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Enhancing collections information

The Sensational Museum > Tools > Collections demonstrator > User guides > Enhancing collections information

On this page

On these Collections pages, you will find some familiar features, and others that are very new and different to what you have likely encountered in a CMS before.

Some advice before you get started:

  • Work closely with our Sensational thinking pages to support this work (and go through the materials thoroughly before you try these tasks)
  • Use the sensory terminology for each sense to assist you in constructing your entries
  • Go through the process slowly – it’s not a race to power through the backlog, this time!
  • Jot down or record ideas, reflections, difficulties, concerns etc. in whatever format you find most useful
  • Be open to the sensory potentials (be a ‘yes and’ person) – you never know what you might find
  • Don’t worry if you are finding this hard – it’s new territory for everyone, and your sensory skills and confidence will progress the more you try it

Functional information

When you first encounter the Collections item page, you will land on the ‘Functional‘ tab, which cannot be edited.

This section includes:

  • The short name as the title
  • An image
  • Accession number
  • Materials (where provided)
  • Departments (where provided)
  • Subjects (where provided)
  • A Description (below the image)
  • A red content warning ‘Caution’ banner will also appear above the image, if you have added a Hazard or warning to the Evaluative section of the record

You can also move to the ‘previous record‘ or ‘next record‘ from your search, or go back to the ‘current search results‘, using the clickable links at the top right of the item entry.

Screenshot of a collection item entry page, with an image to the left, written details to the right, a name above and a description below the image, and a 'content warning' banner in red at the top.
‘Functional’ tab of a record item page

Recording enhanced information

The main aim of this section of the system is to support you in enhancing your collections information.

Go through the tabs below to learn how you add, edit and delete these types of entries, before reading the ‘Evaluative and Evocative Records‘ page setting out how you enter this information.

At the top of a blank section, or at the bottom of your added entries, click ‘Add Evaluative / Evocative Field‘.

Blue with white text 'Add Evocative Field' button'.
Blue with white text 'Add Evaluative Field' button'.

You can also do this by clicking the plus button ( + ) once you have at least one entry in the list

Head to the ‘Evaluative and Evocative‘ page for information on what to include.

Screenshot of Evaluative information new entry table, with headings for 'Sensory system', 'Context' and 'Temporality'.
How to add a row on an Evaluative or Evocative entry

Select your ‘Sensory System‘:

  • Balance
  • Interoception
  • Pain
  • Proprioception
  • Smell
  • Sound
  • Taste
  • Temperature
  • Touch
  • Visual

See the ‘Sensational thinking‘ pages for a reminder of what these are.

Click the ‘up‘ arrow on the left hand side of the entry to collapse the accordion of that entry

Screenshot of how to collapse an entry with small blue triangle in a blue circle, pointing up for close and down for open. Indicated with a red rectangle.
How to collapse a row on an Evaluative/Evocative entry [indicated in red rectangle]

Click the same arrow of the entry you want to open again

Screenshot of how to open an entry with small blue triangle in a blue circle, pointing down for open. Indicated with a red rectangle.
How to reopen a row on an Evaluative/Evocative entry [indicated in red rectangle]

To delete an entry, click the minus ( – ) button on the right hand side of the entry

Screenshot of how to delete an entry, with a black text box with white writing saying 'Remove row' indicating to a red minus (-) symbol of the right of the box.
How to delete a row on an Evaluative/Evocative entry