Connecting to Collections Care

Hello, 
We are interested in updating our way of creating condition reports. We currently use PDF expert, which works well with images and notations, but would like to have something that creates and updates reports more flawlessly (like automatically recording additional notes for incoming/outgoing loans, dates and users, etcetera). We are looking into exhibii (which seems reasonably priced), Horus-Condition report, and Articheck.
 Considering Articheck is probably more expensive than our institution would like to pay, my question is whether it is worth the price compared to exhibii or Horus? If you have used any of these apps, What has been your experience or which one would you recommend? Thanks for your advice.

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Silvia Manrique Tamayo
Collections Manager + Conservator
The Wolfsonian-FIU
1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL-33139
(801) 635-7570
www.wolfsonian.org
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Hi Silvia,
This is a great question. As a registrar at an art museum, we too are interested in trying out more condition reporting apps.

So far I've only had experience with Articheck. When putting together a traveling exhibition with over 30 loans, I found their system, while thorough, slowed up the process too much. Their use of symbols was confusing and slowed my ability to interpret the condition reports once they were completed. Ultimately, I determined Articheck is too cumbersome for my uses, and I went back to the old-fashioned way of marking on an image printout.

I recently saw a sample condition report from exhibii and their number system seems more simple, though it still depends on good photos. If your camera is not good, a slightly blurry photo doesn't help show a fine crack.

Good luck with your search and I'd be interested to hear of your experiences with exhibii and Horus.

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Lee Nisbet
Associate Registrar / Visual Resources Manager
Nasher Museum of Art
Durham NC
(919) 264-9404
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