Condition, Conservation & Maintenance
Overview
CatalogIt’s Condition, Conservation, and Maintenance expansion panels are used to document the physical state of objects and track their care over time. Together, they create a clear record of how an object changes and is supported throughout its life in the collection.
Condition
Condition describes the current physical state of an object at the time of cataloging or review.
Include:
- Wear or deterioration
- Structural stability or weakness
- Surface issues (staining, fading, corrosion, cracks, tears)
- Evidence of previous repair or alteration
- Photos of object
Best practice:
- Be objective and descriptive
- Record what is visible, not assumed causes
- Update over time as conditions change
Conservation
Conservation records any professional treatment performed to stabilize or repair an object.
Include:
- Type of treatment (cleaning, stabilization, repair)
- Who performed the work
- Dates of treatment
- Approval details
- Documentation from the conservator
Note: Only trained conservators should carry out treatment. This field documents completed work, not recommendations.
Maintenance
Maintenance tracks ongoing, low-intervention care and monitoring.
Include:
- Routine condition checks
- Maintenance Intervals (yearly, monthly, etc)
- Who performed the maintenance and when
Maintenance helps track stewardship between formal conservation treatments.
Together, these fields support consistent documentation of condition changes and care decisions, helping staff maintain accurate long-term records.