AIC's 46th Annual Meeting

Documentation is an important aspect of a conservator’s work and is essential for communication between conservators in the present and the future. While vital, documentation using traditional methods can also be very time consuming, when time is an ever more limited commodity. In an effort to streamline the documentation process, conservators at the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) have implemented a process for digital condition reporting using Microsoft OneNote and tablet computers. While a number of options for digital condition reporting have presented themselves in recent years, these tend to rely on specialized software or apps and are often restricted to a single type of operating system. By using Microsoft OneNote, already a part of the museum’s IT infrastructure, and tablet PCs the conservation department has been able to improve the efficiency of documentation processes without purchasing additional software or placing undue burden on SLAM’s IT department. This paper will focus on the genesis and implementation of digital condition reporting at SLAM using Microsoft OneNote, including an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the process. The potential for further applications of Microsoft OneNote for collections documentation will also be discussed.