and version control of all text, images and multimedia effects. Within the system, all content can be structured and linked as designed for a robust final presentation.
A publishing pipeline is configured to export the selected content to be integrated within its application and graphical user interface. Final presentation can be on a website, interactive kiosk, workstation, CD-ROM or print as required. Websites, kiosks and workstations can be updated regularly using the publishing pipeline to add new or revised content, keeping your presentations fresh and topical.
Index+ CMS features
- Tracking and management of the text from commissioning through edited versions to the final product.
- Ability to hold 'alternative' versions of the text, tagging it for presentations for different audiences - general public educational, special needs, foreign languages, etc.
- Ability to import data from Collections Management systems or other sources for integration within the developing content.
- Ability to develop indexes, controlled term lists and thesauri for structuring content such as historical periods, places, materials and cultural attributes.
- Tracking and management of image acquisition and manipulation.
- Ability to import all images and link to the relevant content.
- Ability to specify links between content with automatic checks for broken links.
Public access systems
Gallery Kiosks, Workstations and Websites
Real visitors to the museum and virtual visitors to the website(s) can have access to selected materials from the collections presented in high quality designed user interfaces, together with specially written contextual and thematic materials. Object guides or Virtual exhibitions can be fully integrated with multi-media presentations and special effects. A variety of interactive narrative techniques can be created to illustrate thematically the chronological and cross-cultural linkages between the objects. The aim being to enhance the visitors experience in an entertaining and informative way.
Collaborating with your designers or our internal design team, the highest possible design and production values are applied to address the needs of a variety of audiences the general interest visitor, family group, foreign language visitors and visitors with special needs. Kiosks, workstations, Web or CD-ROM presentations can be developed with keyboard, touch-screen or other innovative input device.
Websites and portals
We can design and implement a Web database providing search facilities to the collections catalogue. This can be integrated within the museums own Web site of information about the museum, its services and resources, including news, activities and other materials. We can enable the museum to make its own catalogue available from within Web portals such as the 24 Hour Museum or the National Grid for Learning.
Education and library services
Museums, Galleries, Archives, and Collections may want to make their digital resources available either free or commercially to the education and library sector. These can be developed with carefully designed user interfaces suitable for their audiences and with access either at workstations within a specially designated resource/education centre in the museum or gallery, or over the internet via the Web or Z39.50 gateways to the library and museum sector worldwide.
Image libraries e-commerce
Image library systems can be developed for use on stand-alone workstations, over a secure company intranet or made available over the Web with free or commercial access - your choice. They may be designed for commercial, education or library users, where an image database accessible over the Web can provide the speed and convenience required by todays demanding users. Fast selection coupled with clearance services (model releases and resale licences) and delivery of the high resolution production quality images on digital or photographic media, as required, provide the complete service. The business can be concluded using electronic shopping baskets with secure credit card transactions or fax back orders as required.
Print and CD-ROM catalogues
Selections from the collections database can be output to regular or one-off print, CD-ROM or CD-ROM/Web hybrid catalogues. Selections can be subject specific or thematic, for example based on an exhibition, particular personality, time period or area of interest. The CD-ROM, for Windows PC, can be powered by the same MUSIMS software that runs the collections database.
Interface and interaction design
We can work with your designers or we can bring our own creative and specialist design team to collaborate on public access projects. We offer very high production standards combined with a thorough understanding of human-computer interaction, and multimedia and screen design.
Public Access websites, portals and kiosks
SCRAN - Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network
SCRAN (Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network) is the award winning history and culture website providing instant access to images, sounds, movies and learning resources. It contains over one million records from museums, galleries and archives. In addition, there are learning materials such as pathfinders, resource packs, curriculum navigator, topic banks and teaching packs. SCRAN is a linked site in the National Grid for Learning.
System Simulation works closely with the SCRAN project team and has configured and implemented the foundation infrastructure of the project - a repository management system capable of sustaining the growth of the project throughout its life. The site is managed with an Index+ content management system and provides capabilities for creating, storing, retrieving and managing rich text descriptions of artifacts, buildings, events, and associated digital images, video and audio. The meta search facility uses the Index+ Bridge technology to search and retrieve data from remote databases.
