As Voltaire said, perfect is the enemy of good. The same could be said for collections documentation. There is a seemingly endless amount of information that can be captured for most objects in our collections. It is easy to go down a rabbit hole of research to make sure our collection entries are as complete as they can be. It is important, however, to capture the basics to start with - you can always go back and add more as time permits and as necessity may require.
While we have endless research to do, we do not have endless time. Producing encyclopedic entries that are exhaustively researched, while fulfilling for us as documentarians in the short term, also takes precious time away from the storage rooms full of collections we have yet to catalog. So, how can we create good records that are comprehensive but simple?
What Constitutes Good CMS Data?
Good records document your collections to current museum standards and contain:
- At least one image
- A precise storage location
- The source (backed up by the proper legal paperwork)
- A short description (maker, object type, media, dimensions, etc)
- The item’s dimensions
- A brief condition
In an ideal world, you would include the story behind the object, the history of the maker, and/or the cultural significance of this object. These are all important aspects of the documentation. However, if you are in a situation where you have received a gift consisting of many objects, or you have years of cataloging to do, (and a small staff or only volunteers to do it), prioritizing what data to include is key.
What Data to Include:
CatalogIt entries include a multitude of fields that help you create the most comprehensive record possible. Keep in mind that you do not have to use all the fields every time. When you have a lot of work to do and little time, following consistent guidelines will help you, your staff, and your interns or volunteers create comprehensive records quickly and efficiently.
Using your phone or tablet, start your record with an image. If you already have an image, start on your desktop. At a minimum, CatalogIt requires that you assign a classification (is it a photograph or a piece of jewelry?) and a name or title. But don’t stop there - it is imperative that you include enough information to 1. Identify the object and 2. Locate the object.
Aside from a title and classification, be sure to include the following information at a minimum:
- Accession number - CatalogIt will generate the number for you based on the accession profile you create for the acquisition.
- Description - Write a short, concise description of the object.
- Maker - Who made the object? If you don’t know, indicate “Unknown”.
- Date Made - When was this object created?
- Dimensions - Measure the object.
- Materials - What is it made of?
- Location - Where in your museum is the object?
- Condition - Record the general condition (excellent, good, poor, etc), Include enough information to have a baseline for future condition reports. If there is a glaring issue, photograph it and describe it here.
If you are using your phone or tablet, add more images- the top, bottom, back, closeups of signatures or maker’s marks, etc.
Capturing this information all at one time can help to minimize the handling of the item- much more cataloging can be done later just from what has been documented here!
Create a “Tag” for items that require more work: “Needs Additional Research.” You can search on this tag in the future when you have time to do additional work or an intern or volunteer helping you research your collection. Spend time researching the maker or look further into who used this object or what it was used for.
At this point, you have a record that includes all of the basics and will enable you to easily find and identify this object in your collection:
Following this streamlined process, you can quickly and easily catalog and organize your most unorganized collections.