Workshop Reflection & MyClimateData Setup
Our first feature topic for your review and comment is based on the work done at the initial two day WebERA workshops.
During each workshop, we presented and discussed the Workbook process, or the new user wizard, which guided you through the process of:
- Designing functional location names
- Defining consistent terms for the Location Tree hierarchy (site, building, floor, room)
- Developing a controlled vocabulary for certain data kinds – collection types, materials, and collection names
- Identifying and organizing data kinds and kind groupings
- Setting up and editing the information page for each location
We wanted to encourage a broad overview of all the collection storage and exhibition locations in your institution, which could be narrowed down to the most important locations to be monitored. At the conclusion of the first workshop, we felt that our emphasis on this was misguided and potentially confusing and overwhelming for new users – yet, it still has value. The second workshop benefited greatly from our less-than-ideal presentation of these topics the first time around. However, we felt that even though the presentation went smoother than the first workshop, the process could still be improved. We are interested in your thoughts and comments about your experience during the workshop as well as your suggestions for improving the presentation.
One of our goals was to convey the importance of developing a unique location name that was functional and recognizable to collection staff, facilities staff, administrators, and others. At the second workshop, we started with this premise. Did you find the process of determining the location name understandable?
We also stressed the value of setting up consistent terminology for the Location Tree hierarchy and controlled vocabularies for collection types, materials, and names. Did we make the importance of developing terminology and thinking through organizational features of the site clear? Would it be easier to pre-define the information kinds and the vocabulary for collection types, etc. in advance for new users, and give them the ability to easily modify them? We welcome your suggestions for improvement.
Finally, please feel free to include any general comments about the Myclimatedata site, since you have had a few weeks to review it, as well as the PEMdata site, which is a site created for institutions who purchase the PEM2.
We would like your response to this feature review by June 7, 2008. We look forward to your comments!
May 21, 2008 at 3:12 pm |
We did have to re-think the names of locations after the workshop. The notebook left us confused, but it did at least move us along. When I returned to Colorado, it took me some time to get back to the project. Finally, I was able to enter new locations not in the notebook web site but directly into MyClimateData, where it was actually easier. As I had to edit some other items as well, I learned more about the on line forms.
We are still running behind now, but it became clear that there is still a lot of confusion about collection type and materials. The instructional materials need to clarify this.
June 4, 2008 at 9:59 am |
I, too, found the wizard to be a bit overwhelming and found simply using the edit function in MyClimateData to be pretty straightforward. I think i may have found the wizard less confusing if we hadn’t had the workbook to fill in before the workshop, but since we had already had to fill that information out in a linear style, then changing the order of everything and making it more of a tree in the wizard made it a bit muddy, whereas the relationship between the information i had already gathered and the “edit” screen where much more similar. My biggest concern right now is that we’ve entered in all our data for locations and now somebody has decided that they really don’t need all 5 (we have multiple partners in this project) dataloggers and want to give one to another location. i don’t think i can create a new location through the edit function, but if i recall correctly, believe that if i go back to the wizard i will wipe out all previous entries at this point, which means we need to start all over entering the locations? maybe i’m wrong, but if i’m not, this is not ideal.
June 5, 2008 at 11:53 am |
Having missed the workshop I may be at a bit of a disadvantage. Though I did recieve some excellent taining from Jim and Patti. Reading the previous posts perhaps that will prove to be more beneficial. Unfortunately , what seemed clear and obvious at the time is now a bit confusing. I think I have set a up a few of my locations in a logical, consistent manner. I agree with Pat on the confusion with collection type and materials. I do think once the setup process is complete and we have some data to work with that there will be a fair amount of review and editing in these areas.
“Would it be easier to pre-define the information kinds and the vocabulary for collection types, etc. in advance for new users, and give them the ability to easily modify them?”
A bit of handholding is always appreciated. However, with such a broad range of collection types the ability to modify is important
June 5, 2008 at 1:43 pm |
Jennifer – and others with a similar problem – you can change one of the locations if a logger is moved. Go to Utilities – the Location Information Section gives you three options. You can change the Location Name – keeping everything you entered for that Location the same except for the name. You can remove the one Location you will no longer be monitoring – which seems like the best course of action – then add a new Location. You’ll have to enter the hierarchy of site, bldg., etc. for the new Location, as well as the name. Once you have done this, refresh – then select that new Location (from the tree or the various search functions on the left at the home page). Go to the Edit page for the new location – you will have drop down lists available to set up information on the new location. I hope this helps! Patti
June 5, 2008 at 2:13 pm |
Let’s see if I can clarify the difference between Collection Type and Material for you. “Collection Type” is a broader term than “Material.” In fact most collection types (categorized groups of objects) contain several materials. Materials are the various substances from which collection objects are made.
Examples – Furniture is a collection type. The materials that make up a furniture collection generally include wood, metal, plastic, leather, etc. Rare Books is a collection type – which includes paper, leather, vellum.
The collection types you enter into the database are there primarily for your organizational and search needs – the materials are more important for risk analysis.
