December 2024
Welcome to the final CatalogIt newsletter of 2024! This month, we're pleased to share updates on new app features, including self-service user add and the new Shipment Profile, in addition to highlighting our latest MasterIt on AI-assisted Alt Text generation and an inspiring case study featuring the Wanderground Lesbian Archive/Library. We are grateful for your support and enthusiasm throughout the year- it's a privilege to help you manage and share your collections. Here's to another exciting year ahead in 2025!
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We're pleased to announce that subscribed account Owners can now add users to their accounts without the need to contact Support. Simply navigate to “Settings” from the Main Menu (the three bars in the top left corner), then select “Users.” From this view, an Owner can add or remove users and customize their access levels. Just click “Add User,” enter their email address, and choose their Access Type. The new user will receive a temporary password, which they must utilize within 14 days.
Tracking shipping details is essential for museums to maintain the integrity of their collections, comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and ensure smooth logistical operations for exhibitions and loans. The new Shipment Profile (included in Museum, Organization, and Conservator accounts) enables you to record and track shipping details. It can be found in Entry records within the Shipping expansion panel in and in the Exhibition, Loan In, Loan Out, Accession, Acquisition, and other Profiles.
We have added Textile Type and Textile Technique fields to the Textile classifications. The Textile Type gets special recognition as a "secondary classification" and will display alongside the classification label in the Entry view and eventually the main grid. We are evaluating enhancing other classifications that utilize similar “Type” fields.
Alt Text Made Easy: Using AI to Create Descriptions
Our latest MasterIt provides insight on how you can utilize our AI “Describe Image Assistant” to add comprehensive descriptions to your Entries and to generate descriptions that can serve as alt text for machine readers. With just a few clicks, generate image descriptions that boost efficiency, improve accessibility, and ensure consistency—so your team can focus on what matters most. Read more about the tool, and how it can make cataloging easier for your collection here.
Bring Stories to Life: Capture the Complete Narratives in your CMS
Discover how the folks at Wanderground Lesbian Archive/Library are preserving and sharing the stories behind their collections with CatalogIt! This New England-based organization captures the full narratives of their objects and publishes them on the CatalogIt HUB, sharing their culture and heritage with a broader audience. Read the full case study to learn more about their journey, and to see how CatalogIt empowers organizations to preserve and tell the stories behind their collections!
As 2024’s conference season wraps up, we want to thank everyone who stopped by our booth this year to chat, ask questions, and explore what it means to love your CMS. Connecting with you has been a highlight of our year. See you in 2025!
After the start of the New Year, look for us at the Small Museum Association's 41st Annual Conference from February 17-19, 2025. We'll be participating in the panel presentation, “Leveraging Digital Tools to Promote Access to Collections.” Hope to see you there!
Small Museum Association’s 41st Annual Conference
February 17-19, 2025 in Gaithersburg, MD