"An ongoing feast of history and culture",The Guardian in "World's top 6 Museum Sites".
- American Association of Museums Silver Muse Award 2001- excellence in the use of media and technology
- Jason Farradane Award 2001 of the Institute of Informatiom Scientists - an outstanding piece if work
- BECTA/The Guardian UK Education Website Awards - shortlisted 2002
The 24 Hour Museum - the National Virtual Museum
Show.me - the interactive website for kids
The 24 Hour Museum is an interactive web portal to over 2500 of the UK's museums, galleries and heritage attractions aimed at a wide general audience. System Simulation provides the content management system and web applications. Since its launch in May 1999, the 24 Hour Museum has been regularly updated and enhanced with new features, functionality and new designs. It provides a gazetteer to museums and galleries, News from the sector, interactive Trails, activity-based resources, search facilities and much more. A high-access text-only version is provided for visually impaired visitors. A Welsh language version enables Welsh speakers to search for and access content specific to Wales.
The Teachers and the Museum professionals sections provide a variety of information and linked resources. The Curriculum Navigator helps teachers, parents and pupils to find details of resources relevant to topics in the National Curriculum that are available from museums and galleries around the country. The Direct Data Entry facility enables the museums to update and maintain information relating to their institution, its activities and resources. 24 Hour Museum is a linked site in the National Grid for Learning.
The new Kids site www.show.me.uk has been launched with interactive activities developed in collaboration with a number of national museums.
- BT/New Statesman-Best education site 2001 - 24 Hour Museum
- IVCA Biz Net Award Winner - Best public information site 2002 - 24 Hour Museum
- Best of the Web, Museums and the Web 2003 - Best E-services Solution - 24 Hour Museum
- Awards for Excellence 2004 The Museums and Heritage Show - Educational initiative - Highly Commended - Show Me from the 24 Hour Museum - www.show.me.uk
- Charity Awards 2004; Best Arts, Culture and Heritage project - Show Me the 24 Hour Museum's kids zone
- New Statesman New Media Award for Education 2005 - City Heritage Guides from the 24 Hour Museum
City Heritage Guides
The 24 Hour Museum, the UK’s guide to museums, galleries and heritage
has created a website about a growing number of cities and their
heritage. Using the reputation and popularity of the 24 Hour Museum,
this project funded by Culture Online addresses the need for city
based content and regional coverage. Personal, community and local
history created by groups and individuals of all ages, alongside the
more traditional aspects of heritage, is encouraging many new
audiences to the site.
SSL’s powerful software infrastructure for the 24 Hour Museum allows
the City Heritage Guides site to be fully integrated under the control
of the Editor. People make a city unique and getting them involved in
City Heritage Guides was a major objective of the 24 Hour Museum. SSL
created the simple to use, online authoring tool called Storymaker to
enable that involvement. From the Storymaker button on the site,
step-by-step instructions ensure individuals and groups, of all ages,
can create their own stories and pictures and send these to the 24
Hour Museum Editor. Stories are flooding in from Kids, Local History
Groups and Community groups, providing a rich resource of histories,
trails, special places to visit, photos and drawings, all telling
vibrant and personal stories of their city’s history.
www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/cityheritage
COMPASS - the British Museum’s web and kiosk public access systems
SSL worked closely with the COMPASS team and supplied the software architecture for the COMPASS project - this includes the Content Development System for the creation and management of all content including selected data imports from Merlin the Museum’s collection management system (also delivered by SSL) and the Publishing Pipelines delivering content to all versions of COMPASS on the web and to the specially designed touch-screen consoles in the Reading Room. COMPASS offers a variety of interfaces for exploring the Museum's collections in new ways enabling visitors to gain a fuller understanding of objects and their contexts. On the web COMPASS enables visits to be planned and delivers materials for use in school projects or academic research. A high-access text-only version is provided for visually impaired visitors. Children (and parents and schools) have their own specially designed access within the 'childrensCOMPASS' website. Here the programs are aimed at the specific needs of teachers, children and the subject areas of the National Curriculum.
