Without this number, an object may become virtually inaccessible. Recommendations for applying accession numbers to museum. Introduction to registration pastperfect museum software. Due to object acquisition and movement, and to address the inevitable backlog of undocumented collection items, cataloguing is an ongoing process in any museum. Often these differences can lead to confusion not only within a museum but also for outside users of the collection. An accession number is the number given to the item in a museums collection. Every museum does this, it is not limited to art museums. Countries with a classification system classification systems and deaccessioning there are 10 countries in europe that work with the concept of classifying museum objects. This number may be different from an accession number that identifies the transaction that establishes ownership of the object or group of objects. Some curators attempt to use the accession and object id numbers to classify objects. For more about numbering and numbering systems see numbering. Numbering collection items western australian museum.
Will help nara to create linkages in lifecycle systems. First number is the year in which the donation was made second number is the number of the donation made in that year it starts over again in a new year with one third number is given to each unique item in that donation. Museums keep track of donated items by assigning each artifact a unique number called an accessions number. American museum of natural history the paleontology. Numbering systems can be structured in different ways and can vary from museum to museum. This may include accession, catalog, andor inventory records. During the accession process, it is important to mark each object with a unique identification number accession number aka registration number, which will link that object to the museums. All the information relating to an object is filed and accessed using this unique number. Most museums will need to use several distinct numbering sequences for. Recording the information listed on the form can help record and establish the contents of a new collection as well as an institutions rights and responsbilities to it. Numbering systems policy, policies, about, spurlock museum, u. The aat was developed from numerous existing terminologies and includes the vocabulary from the revised nomenclature for museum cataloging, which is widely used in canadian museums. Accession number is just a museumy way of saying inventory number.
At the farmers museum in cooperstown, new york, some industrious soul in the 1940s used a pot of red paint and a small brush to place accession numbers on many threedimensional objects. In libraries, this numbering system is usually in addition to the library classification number or alphanumeric code and to the isbn or international standard book number assigned by publishers. Refer to information sheet, numbering collection items. In libraries, art galleries, museums and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier. Accessioning objects is the process of assigning unique numbers to artifacts, most museums use a threepart system. Numbering refers to the allocation of a unique number to a single museum object, or. Numbering systems can be structured in different ways. Numbering artifacts a howto slideshow wyoming state museum. Oct 20, 2015 an accession number is the number given to the item in a museum s collection. Accession numbers are assigned to objects for various purposes. Catalog data are used by curatorial and museum property management staff, exhibit. We use a numbering system with the year and catalog number and separate accession number so the numbers look like this. This eight week course will introduce participants to the professional principles and practices in the management of museum collections. An accession number may include the year acquired, sometimes the full date as at the british museum, and a sequential number separated by a period.
Tms collections is the worlds leading collections management software for museums and galleries. Numbering artifacts a howto slideshow wyoming state. In our state fair example, the accession number is 20. Classification means the process of granting an object a special protected status, prohibiting any deaccessioning or disposal without explicit consent of a higher body. How are numbering systems used by museum professionals to track specimens. New collection accession form template the sustainable. In libraries, this numbering system is usually in addition to the library classification number or alphanumeric code and to the isbn or international. Accession numbers are allocated by taking the next number in the sequence being used by the museum.
Rather than one solution for labeling all ethnographic materials or any museum materials, proper labeling requires a palette of options for a skilled practitioner. A museums documentation system is a set of elements accession number, accession register, manual or computerized files, etc. Museums often add a third part representing each item in the accession. Collections management software that helps you expertly manage your collections tms collections is the worlds leading collections management software for museums and galleries. Accession numbers are attached to objects using standard labelling and. What you will learn this short tutorial will guide you in numbering. Guide to acquisition and accessioning procedures western. What is the difference between an accession number and an. In some cases the same number is shared by two or more objects across departments.
