Cartlann — Collection Management
Your collection, fully catalogued
Cartlann gives cultural institutions and heritage organisations a complete system for managing physical and digital collections — from first intake through accession, location tracking, conservation, and loans.
Why Cartlann
Everything a collection needs
Cartlann covers the complete lifecycle of a collection object — from first entry through accession, storage, conservation, loans, and public display.
Object Catalogue
Maintain a complete record for every object: title, type, maker, date range, materials, dimensions, condition, rights status, and public visibility. Each record is uniquely identified by accession number and tracked from intake to disposition.
Accession & Acquisition
Record formal intake through Object Entries and acquisition records — with method (purchase, donation, bequest, transfer), source party, price, and authorisation reference. Configurable number schemes generate accession numbers automatically.
Location & Movement
Define a hierarchical location structure from building down to individual shelf or drawer. Every object movement is logged with date, person, and reason — giving a complete provenance-to-present location history for any object.
Condition & Conservation
Record condition checks with grades, notes, and scheduled next-check dates. Conservation treatment records capture treatment type, dates, conservator, cost, and outcome — building a full treatment history for every object.
Loans Management
Manage incoming and outgoing loans with counterpart institution, purpose, venue, start and end dates, insurance value, and status. Each loan is tied to a specific object and tracked through its full lifecycle.
Physical Label Printing
Generate QR code or barcode labels as print-ready PDFs directly from the collection. Choose from small strip labels to large full-format labels, configure your institution name, and batch-print across any selection of objects.
Object Catalogue
The complete record for every object
Cartlann's object model follows Spectrum-compatible metadata standards — rich enough for professional collection management, clear enough for team-wide use.
Rich Object Metadata
Each object carries a full descriptive record: object name, brief description, type classification, maker attribution, date range with precision level, materials list, and physical dimensions. All fields are available for search and reporting.
Accession Number Schemes
Define one or more numbering schemes with configurable format templates, institution codes, prefixes, and sequence padding. Numbers are generated automatically on accession and permanently linked to the object record.
Rights and Visibility
Record rights holder and copyright status for each object. Mark objects as public or restricted — public objects are accessible through the unauthenticated browse portal; restricted objects remain internal.
Object Parts
Objects comprising multiple components can be catalogued as a parent object with individual part records — each part with its own location, description, and part number — keeping complex objects fully accounted for.
Location & Provenance
Always know where everything is
From the storage room to the exhibition gallery — every object location is recorded and every movement is logged, giving a complete chain of custody for your entire collection.
Hierarchical Locations
Define a location tree that mirrors your institution: building, room, bay, shelf, box. Locations can be nested to any depth — a single storage cabinet and a multi-site estate are modelled the same way.
Movement Log
Every time an object moves, the movement is recorded: from location, to location, date and time, person responsible, and reason. The complete movement history is always available on the object record.
Condition at Entry
Condition checks can be recorded at any point in the object's life — not just at intake. Each check captures a condition grade, free-text notes, and a recommended next check date, building a longitudinal condition record.
Conservation History
Each conservation treatment is recorded in full: type of treatment, start and end dates, conservator responsible, description of work, cost, currency, and outcome. The treatment record is linked permanently to the object.
Loans & Parties
Managed loans, known relationships
Cartlann keeps your loan programme and your institutional relationships in one place — linked to the objects and treatments they relate to.
Incoming and Outgoing Loans
Record both loan types with full details: counterpart institution, purpose, exhibition venue, start date, expected and actual end dates, insurance value and currency, transport conditions, and any specific loan terms.
Loan Status Tracking
Loans progress through defined statuses — from proposal through approved, on-loan, and returned. Status changes are tracked against the loan record so the current state of every loan is always visible.
Parties Registry
Maintain a shared registry of persons and organisations: donors, lenders, conservators, researchers, insurers. Party records carry contact information and are linked to the acquisitions, loans, and treatments they relate to.
Object Entries
Before formal accession, objects arrive as Entries — temporary deposits or returns under consideration. Entry records capture depositor, reason, expected return date, and status, separate from the permanent acquisition record.
Standards & Interoperability
Built on the frameworks collections rely on
Cartlann follows the professional standards used by museums, archives, and heritage institutions worldwide — so your data is interoperable, fundable, and future-proof.
Spectrum Process Model
Cartlann's workflows align with the Spectrum collection management standard — covering object entry, acquisition, location and movement control, condition checking, conservation, and loans. The language and processes will be familiar to any professional collection manager.
LIDO Metadata
Object metadata maps to LIDO (Lightweight Information Describing Objects) — the XML schema used by Europeana and national aggregators. Export records for submission to aggregators without custom transformation work.
MARC 21 for Libraries & Archives
MARC 21 export supports integration with library management systems and institutional repositories — enabling manuscript collections, rare books, and archival material catalogued in Cartlann to be discoverable through library catalogues and union catalogues without re-keying data.
Public Access Portal
Objects marked as public are accessible through an unauthenticated browse portal — the same application, no separate build required. Staff manage the full collection behind a login; the public sees only what the institution chooses to share.
How It Works
From intake to public record
Cartlann follows the Spectrum process model — the same workflow professional collection managers use, in a system built for modern teams.
Record the entry
When an object arrives, create an Object Entry to record the intake before formal decision. Capture the depositor, reason for entry, description, and expected return. Nothing is accessioned until a decision is made.
Accession and catalogue
Once the acquisition decision is made, record the acquisition, assign an accession number from your configured number scheme, and complete the object record with type, maker, date, materials, condition, and rights status.
Place and track
Assign the object to a location in your location hierarchy. As the object moves — to storage, to display, on loan — each movement is logged with date, person, and reason. The complete history is always one click away.
Manage and share
Record ongoing condition checks and conservation treatments. Manage loan requests. Mark objects as public and they appear immediately in the unauthenticated browse portal — giving researchers and the public access to your collection online.
Questions?
Frequently asked questions
What standards does Cartlann follow?
Cartlann's object model aligns with the Spectrum collection management standard — covering object entry, acquisition, location and movement control, condition checking, conservation, and loans. The metadata model is compatible with LIDO and Dublin Core export for interoperability with Europeana and other aggregators.
Can Cartlann support multiple institutions on the same platform?
Yes. Cartlann is built on the Ullav Platform's shared authentication and RBAC infrastructure. Multiple institutions can operate independently on the same deployment, with separate collections, teams, and access controls — while sharing the same infrastructure and SSO login.
How does the public portal work?
Objects marked as public in Cartlann are accessible through an unauthenticated browse endpoint. Staff manage the full collection behind a login; the public see only what the institution chooses to share. The same application serves both audiences — no separate portal to maintain.
How does the label printing work?
Select one or more objects and open the label printer. Choose QR code, barcode, or both; choose small strip, medium, or large label size; set your institution name. Cartlann generates a print-ready A4 PDF — ready to send to any office printer or label printer. Labels encode the accession number for RFID/scanner integration.
How does Cartlann integrate with Comad?
Cartlann and Comad share the same Ullav authentication infrastructure. Digital surrogates — high-resolution scans, photographs, and documentation — are stored and managed in Comad and linked to Cartlann object records. This keeps the physical collection record and the digital asset record in sync without duplicating data.
How is Cartlann priced and deployed?
Cartlann is offered as part of the Ullav B2B platform — deployed and tailored for your institution, with your team structure, numbering schemes, and location hierarchy configured at implementation. Get in touch to discuss what your collection needs.
Ready to bring your collection under control?
Tell us about your institution and let's explore how Cartlann can work for your collection.