Slideshow component of a presentation I gave at a GRASAC conference on June 13th, 2014. Outlines my thought process and design solutions I implemented through a spreadsheet that enabled effective museum records data transfer to GRASAC's online database.

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GKS Uploads From Museum
DatabasesRichard Laurin
MMSt Candidate – Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
GRASAC Research Assistant
SECOND GRASAC
RESEARCH
CONFERENCE
13-14 JUNE 2014
Woodland Cultural
Centre

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Presentation outline
Project
Project Needs
Challenges & Solutions
Recommendations & Project
Contributions
1
2
3
4

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Project

4. My internship at the Manitoba
Museum introduced me to:
a) Working in a museum setting
b) Working with databases
c) GRASAC
Context for my contribution: Project
part of 2013 summer internship at the
Manitoba museum.
My Responsibilities: Upload object
records identified in the earlier
incarnation of the project to the GRASAC
website.
Pretext: Relevant museum records
aready identified. I came in to complete
their transfer to the GRASAC website.
Documents supporting my project:
- Digital photos of objects in the
collection;
- Museum database printouts;
- Spreadsheet started by Dr. Matthews;
- Copy of the GRASAC upload
procedures created by Dr. Willmott.

5. GRASAC’s online
database
The Manitoba Museum records
Project Spreadsheets
Project breakdown
1. Transcribe museum data to spreadsheet
2. Copy data from
spreadsheet to …. GKS
“contribute forms”

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Project Needs

7. How can I make sure I don’t make any errors uploading
information from The Manitoba Museum records to the GKS
database?
“
”
My suitable solution:
a spreadsheet that acts as a bridge
between these databases, creating
an intuitive interface for the
implementation of the project’s
goals.
In other words:
How do I systematically transfer information from one
unrelated database to another without:
A) losing any information
B) altering the data
C) evaluate that I have managed to implement A & B
Project Goal:
Transferring the information
from one database to the
other.

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Challenges & Solutions

9. Dividing – structuring the layout of the spreadsheet
>Mimicking the 11 sections of the GKS “Contribute
Form” ffenabled me to replicate a top-down approach
to data ffpreparation for easy transfer to the online
database.
GRASAC webpage
Project spreadsheet
Colour-codingtomatchsections
Challenge: organizing the transfer of data
Solution: mirrored design & section colour-
coding

10. Integrating – user-based spreadsheet design elements
These input-based colour codes
helped remind me of different
process-based and verification
requirements.
>
The red “save your work” row is an example
of a ‘place-based’ reminder based on Dr
Willmott's document that suggested saving
your progress at this point in the uploading
process.
An secondary colour system to highlight priorities, tasks and
track the project’s progress.
Challenge: integrating previously recognized
suggestions/tips
Solution: colour-coded user reminders rows

11. Embedding – metadata and project progress
2
1
2
1 Data rows help track the progress from one database to the other.
Section dedicated to tracking, and providing metadata on the
image(s) associated with the record added to GKS
Similar to the integration of input-based colour-coding elements, the light-
green input categories added metadata to the spreadsheet, enabling it to act
as a project management tool and a record of the project.
Challenge: embedding verification cues within the
spreadsheets
Solution: spreadsheet metadata, visual information
checklist

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Recommendations & Project
Contributions

13. Recommendations
Contributions
Ask yourself three questions:
1) What are the communities you are serving?
2) Why do they want to connect?
3) How do your skills as a ‘bridge builder’ enable a successful connection
GRASAC
The Manitoba Museum
Myself
Spreadsheets are a terrific project tool. Highly adaptable
to the specific needs of the project and researcher.
Template for future data transfer projects.
1. Template for future research;
2. Structurally, it might also provide the framework for future
database modifications to enable quicker or more effective
transfers of records to GKS.

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QR code to spreadsheet template:
Download URL link :
http://goo.gl/p3ub2D
Richard Laurin 2014
Please feel free to download,
customize and disseminate
widely!