Collecting institutions are primarily museums and archives and cover a very broad range from huge, international institutions, to very small or nichespecialty. Most museums in the us have adopted a threepart numbering system, the first two parts of which refer to the accession. Museum accession process catalogit museum collections. Numbering systems policy, policies, about, spurlock museum. Adhering to a strong set of collections information and cataloguing standards through institutional collections management policies can help preserve the history of your collection for the future, and make your departments daytoday activities more efficientfrom preparing exhibition lists, to managing conservation tasks. The next step is to physically number the item with its unique registration or accession number. One common system for numbering is the trinomial system. For example, the first item in the accession would be given the object id number 1. Pastperfect is designed to handle any numbering system up to 15 characters for.
Accession numbers and catalog numbers are common and used to track different types of. Aug 15, 2016 table stripedtrue responsivetruemandatory repeatable data type authority level available av only public element no yes variable character length 60 none seriesfile unititem no yes tabletable stripedtrue responsivetruedefinition. The role of the mission statement as the foundation for the museum will be discussed along with the importance of establishing set policies and procedures. The trinomial system is used by many museums and is an easy way of giving a unique identification number to every artifact in your collection. A catalog number, sometimes called an object id number, is the unique identifying number given to each artifact in your museum. Queries are searches that help retrieve specific data from the system, and. Image from a behindthescenes look at our butterfly collection. The terms registration and accession will be defined and the process discussed. Most of these systems break down as soon as they are implemented. Some repositories use a twopart accession number, the first representing the year of the accession and the second part the number of the accessions in that year. Tags tag and tie options surface applications labels applying a barrier coat applying the number top coat conclusion books and products we recommend links to related information the diversity of materials that comprise ethnographic. Numbering systems policy, policies, about, spurlock museum, u of i. An accession is one or more objects acquired at one time from one source.
Enter the accession number exactly as it appears on the source accessioning documentation. Typically, the modern method is to use a trinomial system, in which the first number is the year 2015, the second is the registration number based on how many artifacts came in the year, 23. Founding collection numbering detailed museum documentation. Museum accession cards are produced from medium weight, pale cream acidfree cardstock. Every item in our collection has a unique accession number, and they have a threenumber format, e. You must catalog all objects that are part of the parks museum collection.
What is the difference between an accession number and a catalog number. Writing a number directly on an object is the most secure method of labelling. Labeling ethnographic objects by helen alten as published in the icom ethnographic conservation newsletter, number 17, april 1998. She has continued to update it ever since when new information is. Tracking object details is an essential part of collections care. In this system, the accession number would be the first two parts.
At one point, the old numbers were given modern numbers. In this video, nancy odegaard and gina watkinson, conservators at the arizona state museum, discuss and illustrate good and bad labeling techniques. Butterflies in the wa museum entomology collection. Establish a numbering system that uniquely identifies each artifact. By numbering the accession in this fashion it is clear at a glance that mn.
Links the description of the archival materials and their acquisitionaccession documentation. In a case such as this your museum may determine to assign a twopart number to each item, where the first number is the year it was cataloged, the second number references the order in which it was cataloged and the third number is assigned to each part it has. Museums with such numbering systems will find their record keeping complicated and confusing. Jan 23, 2012 accession number is just a museumy way of saying inventory number. Spectrum and the museum accreditation scheme require that all objects in the collections are allocated with a unique number, and in the case of the long term collections, a unique accession number. This document describes our recommended accession and entryobject id numbering conventions and processes for using them with. In addition, departments or art classifications within the collection or museum may reserve sections of numbers. Marking should not cause damage to the items in any way. A simple guide to labelling museum objects introduction each museum object is individually numbered to identify and distinguish it from all other objects in a collection. The unique identifier assigned to a group of archival materials that have been transferred into the legal custody of nara. Accession number refers to the number that is assigned to each accession. Collections management is an aaslh online course presented by instructor erin richardson. When the museum had come into being several decades before, the forehead slapping issues that loomed on the y2k horizon were relatively inconceivable. Cataloging of the national park services museum handbook, part ii.
