Vintage Binoculars

Documenting collections since 1987

The Modes Users Association (MUA) was formed in 1996 to support the growing numbers of organisations using Modes. In 1997 the MUA became a not-for-profit company and acquired the Modes suite of programs from the MDA.

We’ve been developing the software and supporting users ever since.

All Modes users who pay their annual subscription are members of the MUA, and there are now more than 690 member organisations. As part of the MUA, you join an active community with the opportunity to shape the future of collections management.

Illustration of printseller and publisher

Not for profit

As a not-for-profit company, all our income is invested in developing the software and supporting our users.

Spectrum Partner

As a Spectrum Partner, Modes helps museums put the Spectrum standard into practice.

spectrum partner logo

Time line

1987
MODES released by MDA
1992
MODES-plus added indexing and searching functions
1994
Catalist.
A simplfied version of
MODES-plus
1995
MODES-plus version 2.00 allowed users to link image and text files to MODES records
1996
MUA was formed
1997
MUA purchased MODES programs from MDA, and released MODES-plus version 2.50
1999
MODES for Windows released
2000
Catalist for Windows released
2002
MODES Web Server allowed users to set up a website incorporating an MFW database
2006
ModesXML
2010
Modes Compact version 1.0.
A simplified single-user version of ModesXML
2012
Modes Compact version 1.2. ModesXML renamed Modes Complete
2015
Modes Complete version
1.3
2016
Modes Compact version
1.3
2018
Modes Complete version
1.4
2020
Modes Complete version
1.5
Three colourful beetles

Let us help you find the right solution

If you need help working out what the best solution is for you, just get in touch.