Where the Gaps Live with Traditional Museum Object Cataloging

Standard museum cataloging leverages the usual set of fields that are considered best practice. We tend to refer to this information as “the tombstone information,” meaning it is clear and concise in communicating the “need to know” information.

While this information is certainly important and serviceable for many of the use cases found in the museum, it can lack depth—and ultimately fall short of offering meaningful information for those wishing to engage with and learn from the object. This is where the gaps live—where traditional cataloging doesn’t meet the needs or expectations of its non-museum staff users.

Where the Gap Lives in Museum Collections Management

There are two areas where the gap can be found in museum data:

1. Where the data exists but can be expanded upon.
2. Where there’s an absence of a field and related data.

One of the benefits of being a collection steward (collection manager, registrar, curator, etc.) is that we have inherent knowledge of the overall collection, we know where to look for information, and we know what information is in the CMS. However, the challenge is that we often take our insider knowledge for granted. This, in combination with minimum cataloging practices, means we are at greater risk of leaving out meaningful information that our users might be looking for.

Understanding User Needs & Expectations

There is much to consider when it comes to user studies. For our purposes, we’ll keep it brief—it’s a focus on the non-staff member user who is seeking information that could be derived from the museum CMS. However, in order for the CMS to be helpful, the information has to be in the CMS and it has to be discoverable via searching or browsing.

The Gap: Expanding Existing Data

If we consult the Cataloging Cultural Objects standards, the following fields are considered required for minimum best practice:

• Object Name (1.1)
• Title (3.1)
• Creator (2.2.1); Creator Role (2.2.2)
• Creation Date (4.2.3)
• Work Type (1.2)
• Measurement (3.2.1)
• Materials and Techniques (3.2.2)
• Description (8.2.1)
• Classification (7.2.1)
• Current Location (5.2.1)
• Subject (4.1)

The fulfillment of these fields can be pretty sparse. The only field to hold any amount of narrative length in a minimum best practice record is the description field. A minimum data practice does not allow a lot of room to provide additional information that could add further meaning to the item and better meet user needs and expectations.

The Gap: The Absence of Data

Then there is the gap of fields not included in minimum best practice, but which could facilitate discovery by the user. The following fields are examples of common enhancement areas. They may be called different names depending on your CMS, but their purpose is the same.

• Appraisal
• Catalog Memo
• Comparisons
• Condition
• Curatorial Memo
• Exhibit Label
• Exhibit Panel Text
• Literature Reference
• Past Exhibits
• Provenance
• Publication Text
• Related Resources (with link)
• Research Note

These fields (and many more) are available in the majority of museum collections management systems, but they may not be filled in with any regularity—almost always due to limited staff capacity. However, they are worth considering for prioritization given their potential to increase discoverability. Data enhancement is an optional activity for museum staff to consider when the balance of benefit gained and available staff capacity can be achieved.

Enhancing How We Use Our Museum CMS

Now that we’ve explored the gaps that may exist between minimum cataloging practices and enhanced cataloging, we’ll continue the mini-series with an exploration of where immediately available information can be found, how newly available information can enhance object data, and how the museum archives can support the enrichment of object records.

Additional Reading

• What Does Museum Data Enhancement Mean?
• An Overview of Common CMS Data Areas to Enhance
• How to Assess Museum CMS Data for Enhancement Opportunities
• How to Create a Plan for Museum CMS Data Enhancement
• How to Perform Museum CMS Data Enhancement