CatalogIt Frequently Asked Questions
Contents
What is CatalogIt?
CatalogIt is a powerful, intuitive and scalable application for cataloging, managing and working with your collections, and selectively publishing them to the Web.
How does CatalogIt ensure that my data is secure?
It is our top priority to make the CatalogIt system secure and trusted. Our infrastructure runs in a VPN (virtual private network) behind a firewall fronted by load balancers that restrict traffic to a single port only. CatalogIt infrastructure runs on AWS (Amazon Web Services) and takes advantage of their monitoring tools (CloudWatch) to notify us of issues and keep tabs of memory, load, disc usage, etc. Traffic to our database servers, search engine, and worker processes can only originate from within the VPN (i.e. our database servers cannot be accessed outside the VPN -- e.g. from the public internet). All communication between client and server happens over secure HTTPS/TLS connections. We do not use cookies or store any personally identifiable information on your computer or mobile device. Authentication utilizes the oAuth2 protocol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OAuth) which is used by Apple, Google, and other top-tier technology-dependent businesses to secure their data and transactions. CatalogIt stores the oAuth2 refresh and access tokens on the client’s devices; the client token expires every few minutes; the refresh-token can be revoked at any time.
What browsers does CatalogIt support?
CatalogIt supports newer versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari on both desktop and mobile. If you are using Microsoft Edge please make sure you're using the latest version (44.18362.267.0) to avoid issues with date formatting. CatalogIt also has mobile native apps for iOS and Android.
Is there a limit to the number or size of images that can be added to an Entry?
There is no limit- CatalogIt recognizes that there are many cases where multiple images can be particularly valuable for documenting an Entry.
What types of images or documents can CatalogIt handle?
Account users can currently attach JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, RAW, and PDF files to CatalogIt Entries and Profiles. Soon, CatalogIt will be able to accept attachments of audio, and video files as well.
Can I migrate my existing collections data to CatalogIt?
Yes- we’ve successfully migrated accounts from the following collections management systems/inventory databases:
PastPerfect Eloquent FileMaker Pro Koha Spreadsheet Software (Excel, Numbers) Microsoft Access Microsoft Word
Can I import my images to CatalogIt?
Data migrations of image files can be accomplished. We may be able to import your images as well, depending on how they are stored in your system. As mentioned above, numerous images can be uploaded to each Entry record.
How much does CatalogIt cost?
Users can set up a free Museum, Personal, Organization, or Conservator Account with full functionality (with the exception of Web publishing) for up to 100 Entries. When an Account exceeds 100 Entries, CatalogIt offers paid subscriptions. Annual subscription prices start at $120/year for a Personal Account up to 2,500 Entries, and at $360/year for a Museum Account for up to 25,000 Entries.
Accounts can have as many users as they need to manage their collection. Every Museum, Organization, and Conservator Account includes five users; every Personal Account includes three users. Additional users can be added to any account for $5/mo. to accommodate interns, volunteers, increased staffing or more family members.
Can users create custom fields?
A large part of the value CatalogIt brings to any collection is a rich set of accepted and authoritative classifications and structured, common field names which gives museums and collectors a universal language for identifying objects and recording their condition, characteristics, and value. Therefore, adding customized or differentiated data fields adds confusion and detracts from the value that CatalogIt offers. That said, the CatalogIt team is happy to take suggestions for new CatalogIt classifications and to enhance existing product features.
Does CatalogIt compress or otherwise alter the images I upload?
CatalogIt stores all original images in their original sizes, making them available to you whenever and wherever you might need them. We like to think of CatalogIt as a mini/lightweight DAMs (Digital Asset Management system). CatalogIt enables you to aggregate all of the digital assets related to your collections in a single repository, safely and confidently.
How does CatalogIt Web publishing work?
Included with every CatalogIt Subscription is the ability to publish (selectively or comprehensively) to the Web via the CatalogIt HUB. Users set up their publishing profile with their logo, photo or avatar, and a background image, as well as a description of their institution or collection, then select which CatalogIt Folders they’d like to publish, and which data fields they’d like to share with the public. With a few clicks of the mouse, hundreds or even thousands of Entries can be published and made available, and searchable, to the world. For an additional monthly fee, CatalogIt can provide Accounts with an integration API or WordPress plugins to publish their collection with the same controls, directly to their own public Website, seamlessly and attractively.
Who has access to my data? How does CatalogIt ensure that my data is private?
You have full and absolute control over your data. Only you and those you’ve authorized in your CatalogIt Account can view or edit your Account’s data. CatalogIt staff does not view or access any User or Account data without your express permission.
Can I export my data from CatalogIt?
Yes- you can easily export at any time using the Export function in the Actions Menu.
What kind of permission settings does CatalogIt have? Can users set their own permissions?
CatalogIt currently has three permission levels: Owner, Read-Write and Read Only. When a user is added to an account, the Account Owner assigns the new user one of those three permission levels.
At present, Account Owners cannot modify permissions or create new roles. This DIY feature is coming soon, however. The Owner will be able to create new roles that control what kinds of information (entries, profiles, folders, images, etc.) a user can access, and the kind of tasks that each User can do with that information (i.e. view, create, edit, delete, etc.). The Account Owner will be able to define as many roles as they need and will be able to delete Users or reassign permissions as needs evolve.
For readonly logins it's fine for multiple users to share a single login. However, if the users are going to be making changes it's best if each user has their own login. First, you maintain a strict and unambiguous audit log of who made what changes and when. Secondly, when users change certain preference settings then can create conflicts with other users using the same credentials.
Where can I find the End User License Agreement?
At the time you create an account, you must agree to the terms of the End User Licence Agreement. You can find a copy of it here on our website.
Some of my images appear "fuzzy"
CatalogIt uses a few different image sizes in the app: 1) a very small and low-quality thumbnail, 2) a "small," medium-quality image used in the Entry view and edit screens, and 3) a "full" sized high-quality image for viewing (and zooming into) a single image. CatalogIt uses these different images to minimize network bandwidth and to keep the app performant. The small, medium-quality images may suffer from "fuzziness" produced as a result of resizing the image. When viewing an Entry, however, if you click on a single image to view it in the image viewer, it will appear clear. Rest assured that your original image is safe and the full, high-res version appears clean and crisp. This fuzziness only appears in Entry view and edit derivative image "previews."