Condition Checking Collections

Having a policy for how you look after your collections helps you plan for and manage their preservation. Many museums use condition checking to monitor collections, compare active damage against environmental conditions, and support planning.

Condition checks and surveys help you raise the profile of collections care and conservation. Regular, focused, and systematic checks build up information about the condition of your collections. You can use this as evidence for insurance, to plan remedial and preventive conservation, to benchmark your database, and to manage the overall health of your items.

Before you start any condition checks, think about what you want to achieve and what level of information you need. Condition checking uses valuable resources, including external conservators and staff time, so it is worth being clear on your goals first.

Also think about what format best suits your needs for recording information, both short and long term. Consider your staffing and budget, and make sure records are dated so you can compare them against older and later data.

You might condition check items or carry out a condition survey for a number of reasons:

• To understand the status and significance of your collections
• For loans or exhibitions
• For grant applications
• To set frameworks for improvements in collections care
• To better predict and monitor deterioration
• To quantify conservation requirements
• To identify storage improvements
• To identify environmental improvements
• To plan future research
• To evaluate the success of past interventions, remedial or preventive treatments

The type, method, and time involved in a condition check varies greatly. Types of condition checks include:

• Visual inspection: day-to-day gallery checks or weekly store checks for immediate issues such as theft, physical damage, pests, mould, or environmental changes like corrosion
• Surveys: in-depth specialist documentation, recording details, taking images or drawings, and noting specific changes, areas of concern, or costs for remedial conservation
• During cataloguing: when completing movement forms, accessioning, and labelling
• Housekeeping: conservation cleaning and remedial treatments that allow staff and conservators to note information and record any interventions required, for example pest mitigation
• Loans and exhibitions: condition checking before, during, and after exhibitions
• Researcher or technical analysis: more in-depth information from research or technical analysis, for example x-ray, allowing updates to your database

Levels of condition checking and who is involved

The kind of check you perform will depend on what you want to achieve, the information you need, and the materials you are checking. These factors will all determine the skill level required from those carrying out the work. The following checks are taken from Collections Trust Spectrum guidance, Standards of condition checking and recording.

• Condition check can be carried out by any member of staff or volunteer, for example when objects arrive as enquiries, loans, or potential acquisitions.
• Condition report should be prepared by staff with conservation skills or, ideally, a professional conservator, for example for objects going on loan or before conservation treatments involving tools or chemicals.
• Full condition report should be prepared by a professional conservator before major conservation treatment, for example the restoration of a complex object with many components.

Use specialists where possible. For survey work or in-depth checks, bring in a conservator who specialises in the material being surveyed. They will produce accurate data, with knowledge of the materials and how and why they decay, and can identify any risks or hazards.

A specialist will also save time compared to using less experienced practitioners. They can design a system that suits the material, interpret results, and prioritise actions.

To decide on the right approach, ask yourself:

• What can be done with the skills of our in-house team?
• Can I meet what I need through training existing staff or volunteers?
• Do I have access to a specialist or conservator, and do I know what to ask for?
• What will the long-term benefits be for the collections?

For basic condition checks, gather all the equipment you need before you start: clipboard, pencil, laptop, torch, magnifier, soft and hard tape measures, PPE, camera, and a scale for size and colour.

• Preparation: Plan your procedure in advance. Make sure you have adequate workspace and lighting, documentation to cross-reference, and PPE as required. Carry out risk assessments if you are moving collections.
• Recording: Use a format that keeps the data you collect consistent and secure. Make sure it is compatible with your documentation system and accessible to all relevant staff.
• Condition: Most formats involve assigning a condition grade to each item based on the severity of any damage or deterioration. It can be subjective, but to keep some consistency, condition grades are divided into three: Good, Fair, and Poor.

Collections Trust  Condition checking and technical assessment suggested procedure.

Heritage Council Factsheet on Condition Assessments.

SHARE Museums East and University of Cambrdge Museums Condition Reporting Crib Sheet.