Museum : How to manage your art collection?

Posted on December 28 2021

Reading time: 3 minutes

Maintaining an up-to-date inventory is very important, but it is even more so for museums and art galleries that have many valuable collections. An art inventory must be well managed and well preserved to ensure its longevity over time.

For insurance and control purposes, high value objects must be checked regularly and some important documentation on the artworks must be kept.

Art collection management

Data retention

Managing a collection involves a large number of documents to be kept in a safe place:

  • The purchase receipt
  • The photo of the valuable object
  • The Assessment Report (Status)
  • The certificate of authenticity
  • Description and history of the article
  • The state of conservation of the artworks.

All these documents are necessary for insurance in case of theft or breakage, but also for you in case of loan and storage.

artworks inventory

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The identification of artworks

Putting an inventory number or barcode on the item and on the item’s holder or storage box allows you to quickly obtain information such as history, maintenance, handling, etc.

To keep track of your collection, it is necessary to do a regular inventory check to ensure that nothing has been stolen, moved or lost. Managing your inventory with a barcode scanner could save you a lot of time.

Why use an inventory management software? 

Art collection management software

The use of an inventory management software is very useful to manage collections. Indeed, it allows you to store all the important information about your goods in one place and gives you an overview of your collections.

Also, it is important to check your inventory regularly to ensure that all your valuables are still in place. The management system will be able to inform you if an item is currently out (on loan) or if it has mysteriously disappeared.

There are many benefits to using inventory management software to look after an art collection:

  • Manage acquisitions and record their entry into the collection
  • Facilitate the management of art loans
  • Maintain documentation of inventory withdrawals (disposal, exchange, destruction, loss)
  • Maintain the history of the artwork.

Always keep an eye on your most valuable works of art and possessions with our Hector collection management software.

Try Hector now!