Books age. Bindings loosen. Foxing appears. Dust jackets chip. And unless you record these changes, you'll have no idea when that stain first appeared or whether the hinge was always this fragile.
What Condition History Does
Condition History in Shelvd is a timestamped log of condition changes for each book. Every time you note a change — a new tear, a completed repair, a conservation treatment, or simply a routine inspection — you add an entry to the history.
This creates a medical record: a chronological account of the book's physical state over time.
Adding Entries
On the book detail page, scroll to the Condition History section. Each entry includes:
- Date — when the condition was observed or changed
- Condition grade — the overall condition at this point in time
- Notes — what changed, what was observed, what was done
- Source — who made the observation (you, a conservator, a bookseller)
Example entries:
2024-03-15 — Very Good. "Acquired from Sotheby's. Minor foxing to prelims, spine slightly faded. Hinges firm."
2024-09-20 — Very Good. "Annual inspection. No change. Stored upright in slipcase."
2025-01-10 — Good. "Front hinge cracking. Booked for repair with conservator."
2025-04-02 — Very Good. "Hinge repaired by Smith & Son. Japanese tissue reinforcement. Invoice on file."
Why Track Condition Over Time?
Insurance: A dated condition record demonstrates the book's state at specific points in time. If damage occurs, you can show what changed and when.
Repairs: Tracking when repairs were done, by whom, and what methods were used is valuable for future conservation decisions.
Value changes: Condition directly affects value. A repair might restore value; deterioration reduces it. The history connects condition to the valuation timeline.
Due diligence: If you sell the book, a condition history shows the buyer you've been paying attention. That's worth something.
The Connection to Condition Grading
Each Condition History entry uses the same grading scale as the main Condition field (Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor). The current condition on the book record should match the most recent history entry — Shelvd doesn't enforce this automatically, but consistency is the point.
Think of the Condition field as the current diagnosis and the Condition History as the full medical chart.
📖 Related on the blog: Rebinding, The Condition Scale