Creating Hierarchical Location Profiles

Overview

In CatalogIt, Location Profiles describe precisely where an item physically resides within your institution—such as storage areas, exhibition spaces, etc.

CatalogIt enables you to create hierarchical locations, meaning you can document precise placement by nesting locations within one another (e.g., an object inside a box, which is on a specific shelf, which is inside a cabinet, which is inside a room).

Creating a Location Hierarchy

Follow these steps to assign and build a hierarchical location for an Entry:

1. Open the Entry
   1. Locate and select the Entry you want to update.
   2. Click the Edit (pencil) icon.
2. Open the Location Expansion Panel
   1. Scroll to and expand the Location section.
3. Create a New Location
   1. Click the + (plus) icon to add a new location.
   2. Note! Start with the most specific location.
   3. Enter the following:
      • Location Name (e.g., Case 3A)
      • Location Description
      • Location Type (choose from existing options like Bin, Box, Cabinet, or create a new type)
4. Build the Hierarchy
   1. Use the Located In field to nest the location within its immediate parent location.
   2. Example hierarchy:
      • Case 3A → located in Drawer 3
      • Drawer 3 → located in Cabinet B1
      • Cabinet B1 → located in Museum Basement
   3. If a parent location does not yet exist, repeat the steps above to create it.
5. Save Each Level
   1. Click Create when you are finished creating all levels of your location.
   2. Once the full hierarchy is complete, click Save on the Entry.

Tracking Object Movement and Location History

The Location panel can also be used to document changes in an object’s location over time.

Use Movement Profiles to record:

• Who moved the object
• When the move occurred
• Additional details about the movement

This helps maintain a clear and accurate history of an object’s physical location.

CatalogIt will automatically assign the current date to any new location added to an entry. You can overwrite this date if you would like to record an earlier date or a prior location for the item. The record will always show the most recent location, with the option to “Show All Location History.”

You also have the option to create a Move Profile if you’ve moved a group of items at the same time and would like to retain documentation of the move project as a whole. Once it has been created, you can relate it back to all of the items that were part of that move project.

Tips

• Build your hierarchy from the smallest unit to the largest (e.g., item → drawer → cabinet → room).
• Reuse existing locations when possible to maintain consistency across records.
• Use clear, standardized naming conventions for easy searching and reporting.
• Are you seeing a location reflecting an “Untyped Location”? This simply means that the location was created without noting the Location Type (box, shelf, room, building, etc.). To correct this, click on your Main Menu and select Profiles. Click on the Location icon, and search for that particular location. Edit it, and add the Location Type.

Video Resource - Creating an Hierarchical Location Profile