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 organization's collection) and external (items belonging to other organizations, 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.
- Authorization details, including the name of the person authorizing the request, the date authorized 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 specialized 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 customize 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 organization'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:
|
Description |
For use by the conservator, this tab records physical details about the item requiring conservation work. Details include:
|
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 organization and from other organizations (in the event that your organization 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:
|
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 organization'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:
|
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. |