Condition checking: can the archive functionality have the condition checking database?
At present this is only available to record types classified as Museum. It allows condition data to be recorded in a separate database. We are involved in a number of exhibitions, so the ability to record condition checks of material on despatch and return would be very welcome.
CCat-15
Malcolm Howitt
A condition check for exhibition serves a (slightly) different purpose to condition reporting in a 'conservation' record prior to doing conservation work, but even so a CALM conservation record can be used to record condition of an item / log a condition check. It may be true that a different template could be used for exporting the results of a 'condition' record compared to the export template for a 'conservation' record but to be honest I feel it may not need to be really- the same export template and the same CALM record/screen format could be made to work for both.
My concern over having both a 'condition' module and a 'conservation' module might mean there are two databases and places to check when recording or looking up condition of an item, which may cause some confusion and make searching longer. Also unless there's a shortcut between both it can be long-winded to navigate between different 'modules' in CALM so it may be preferable for all the information to be in one place. One can create multiple instances of condition/conservation records for the same item and so within the same module one could create new condition checks that are discrete from any records of conservation work or previous condition checks.
If navigation between the two different modules both one-way and back again can be made straightforward and quick perhaps there may be no harm in having both types of records within CALM for Archives. Is it necessary to do this to have different types of export templates for the two types of records?