Skip to main content

Standards-based collection management

Collections

Collection management built from the ground up for cultural heritage. Full Getty vocabulary integration, open standards support, and complete audit trails - without the legacy architecture.

Request a demo

Built for how institutions actually work

Collections is built to replace legacy systems with a web-based, workflow-first platform. Every feature is designed around museum workflows and museum procedures.

Museum Procedures and Best Practices

Comprehensive support for museum collection procedures and best practices.

Object entry

Log objects entering your care with entry forms, temporary numbers, and ownership documentation.

Acquisition & accessioning

Formal acquisition workflows with provenance documentation, legal transfer, and accession numbering.

Location & movement control

Track where every object is, where it has been, and authorize movements between locations.

Cataloguing

Full object description following museum units of information and CDWA categories.

Loans in & out

Manage incoming and outgoing loans with facility reports, condition documentation, and insurance tracking.

Condition checking

Document object condition with structured assessments, photography, and conservation recommendations.

Conservation

Track treatments, materials, and conservation history with before/after documentation.

And more

Object exit, deaccession, insurance, valuation, audit, and additional procedures.

Exhibition checklists

Versioned checklist templates for each exhibition phase - planning, install, open, deinstall, and travel - with role assignments.

Cataloguing & Description

Capture the information that matters with flexible cataloguing informed by CDWA and established museum procedures.

CDWA categories

Object description following Categories for the Description of Works of Art.

Custom field configuration

Add organization-specific fields alongside standard vocabularies and categories.

Object relationships

Link related objects, parts, and sets with typed relationships.

Hierarchical objects

Manage complex objects with multiple components and sub-objects.

Rich text descriptions

Full formatting for narratives, exhibition labels, and scholarly notes.

Multilingual support

Catalog objects in multiple languages with field-level translation.

Authority Control

Consistent, controlled vocabulary across your entire collection.

Getty AAT integration

Art & Architecture Thesaurus for object types, materials, and techniques.

Getty ULAN integration

Union List of Artist Names for creators, makers, and associated people.

Getty TGN integration

Thesaurus of Geographic Names for places and locations.

Local authority files

Create and manage organization-specific controlled vocabularies.

Authority suggestions

Autocomplete from Getty vocabularies as you type.

Term reconciliation

Match existing data to authority records in bulk.

Location Management

Know where everything is, and where it has been.

Hierarchical locations

Buildings, floors, rooms, cases, shelves - as deep as you need.

Current location tracking

Every object has one authoritative location, always up to date.

Movement history

Complete audit trail of every location change with dates and reasons.

Movement authorization

Require approval for movements between security zones.

Bulk movements

Move entire shelves, cases, or rooms in one operation.

Location reports

Inventory lists, empty locations, and capacity planning.

Search & Discovery

Find objects instantly across your entire collection.

Full-text search

Search across all fields, notes, and descriptions.

Faceted filtering

Narrow results by object type, date, location, status, and custom criteria.

Saved searches

Store and share complex queries for repeated use.

Advanced query builder

Boolean logic, date ranges, and field-specific searches.

Quick find

Jump directly to an object by accession number or ID.

Browse by hierarchy

Navigate through classification schemes and object groupings.

Audit & Accountability

Complete transparency for accreditation and governance.

Field-level audit trail

Every change recorded with user, timestamp, and before/after values. Full accountability built in.

Change history

View the complete history of any object, any field, any time.

Immutable records

Audit logs cannot be modified or deleted.

Export audit logs

Generate reports for accreditation reviews and audits.

Role-based permissions

Control who can view, edit, and approve at the field level.

Provenance tracking

Document ownership history and custody chains with linked evidence.

Guide in Collections

Madrona's museum-trained assistant works inside Collections - answering questions about your records, prompting through workflows, and looking up vocabularies. Same Guide that works across the platform.

Natural language search

Ask questions about your collection in plain language - Guide searches, cross-references, and explains.

Museum-trained model

A museum-specific model tuned on collections-management procedures, conservation science, art history, NAGPRA, rights management, and digital preservation - grounded in your own records before it answers.

Collection-aware answers

Searches your actual records before answering - no hallucinated objects or invented accession numbers.

Vocabulary lookups

Search Getty AAT, ULAN, and TGN directly in conversation for correct terminology.

Workflow guidance

Navigate standard collections management procedures - Guide knows what fields are required and what steps come next.

Knows its limits

Trained to defer on conservation treatment, legal questions, valuations, and policy decisions - it guides, it does not decide.

Mapping & Geography

Visualize your collection geographically.

Collection origin map

See where objects in your collection originated, with markers sized by count and grouped by place.

Loan network map

Visualize lending and borrowing relationships with partner institutions on an interactive map.

Shipment route tracking

Track exhibition shipment routes with carrier info, status indicators, and arrival dates.

Geocoding

Automatically resolve place names to coordinates using authority records.

Document Generation

Generate branded PDF documents directly from your records.

Loan agreements

Branded incoming and outgoing loan agreements generated from loan records.

Object receipts

Print receipts for objects entering or leaving your care.

Packing lists

Generate packing lists for shipments with object details and handling notes.

Condition reports

Printable condition reports with images, diagrams, and assessment details.

Facility reports

Venue and facility reports for loan assessments.

Organization branding

All documents incorporate your logo, colors, and letterhead.

Barcode & Inventory

Physical inventory tools built into the platform.

QR code labels

Generate printable label sheets with QR codes, object numbers, and titles.

Barcode scanning

Scan barcodes to instantly pull up object records on any device.

Inventory campaigns

Run structured inventory audits with progress tracking and discrepancy reporting.

Scan logging

Every scan is logged with timestamp, user, and location for accountability.

Built-in intelligence

Guide

Ask about any object and get grounded, cited answers from your own catalog - no invented accession numbers. Guide works inside Collections, included with every plan.

Explore Guide

See Collections in action

Schedule a demo to see how Collections can replace your legacy CMS with a web-based, standards-first platform.

Request a demo