- National Library for the Blind, Visionary Design Award 2002 - for accessibility to the visually impaired.
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/childrenscompass
The Tank Museum, Bovington Dorset - interactive kiosks
The Tank Museum houses the world's largest and finest collection of Armoured Fighting vehicles and one of the largest collections of associated publications. The document archive is equally extensive and includes the archive of War Diaries covering virtually every regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps in the Second World War. The photographic archive is one of the largest of its kind in the world, containing well over 250,000 images. SSL has provided MUSIMS to catalogue the entire collection to international standards. All catalogue records are linked to relevant digital images, audio, video and other resources. MUSIMS enables the museum to take part in a Resource funded project to prototype metasearching via an online portal into a number of disparate digital catalogues.
Public access kiosks supporting the ‘citizenship’ aspects of the National
Curriculum are being designed and developed by SSL. These are driven by data
and digital resources from the catalogue enhanced with specially authored
materials.
www.tankmuseum.co.uk
Victoria & Albert Museum - Access to Images website
SSL continues to work closely with the V&A and we have integrated the Picture Library (Pic Lib) and Collections Information System (CIS) supplied by us. A key objective, now complete, was the preparation of an online access infrastructure with an initial total of 10,000 images with appropriate search and retrieval facilities to enable the V&A to provide access to images via its website. The infrastructure allows for new images and new content to be added at any time. Newly created catalogue records and images, once registered in the CIS/Pic Lib system and stored in the ‘Image Arena’, can be approved, and submitted to the online 'Access to Images' website without the need for further technical manipulation or processing.
Visitors may search the Access to Images section of the V&A website for over
10,000 works from the V&A collections. The database covers a wide range of
objects, including ceramics, fashion, furniture, glass, metalwork,
paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, and textiles. Many have been
selected from recent publications but less well known items and objects that
cannot be permanently on display have also been included. The database will
grow rapidly. It will become an important reference, and an educational and
research resource. Many of the works of art included here have been in the
collections for decades; however, ongoing research continues to add to our
knowledge about them and this site will grow and change. As scholarship
advances records will be continually enhanced.
http://images.vam.ac.uk/resources/buying/
Sense of Place South East (SoPSE consortium - Hampshire County Council Libraries Service)
SSL has supplied an Index+ Content Management System and website for the
Sense of Place South East (SoPSE) project. This comprises the web portal and
its microsites currently including ‘Greenham - a common inheritance’,
‘Hantsphere’, ‘Slough History online’, ‘The Huntley & Palmers Collection’
and ‘Thames Pilot’. Illumina delivered the interactive designs for the
website. Each microsite delivers fully searchable images and information
from libraries, museums, archives, local papers and a range of organizations
enhanced with narrative stories. SoPSE consortium includes county council
and local authority organisations and is funded by NOF.
www.sopse.org.uk/
Thames Pilot - Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
SSL is currently developing new interactive functionality for
ThamesPilot which is also accessed through SoPSE. This project is a
partnership of museums and archives along the river Thames with the
aim of providing interactive web access to resources from their collections.
www.thamespilot.org.uk
Royal Academy - Inspiration: Cataloguing the RA’s Collection
SSL is working with the Royal Academy to catalogue its collections and make them accessible to professionals and to the visiting public. The collections include paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, historic books, archives, historic photographs and plaster casts. SSL has designed and developed the software infrastructure enabling the RA to conserve, photograph, catalogue and provide a range of services related to its collections. MUSIMS and Index+ Image Library software from SSL provide fully searchable and interlinked databases with terminology controls for the Members Register Catalogue, the Objects and Paintings Catalogue, the Library Catalogue and the Image Library System. Digitised images are linked to their relevant catalogue entries. The project will be ongoing for some time as some objects require conservation prior to photographing.
