Conservation module

The Conservation module manages the restoration of items from request through to final accounting. Requests for conservation work can be internal (items in your organisation's collection) and external (items belonging to other organisations, etc.).

A task list is created identifying one or more objects that have been identified as requiring conservation work.

A Conservation record includes:

  • Details of a conservation request, including the name of the person making the request, the request date and the reason for the request.
  • Authorisation details, including the name of the person authorising the request, the date authorised or rejected, the proposal's status (approved, disapproved or pending) and any reason for disapproving the conservation work.
  • Description of the treatment requested, the condition of the item before treatment.
  • Details about any analyses performed.
  • Financial / Accounting details.
  • A list of the tasks to be performed (see Task Templates module).
  • A link to one or more objects selected for conservation.

Condition checks are usually performed when an object arrives in an institution or departs the institution. A condition check is a fairly superficial check which can be performed by any member of staff to determine the overall condition of an object. After a condition check is performed, condition details are recorded on the object's Conditions tab in the Catalogue module; these details are automatically recorded in the Condition Checks module.

Following a condition check, an object may be referred to the Conservation Department for repair and/or treatment.

In contrast to Condition Checks records, Conservation details are only recorded by a specialised conservationist trained in the methods of conserving rare and precious objects. A Conservation record may be created when a new object is received into the collection. The Conservation record lists all the tasks required to conserve and maintain the object in the best possible condition.

Display and storage details for an object are recorded on the Display and Storage tabs in the Catalogue module.

Environmental information includes:

  • Maximum/minimum relative humidity levels with notes
  • Maximum/minimum illumination levels with notes
  • Maximum/minimum temperature with notes
  • General display/storage instructions

Note: As every institution is able to customise EMu to suit its requirements, there are many different versions of EMu. Even where institutions have the same modules, the tabs included in each instance of the module may be different; and even where institutions have tabs with the same name, the fields on those tabs may be different. For that reason this section only provides a general description of modules.

Tab Description
Object or Objects

Lists one or more objects that have been identified as requiring conservation.

Depending on your organisation's policies you will have either the Object tab or the Objects tab (not both). These tabs link to the Catalogue module and list one or more objects requiring conservation work. The Object and Objects tabs differ in only one respect:

  • The Object tab permits only one Catalogue module record to be attached to a single Conservation record using the Object Conserved fields:

    Object Conserved

  • The Objects tab permits one or many Catalogue module records to be attached to a single Conservation record using the Objects Conserved fields:

    Objects Conserved

Description

For use by the conservator, this tab records physical details about the item requiring conservation work. Details include:

  • Materials used in its construction
  • Dimensions
  • A description

Condition

Used to record a description of the condition of the object before conservation treatment is undertaken.

Proposal

Used to record details about requests for conservation work originating within your organisation and from other organisations (in the event that your organisation performs conservation work for others). Select Internal or External from the Type: (Proposed Treatment) drop list to identify the type of treatment requested.

Details recorded on this tab include:

  • Proposal: describes the conservation work required.
  • Proposal By: links to a record in the Parties module for who requested the conservation work.
  • Date the request was made and estimate of the time (hours) to complete the work.
  • Authorisation Details: link to a record in the Parties module detailing who decided the outcome of the request for conservation work (approved or disapproved).
Treatment

Used to record details about the conservation treatment actually performed on the item(s).

Analysis

Used to record details about any analytical processes (tests for pests, asbestos, etc.) conducted as part of the conservation treatment of the item(s).

Select a value from the Multimedia? drop list to indicate whether there is an attachment on the Multimedia tab associated with the analysis.

Multiple tests can be recorded, each listed as a row in the Analysis Summary table.

Accounting

Used to record financial details about the conservation work undertaken, broken down by labour and materials.

The first table records details about each task, who performed it (linking to a record in the Parties module), the number of hours and rate per hour, with a sub total automatically calculated.

The second table records details about material used, with a sub total automatically calculated.

A Total cost is automatically calculated.

Recommend.

Following the conservation work, the conservator may provide recommendations about how the item should (now) be handled, stored and displayed.

Depending on your organisation's procedures, various tabs in the Catalogue module record for this item (Display and Storage for example) may need to be updated based on these recommendations.

References

Used to enter as many references as necessary to support whatever Conservation activity is being recorded. It contains four fields:

  • Reference: attachment field to Bibliography module.
  • Kind: controlled by Lookup List (values to be determined by individual institutions). Contains values that describe the kind of reference source, such as Background Info, Object Function.
  • Page/Figure/Plate: text field. Contains citation-level information such as fig. 1, p. 24. This field gives the user the option not to create a Citation record in the Bibliography module.
  • Caption/Text: text field. Allows the users to copy the cited text if appropriate.

Other Media

Used to record details about any non digital media associated with the conservation work. Other media might be paper-based documents, photographs, etc.

Tasks

See Tasks tab for details.

Notes

See Notes tab for details.

Multimedia

See Multimedia tab for details.

Security

See Security tab for details.

Audit

See Audit tab for details.

Admin

See Admin tab for details.