CHIN's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Artefacts Canada
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Reference Library
Artists in Canada
Museology Bibliography (BMUSE)
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Membership
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Access to Member Resources
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Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) Investment Program
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Artefacts Canada
Why is 'Artifacts' spelled 'Artefacts'?
The Canadian Oxford Dictionary lists "artifact" as the primary term to define "a product of human art and workmanship", however, "artefact" is listed as an acceptable secondary term. Other dictionaries also consider this spelling of artefact to be a correct alternative. The name was purposely chosen by CHIN due to its acceptability in both English and French.
(Take me there!) (Artefacts Canada FAQ)
How can I find information about objects made by a particular manufacturer?
A search in Artefacts Canada finds many objects created by different manufacturers. You can search in many ways. First try entering the name you are seeking in the Simple Search box. If the results are not sufficient, you may wish to try 'Search by Concept' under 'Who' or by 'Browsing the Indices' and searching under Manufacturer. For example, if you search for information about sleighs built by the Mclaughlin Carriage Company, you will find many variations of the manufacturer name but all will give you carriages created by this company in Oshawa. You may then wish to narrow your search according to your needs.
(Take me there!) (Artefacts Canada FAQ)
Where can I find paintings by the Group of Seven?
In order to find a list of museums in Canada with collections by these artists you can perform a simple search by entering the term 'Group of Seven' in the main search box, and clicking on 'All words' before performing your search. This will find quite a number of objects by members of the group, but the list will not be comprehensive. It is best to search this resource by individual artist names to find which institutions hold works by those particular artists.
(Take me there!) (Artefacts Canada FAQ)
I have some paintings for sale. Could they be included in Artefacts Canada?
The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) is a source of information on not-for-profit museums and their collections. CHIN does not have collections of its own, nor can it currently accept information from for-profit organizations.
(Take me there!) (Artefacts Canada FAQ)
Reference Library
Artists in Canada
What kind of information on Canadian Artists can I find in this resource?
Artists in Canada is a bilingual union list that identifies the location of documentation files on Canadian artists. As an example, the following record shows what one will find in Artists in Canada for the artist Ray Affleck:
Affleck, Ray Canadian
Affleck, Raymond Tait
Reference: LCa (See list of references)
Authority Status: Authority
Technique: Architecture
Sex: Male
Address: 1979 Montréal Québec Canada
Born: 20 November 1922 Penticton British Columbia Canada
Died: 16 March 1989 Montréal Québec Canada
File Location: Canadian Centre for Architecture - Library
University of British Columbia - Library
National Gallery of Canada
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - Library
This record indicates that each of the listed institutions has a file on this artist in their library. If you would like further information on this artist, you can contact these institutions to see what information is in their records. Contact information for contributing institutions is on the Participating Institutions Web page.
(Take me there!) (Reference Library FAQ)
My record in Artists in Canada is out of date and I would like to update it. How can I change this information?
You can send a copy of the updated information directly to the Library of the National Gallery of Canada art@gallery.ca, where the database is updated and maintained.
(Take me there!) (Reference Library FAQ)
BMUSE
How do I obtain documents that I find in a BMUSE search?
If you have access to a library (public, university, museum, etc.) ask your librarian to help you locate the documents.
You or your library may, if needed, request photocopies of articles, conference papers or chapters of books cited in BMUSE, directly from the contributing libraries/documentation centres. Most contributors charge for this service. To view policies, fees and contact information for the contributors, see Document Delivery.
Each database citation displays a 'Location of document' field if one or more of the contributors has the document in its collection. If you are not familiar with the abbreviations, check the Contributors.
(Take me there!) (Reference Library FAQ)
Membership
What are the benefits of membership? Am I eligible for CHIN membership? What obligations does membership entail?
Canadian museums and galleries are welcome to become members of CHIN, and at no financial cost. Membership benefits include a higher profile for your institution on the Internet, and more. Your completed entry in the VMC Institution & Events Guide entitles you to these benefits. Members are also eligible to receive support for Internet training and Internet access. Complete information is available in the Join CHIN/VMC section of this site.
(Take me there!) (Membership FAQ)
Access to Member Resources
Incorrect Username... What can I do?
Incorrect User Name and Password: Member museums are provided with different User Names and Passwords for updating records in the VMC Institution & Events Guide and for contributing to Artefacts Canada. If you are confused about which to use, please contact CHIN - and remember, neither the User Name nor the Password are ever based on the user's personal name.
User ID switched with Password: The User Name and Password cannot be used interchangeably; ensure the correct keyword is typed into the corresponding space.
Use of capital letters: Use only lowercase letters when typing your User Name and Password.
Outdated bookmark: Try accessing the resource in question from the Web site's main menu page (www.chin.gc.ca), as your bookmark may be outdated.
Firewall interference: If your system possesses a firewall, you will need to have your 8000 series port numbers validated. Contact CHIN for further details.
Kernel Error: If a message notifying you of a Kernel Error appears, please inform CHIN immediately.
Cache needs to be cleared: Lastly, it could be that you
need to clear your cache. If this fails to solve the problem, contact
CHIN for assistance at service@chin.gc.ca,
or by calling (819) 994-1200 [1-800-520-2446 in North America].
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