The American countryside is filled with historic sites and points of interest that tell the history of the nation and people. Whether it’s George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon, the Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin Estate in Wisconsin or the Mission churches along the California coast, these sites typically contain priceless artifacts that must be kept under lock and key. In many of these locations, an automated key control and management system helps site officials maintain the safekeeping of the items and to track who had access to the keys that protect them.
To ensure that historical items are maintained in pristine condition, and to ensure the displays are aesthetically pleasing, it is usually necessary to keep a regular cleaning schedule. This can range from a simple dusting and polishing to something more elaborate such as hand laundering garments. To enable cleaners to do their jobs, keys for the display cases can be accessed from the key cabinet by authorized users when needed. The key management system automatically records the activity – who accessed the key, when it was taken and when it was returned. Access activity reports can be generated on a regularly scheduled basis, when needed or viewed live with online monitoring. With these reports, facility administrators can be assured that cleaning schedules are being kept and in the event that item damage is found, the reports provide the details as to who accessed the key and when.
Key control systems are easily configured to meet a wide variety of requirements that may be needed in the various sites. A single module, 16-key system may be all that is necessary for a historic home while a three-module system that can accommodate both mechanical keys and access cards is ideal for a larger museum-type facility. The combination of modules is entirely up to the user which provides the ability to customize and also change the system to meet specific needs.
An easy to use and secure system for the management of keys and which is custom designed for the application, is a cost effective way to help ensure the continuing care and safekeeping of our nation’s treasures.
