Project Services

MUSEUM COLLECTION INVENTORIES

An inventory would entail going through a museum's collection item by item and recording the object's catalog/accession number, type (e.g. shirt, spoon, fossil), a short description, its location, and general condition. This listing could then be arranged by location, catalog/accession number, object type or condition. A museum which has little idea of the scope of its collection would do best to start with a complete inventory. This is the least time consuming and, therefore, least expensive service we offer.

CATALOGING MUSEUM COLLECTIONS and DOCUMENTATION OF MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Our cataloging services range from filling out the museum's existing documentation with supplemental background research, consolidating scattered records and referencing archival and photographic materials in the item catalog, to complete cataloging from scratch. CRM uses the knowledge base of its personnel and combines that with library research to fully document a museum's collection. Existing museum documents such as donor records, accession records, archives, and previous cataloging information are also utilized during the cataloging process. CRM produces a cataloging worksheet on each item in the collection which can be used to create a computerized catalog or as the catalog itself.

Among the questions asked during the cataloging procedure are: what is it? what is it made of? how big is it? where did it come from? what culture or individual produced it? how was it made? what was its use/function? what is its history? how old is it? what is its significance to the culture of origin, donor, etc? what can it tell us about its maker(s), collector(s), etc? who gave it to the museum and when? These types of questions can give the museum information which it can then use to enhance its exhibits and educational programs and utilize its collection to the best advantage.