An important result of this exciting project is to make the RA’s collections accessible online to visitors to its website. Currently, visitors to the website can access and search materials from the collections catalogued to date. The site is regularly updated as more objects are catalogued, photographed and digitised.
Interactive programs for visitors to the RA have been designed and developed
by SSL in collaboration with Art of Memory and are installed on touch screen
kiosks in the galleries. These give thematic insights and selected searches
to the collections. Programs on ‘Turner and mezzotint’, ‘Constable and the RA’
and the ‘Singleton Portrait of Royal Academicians’ are installed in
the Fine Rooms.
www.royalacademy.org.uk/collection
Web browsers - London’s Transport Museum
SSL has implemented London’s Transport Museum Collections Management System and Image Library System. All the collections, objects, ephemera, posters, uniforms, maps, archive, artwork and photographs are supported. The Collections Management application provides curators with facilities for modifying or adding new record types, adding new databases, tracking acquisitions and loans and producing reports.
SSL has also designed and developed the public access Web browsers
accessible in the Learning Centre at the Museum. These include applications
which explore the extensive poster collection, the images and stories of the
building of London’s underground system, and coming shortly a browser enabling
visitors to explore the extensive image collections of LTM.
MoDA - the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, Middlesex University
The Museum of Domestic Design & Architecture (MoDA) houses what is widely regarded as one of the world's most comprehensive collections of nineteenth and twentieth century decorative arts for the home, including the renowned Silver Studio Collection. It provides an invaluable resource for everyone interested in the history of design for the home.
SSL has supplied MUSIMS to enable MoDA to develop a digital catalogue of its entire collections. The digital catalogue is accessible to researchers and members of the public in the Study Room and online to visitors to the website. Two collections are fully catalogued - architectural books and journals, and magazines and trade catalogues.
Online the digital catalogue can be accessed via ‘Search the Museum Store’.
Many of the records have images associated with them and more are being added
daily. Eventually all items will have an associated image.
http://monet.mdx.ac.uk/
Victorian Times - Centre for Digital Library Research, Strathclye University
SSL has supplied an Index+ Content Management System for this NOF funded
project to consolidate, digitise and provide access to original material
relating to social, political and economic conditions, events, people and
actions in Victorian Britain (1837-1901). The system has been configured to
provide an interactive, multi-level, timeline-based learning and research
environment.
www.victoriantimes.org
The Courtauld Institute - Art and Architecture Website
SSL is working closely with the Courtauld Institute to develop the web delivery platform for its Art and Architecture website. The Courtauld Institute is a major centre in Britain for the study of the history of Western art. The A&A website infrastucture designed and developed by SSL will provide access to the collections together with a number of facilities for researchers, teachers and students. These include access to and interaction with images, ability to download resources, user profiling with privileged users able to contribute content, specialist forums and chat rooms.
An Index+ database, with free text and keyword searching capability,
has been designed and built to the Courtauld’s specification. This is
populated with catalogue information, specially authored text and images
covering their renowned collections of Western art and book and photographic
libraries. The website is driven by data from the database enhanced with
the user focussed facilities and services.
www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/
Museum Documentation Association - AdviceNet portal
SSL has configured an Index+ Content Management System and
web portal ‘AdviceNet’, for the Museum Documentation Association (mda).
AdviceNet is the first point of call for anybody with a question about
the care of a collection. Information is provided via edited content,
collected data and links to external resources. AdviceNet benefits all
those working with collections, and in turn their national and international
publics, by providing easy access to quality assured resources, advice and
support on collections management and use.
www.mda.org.uk/
Museums Association - MA website
SSL has developed the content management system and website for the
Museums Association (MA). The Index+ Content Management System enables
MA staff to create, edit, link and manage all content and update the website
weekly. The website is a powerful tool furthering the Association’s programme
of information delivery to the sector with news, events and conferences,
issues of best practice such as ethics, commercial opportunities and career
development. It includes current articles from Museum Journal and an archive
of articles from Museum Practice.
www.museumsassociation.org
