These resources are designed to support cataloging and access to the Visual and Material Culture Collections held in Wellcome Collection. The collection, although mainly 2D graphic material, covers a broad range of formats, including prints, drawings, paintings, photographs, born digital images, sculpture and other 3D objects.
Wellcome Collection's Visual Collections are not catalogued in a single database, therefore these guidelines aim to facilitate a common approach to cataloging, regardless of the system they are catalogued in.
The following Cataloging History section provides an insight into past cataloging of the collection (pre 2021), and gives context for the legacy metadata in existing catalogue records.
The Metadata Framework identifies the common types of data the cataloger should aim to include in a record, if known or applicable to the object being described. The Framework is based on the Cataloguing Cultural Objects (CCO) manual published by the Visual Resources Association (VRA).
A Metadata Crosswalk compares how each element of metadata is treated in Wellcome's current cataloging systems and sector standards used in Wellcome Collection, plus CCO and the Museum Accreditation standard SPECTRUM.
Elements identified in the Metadata Framework are applied to Library and Archive principles in Wellcome's system specific guidelines for Library and Archive materials.
Cataloguing Aids includes a basic template for Visual Material catalogue records, plus links to examples of different Visual formats, considerations on record content, and a guide to the identification of different formats.