Questions and answers
Short answers about what the catalogue does, where your records live, how numbering works, and what it will never do.
Frequently asked questions
Where is my catalogue stored?
In this browser, on this computer, in the browser's own storage. There is no server and no account, so donor names, addresses and photos are never uploaded. The catalogue file you save is your real copy: keep it somewhere other than this computer.
Why do I need to save the catalogue file?
Because a browser's storage is not an archive. Safari deletes a site's stored data after 7 days of browsing without a visit to that site, and any browser loses it when site data is cleared or the computer fails. The catalogue file is one zip with every record and photo; open it in any browser to carry on.
Can two volunteers work on the same catalogue?
Not at the same time. It is one registrar's catalogue. To hand over, save the catalogue file and open it on the other computer; whoever holds the newest file holds the catalogue.
How are accession and object numbers made?
The next number is suggested from what is already in the catalogue: year and sequence for an accession (2026.14), then the object's place in it (2026.14.3), with letters for parts (2026.14.3a-b). Separators, padding and the style of parts are settings. Gaps and duplicates are listed, and renumbering leaves a dated note.
Why is there no deed of gift form?
A deed of gift transfers ownership, so it is a legal document your board or an attorney should word. Curatorbook keeps the receipt, the accession and where the signed deed is filed, and the accessioning guide explains what a deed covers.
Are valuations printed?
No, never, unless you turn on printing valuations in Settings. They stay in the record and in the catalogue file either way.
Can I bring in the catalogue I keep in a spreadsheet?
Yes. Save it as CSV, match its columns, and check the report before importing. Rows already in the catalogue are counted and left alone, so importing the same file twice changes nothing. CSV export is there for a move to a larger system later.
Is this free?
Yes. Everything here is free: any number of objects, photos, loans, condition history, the location inventory, spreadsheet import and export, and the printed catalogue. There is no account and nothing to buy.
Does Curatorbook make my museum compliant with a standard?
No. It helps keep the records that published collections standards describe, in plain words of our own, but it does not claim compliance with Spectrum or any other standard, and it is not legal advice.
Is Curatorbook connected to a museum association or software company?
Curatorbook is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any museum, association, standards body or software vendor, including the Collections Trust (Spectrum), the American Alliance of Museums, the American Association for State and Local History, the National Park Service, PastPerfect, CatalogIt, MUSARCH, CollectiveAccess and Omeka.
More answers
The guides for the volunteer registrar cover accession numbers, accessioning step by step, the register, labels, receipts and condition reports, moving off a spreadsheet and choosing software. To start now, open the catalogue or the registers.