Updating Condition Ratings

Procedure for updating physical condition ratings when inventoried material is repaired.

As part of inventory, items are given a physical condition rating from A to E, with those items deemed D (poor) or E (unacceptable) receiving additional keywords e.g. detaching board.

However, condition ratings are not static and may require updating in the future because of repair or further deterioration. In both instances, when the new condition rating is given, the inventory rating should be retained in a note.

When the team have updated condition ratings following conservation work, a general note should be added to Sierra starting with ‘Conservation:’, noting the previous condition rating and then explaining what conservation/repairs have been made. If it has changed, the PHYS COND field should then be updated to reflect the current condition rating. An example is EPB/A/51514:

In this situation, the general note gives the previous condition rating and the date it was given (as in the inventory, found note). It then adds details of the conservation work, including the date and type of repair. The PHYS COND. field was then updated to a C to reflect the repair work and current condition.

If the physical condition needs to be updated at a later date as part of a routine assessment or incident, provide a general note giving the previous condition rating and the date it was given. It may also be helpful to provide a reason for the new assessment e.g. condition rating updated following damage by a reader.