Datenbanken / Informationssysteme

The Web portal for the J. Paul Getty Trust provides a gateway to a wealth of information for museum studies-related research, particularly the databases produced by two of its main programs: the Getty Research Institute and the Getty Conservation Institute. Users can freely search conservation literature abstracts, a provenance database, and structured vocabulary databases for art, architecture, and material culture.

Made available through the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS), the Museum Studies Bibliographies portion of the database indexes more than 1,200 articles, theses, and conference proceedings dealing specifically with the role, function, history, philosophy, nature, and structure of museums. Once connected to SIRIS, search for “museum studies” as a keyword to most efficiently search and retrieve the Museum Studies Bibliographies’ entries.

Aimed at improving the knowledge and competencies of museum personnel in developing countries around the world, UNESCO and ICOM have jointly produced and made available key documents, like Running a Museum: A Practical Handbook, through this Web site.

PACIN is one of the Professional Interest Committees of the American Association of Museums, and its Web site provides a forum for an exchange of ideas related to methods and techniques and materials used for packing and transporting works of art and museum artifacts. The archives of articles and electronic list discussions uncover tricks of the trade such as how to hang a large, heavy painting or how to most effectively use box tape and bubble wrap. Even nonpractitioners of the museum field can learn a great deal from PACIN’s “Materials Definition List” which lists the pros and cons of using various packing materials.

The curatorial, conservation, and education staff of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City produce the Timeline, which is an easy-to-use geographical, chronological, and thematic representation of art history. Users can compare and contrast works of art from around the world, with accompanying thematic essays and maps, putting each work of art in cultural and historical context.