Database and software for conservation records

Joanna McMann <archmuse [at] hotmail__com> writs

>Lisa Muccigrosso <lisa.muccigrosso [at] wisconsinhistory__org>
>writes
>
>>I work for an institution that would like to build a conservation
>>treatment database. These records would be mainly for the use and
>>reference of our conservation department. ...
>
>The Scottish Museums Council's CAT (Condition Assessment Tool)
>database is a good starting point.

The suggestion from Joanna McMann that the Scottish Museum Council's
CAT (Condition Assessment Tool) is a kind mention for this program.
As the member of staff at the Scottish Museums Council (now Museums
Galleries Scotland) at the time responsible for the development of
the CAT, I would just like to point out that it is designed to be a
conservation survey tool, and while it allows the recording of the
assessment of condition, brief treatment proposals and estimates for
conservation in a standardised form, and has a section which
indicates (for project management purposes) whether treatment has
been completed, the CAT is definitely not designed to be a database
for the recording of conservation treatments of heritage objects.
This would require a database with much more liberal text fields for
treatment records than the CAT, and very likely a different design
to allow the delivery of the desired outcomes for data gathering,
analysis and reporting.

In addition, regrettably, the link quoted only takes you to a PDF
file containing the instructions for running the CAT. It does not
contain the download for the CAT itself, which is an MS Access
application. I have had correspondence with CollectionsLink over
this matter following the refurbishment of their website, but it has
not resulted in the re-posting of the CAT.

Please note that CAT does not run in the most modern versions of
Access, though it runs in Access 2000-2007. CAT is an open
application and users are free to adapt, develop and update it if
they wish.

If anyone is interested in the CAT, I have a limited number of
CD-ROMS available, or I can (with permission from Museums Galleries
Scotland) make it available for download on our website at
<URL:http://www.scottishconservationstudio.co.uk>

Will Murray
Artefacts and Preventive Conservator
The Scottish Conservation Studio LLP
Hopetoun House
South Queensferry EH30 9SL
United Kingdom
+44 131 331 5875


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:8
                   Distributed: Monday, July 25, 2011
                        Message Id: cdl-25-8-008
                                  ***