The following article was written when the first pittrivers research project, funded by the leverhulme trust, in the 1990s had been completed by the project researcher, alison petch. The professional museum goes beyond simply collecting objects. An accession number identifies the artifact as part of your collection, links the object with its documentation, and allows you to keep track of your inventory. Often the importance of careful registration and cataloging are overlooked in the busy environment of local museums and small historical societies. The presenters describe the contents of a wellstocked collections labeling kit, methods of applying numbers to a variety of objects, and provide an overview of unacceptable marking methods and. Data is stored in the form of tables and is entered into the system and sometimes edited using forms. All museums and repositories use a numbering system to assign unique identifiers to specimens and groups of specimens, but with diverse and sometimes bewildering systems of notation. A collections management system should be able to store data, edit data, delete data, access data through queries, sort data, and output data in the form of reports. Items must be marked in a way that is durable but removable if necessary. The british museum has used a large variety of numbering systems. See step 2 the museum will accept only complete collections from each site or project, rather than collections that have. We have 3 different numbering systems over the course of our organizations history. Because of the ancient staff persons lack of skill in that endeavor, he or she has traditionally been identified as the red blobber.
These numbers are entered into a database, which is where all of the information about the artifacts is stored. Custody allows you to record important information about the source and print a receipt for the donor prior to the museums decision to accession and number the items. Make it standard, secure, reversible artifacts should be numbered in a regular location whenever possible, and the appearance of the number should be the same from piece to piece. Chin has contributed approximately 2600 french terms to the aat. Accession numbering transfer of title numbering exit numbering temporary numbering photograph numbering conservation numbering 5. The inalienation of museum objects collides with the. Sep 04, 2015 at the farmers museum in cooperstown, new york, some industrious soul in the 1940s used a pot of red paint and a small brush to place accession numbers on many threedimensional objects. What is the difference between an accession number and an object. Museum number and provenance search help british museum. Do not include notes or explanations in this element. Access numbers may consist of one or several parts. The accession number is the unique number allocated in the accession register and is only applied to objects formally acquired by the museum for the long term collections. Accessioning is the process of creating a permanent record of an object, assemblage, or lot received from one source at one time for which the museum has custody, right, or title, and assigning a unique control number to said object, assembly, or lot. The staff person or persons responsible for the museum collection must follow this chapter to catalog museum collections.
The first part is the year in which the donation was received, the second part is the donation number in the example above, this is the first donation. This form can be used to document the accession of a new collection to an archives. Each object in the artifact collection is assigned a unique accession number that is separated into. Using the trinomial system to identify artifacts and creating an accession file courtesy. You must choose between writing on the surface of an object or attaching something, such as a tag, to an object. The documentary multimedia collection database is the only register of documentary multimedia collection accession numbers. To further distinguish the items in the accession, simply add item numbers to the accession number to give each item in the accession a unique object id number. The threepart numbering system is standard in the museum field and is readily understood by museum professionals. Up until that point, our accession numbering system had been using only a twodigit year notation in the sequence, rather than a four digit notation. The accession number system is also used to organize the collection in storage, allowing media of similar type and size to be placed together for preservation purposes and efficient access. You dont have to catalog shortterm incoming loans that are at the park for less than a year.
Numbering systems are used in all of the primary procedures and you will need to record top level policy decisions about your numbering systems in your documentation policy. Founding collection numbering university of oxford. Tms collections is a webbased museum software solution that handles every facet of collections management and seamlessly integrates with web publishing, conservation, and digital asset management. A rapidograph pen andor micron pen are used for numbering nonporous artifacts. Accession numbers are also used in botany, by institutions with living collections like arboreta, botanic gardens, etc. Following is a brief discussion of the accession process, including suggestions on how a museum might use the accession features of catalogit. Numbering museum collections northern states conservation. In repositories, this most often applies to the systems manual or computerized that hold collections information. You will need to record your museums numbering systems and how they are used in. Successful completion of this course earns one credit toward the small museum pro. The development and maintenance of integrated information systems and the optimization of information flow and access. These numbers are physically labelled on or attached to the objects as well as on all related paperwork. A more common system is to use the year of accession followed by a running.