In the database the focus should be on materials that are the most susceptible to environmentally induced decay. When you look at the Risk Summary View for an individual location it will list the Materials and designate whether or not the location is a good match (green check) or a risk (red X). These risk ratings are based on the materials you have entered, and the risk designations you applied to them. (You can see this in Utilities under Edit Materials – every material entry should include the environmental quality required to reduce each type of decay.)
This is explained in more detail in the Manual you received during the workshop – page 23 and 24 (Risk Summary View is on page 15).
June 6, 2008 at 4:06 pm |
I struggled a bit with the workshop being new to environmental monitoring. The workshop helped me to understand the issues. Part of the confusion for me was also because the software was still in the beginning stages of development – I think it would have been more helpful if some of the internal issues were ironed out a bit before presenting to the group. Having done software development in the past, however, I do understand all the underlying issues and know what is involved.
I will need to reconsider naming issues much like everyone else since some of the locations have changed in the actual installation. It has been suggested that I add serial numbers to the name since that is how the facilities manager labeled them when we worked out the mapping of locations.
One PEM is not yet installed as it was decided to place it outside in a covered walkway to monitor the outside air and compare it with internal conditions. Apparently it is still being decided how to mount it so that the monitor will be accessible and not stolen.
I have not yet collected data but plan to do so shortly – will deal with the renaming issues at that point.
June 6, 2008 at 7:59 pm |
The location naming process was not a problem for me. It was helpful to have completed the workbook before the workshop. I have had a more difficult time inputting the information into the website. Setting up the location information does not seem very intuitive to me and I got hung up just trying to change a site name from upper/lower case to all caps. A stupid thing to worry about, I know, but it was bugging me. I have installed most of my PEMS but have been cheating by using the old MyClimateNotebook software. Because I am familiar with the old system, I was most engaged with the discussions on the second day that addressed analyzing data. It was interesting to see Jennifer’s UofI records online and discuss her mold situation which her PEM didn’t pick up. I now have four PEMS in one gallery with two inserted into intake and outtake registers and I am gaining a better understanding of how much variability exists in the conditions in a single room. I’m glad the blog is finally up and running.
June 9, 2008 at 10:10 am |
Dawn Kimbrel sent a suggestion to my email that I would like to pass on for your consideration — since there has been so much confusion about the term “collection type” would we be better off using the term “classification”? Let us know what you think. Thank you.
Patti
June 10, 2008 at 10:38 am |
Barbara and the other participants,
The PEM should not be placed outside as you could encounter a condensing environment. The outdoor data for you area is available on the PEMdata website or can be accessed through the Compare Notebooks view in Climate Notebook.
Ed
June 12, 2008 at 10:48 am |
Hi all-
My problem currently is that I need to edit more than just the locations – I need to change floors, room, and location, since I arbitrarily assigned floors and rooms. And are others having “error” messages in some of the functions – like editing groupings?
Sounds like I have to start over through the Climate Data wizard – and I can’t even remember how to get there.
Patti, Ed, anyone – how do I do this again?
Sorry to be so far behind… or so it seems…
Tara
June 12, 2008 at 11:54 am |
It took me a while to install the dataloggers after the workshop. The main reason was the need to coordinate a group of colleagues in different departments here at the Museum. We are monitoring locations in four curatorial departments out of twenty (including galleries and storerooms) and in a conservation department. Some of the locations are monitored by more than one system, as each department has in the past taken its own approach to environmental monitoring. The locations chosen span seven or eight air handling systems.
I was positively surprised by the level of interest our buildings engineers showed for the WebERA project and the focus on preservation metrics. In fact, I would say that the engineers were completely on board with the idea of having a one-year monitoring cycle followed by a detailed quantitative analysis of the data. We should be able to obtain the readings from the buildings HVAC control system for each location, for comparison purposes. Our engineers were actually very keen on running this comparison, as a sort of reality check for their systems. Collections administrators and conservators expressed more interest, or need, for real time readings, to be used to alert the engineers of possibly dangerous conditions in the galleries or storerooms.
The workshop was essential for me to understand the theoretical premises of the project and convey this information to my colleagues here. I coudl not have presented the project accurately to my colleagues without it.
On the practical side, I noticed that some PEM2s were more sluggish to start up, and that the display was very dim for one of them.
Finally, although the dataloggers are smaller than the PEMs, they are still bigger than other dataloggers: curators hate that.
June 12, 2008 at 1:30 pm |
Response to Tara and WARNING to all:
To change information about a Location – any KIND of information – select that Location from the tree or click Jump To and select it from the drop down list. When the Location information screen comes up click Edit – change the information here.
The only exception is when you want to enter the same information in many or all of your Locations. In this case go to Utilities and select one of the buttons under Location Information – Select and Set a Kind or Globally Set a Kind Value.
BE WARNED – if you choose Delete a Location from Utilities it will delete the Location Name and all the information associated with it. If you just want to change the name of the Location do it in the Edit page for the individual Location.
June 13, 2008 at 1:12 pm |
In response to Marco and to all. If you notice that the LCD on the PEM2 is very weak please return that unit. This is a problem that we have seen on a few units and have diagnosed as a small voltage regulator that has failed. Contact me if you run into this.
Ed