Open Forum

Hello all,

I am in the process of beginning a thorough inventory of a collection and this particular collection was a private one spread over many different locations. The inventory number systems are all different depending on circumstances like location, which auction house it was purchased from etc. Some have traditional museum trinomial numbers and others have three letter codes as the first set instead of numbers.

My questions are these:

- Does anyone have tips on reconciling different inventory systems into one cohesive system?
- With so many different systems, is it best to pick one and fold the others into it (i.e. record what it used to be numbered as and then give it a number according to one of the others that we choose to make the dominant system)?
- Start a new inventory number system? 

This collection will be turned into a small museum so I have thought of just creating a new number system and accession them all into the museum this way. I would still record all of the information of how it was inventoried in the past but want to hear what other people's thoughts might be. 

Thanks!


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
------------------------------

Hello Andrew,

This is something that our repository deals with. We have archaeological collections that have many different tracking numbers attached, including field specimen numbers (e.g., Spec. No. 1), old assession numbers (e.g., A-6), old catalog numbers (e.g., 22/34), temporary inventory numbers (e.g., T106), and so forth. Since the 1990s, we have used a tripartite catalog number that combines an assession number (year of assession and project number e.g., 2022.001) with a project specific continuous catalog number (e.g., 2022.001.00034). All of the various tracking numbers are linked to the tripartite catalog number. It will take time, but since the collection will be turned into a museum, the time and labor starting a standardized number system will be worth it in the long run. 

Best,
Chris

------------------------------
Christopher Caseldine PhD
Acting Curator of Collections
Center for Archaeology and Social Change Repository
Tempe AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2022 11:29 AM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: Many different inventory number systems

Hello all,

I am in the process of beginning a thorough inventory of a collection and this particular collection was a private one spread over many different locations. The inventory number systems are all different depending on circumstances like location, which auction house it was purchased from etc. Some have traditional museum trinomial numbers and others have three letter codes as the first set instead of numbers.

My questions are these:

- Does anyone have tips on reconciling different inventory systems into one cohesive system?
- With so many different systems, is it best to pick one and fold the others into it (i.e. record what it used to be numbered as and then give it a number according to one of the others that we choose to make the dominant system)?
- Start a new inventory number system?

This collection will be turned into a small museum so I have thought of just creating a new number system and accession them all into the museum this way. I would still record all of the information of how it was inventoried in the past but want to hear what other people's thoughts might be.

Thanks!


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 1/12/2022 9:21:00 AM
From: Christopher Caseldine
Subject: RE: Many different inventory number systems

Hello Andrew,

This is something that our repository deals with. We have archaeological collections that have many different tracking numbers attached, including field specimen numbers (e.g., Spec. No. 1), old assession numbers (e.g., A-6), old catalog numbers (e.g., 22/34), temporary inventory numbers (e.g., T106), and so forth. Since the 1990s, we have used a tripartite catalog number that combines an assession number (year of assession and project number e.g., 2022.001) with a project specific continuous catalog number (e.g., 2022.001.00034). All of the various tracking numbers are linked to the tripartite catalog number. It will take time, but since the collection will be turned into a museum, the time and labor starting a standardized number system will be worth it in the long run. 

Best,
Chris

------------------------------
Christopher Caseldine PhD
Acting Curator of Collections
Center for Archaeology and Social Change Repository
Tempe AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2022 11:29 AM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: Many different inventory number systems

Hello all,

I am in the process of beginning a thorough inventory of a collection and this particular collection was a private one spread over many different locations. The inventory number systems are all different depending on circumstances like location, which auction house it was purchased from etc. Some have traditional museum trinomial numbers and others have three letter codes as the first set instead of numbers.

My questions are these:

- Does anyone have tips on reconciling different inventory systems into one cohesive system?
- With so many different systems, is it best to pick one and fold the others into it (i.e. record what it used to be numbered as and then give it a number according to one of the others that we choose to make the dominant system)?
- Start a new inventory number system?

This collection will be turned into a small museum so I have thought of just creating a new number system and accession them all into the museum this way. I would still record all of the information of how it was inventoried in the past but want to hear what other people's thoughts might be.

Thanks!


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 1/11/2022 11:30:00 AM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: Many different inventory number systems

Hello all,

I am in the process of beginning a thorough inventory of a collection and this particular collection was a private one spread over many different locations. The inventory number systems are all different depending on circumstances like location, which auction house it was purchased from etc. Some have traditional museum trinomial numbers and others have three letter codes as the first set instead of numbers.

My questions are these:

- Does anyone have tips on reconciling different inventory systems into one cohesive system?
- With so many different systems, is it best to pick one and fold the others into it (i.e. record what it used to be numbered as and then give it a number according to one of the others that we choose to make the dominant system)?
- Start a new inventory number system? 

This collection will be turned into a small museum so I have thought of just creating a new number system and accession them all into the museum this way. I would still record all of the information of how it was inventoried in the past but want to hear what other people's thoughts might be. 

Thanks!


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 1/12/2022 9:40:00 AM
From: Paula Phipps
Subject: RE: Many different inventory number systems

I'm curious to see what others have to say about this.  I have a similar situation!

 

Paula Phipps

Manager of Collections and Interpretation

 

 

1600 Rockland Road

Wilmington, DE 19803

302-651-6966

paula.phipps@nemours.org

 

 

Original Message:
Sent: 1/11/2022 11:30:00 AM
From: Andrew Schlauch
Subject: Many different inventory number systems

Hello all,

I am in the process of beginning a thorough inventory of a collection and this particular collection was a private one spread over many different locations. The inventory number systems are all different depending on circumstances like location, which auction house it was purchased from etc. Some have traditional museum trinomial numbers and others have three letter codes as the first set instead of numbers.

My questions are these:

- Does anyone have tips on reconciling different inventory systems into one cohesive system?
- With so many different systems, is it best to pick one and fold the others into it (i.e. record what it used to be numbered as and then give it a number according to one of the others that we choose to make the dominant system)?
- Start a new inventory number system? 

This collection will be turned into a small museum so I have thought of just creating a new number system and accession them all into the museum this way. I would still record all of the information of how it was inventoried in the past but want to hear what other people's thoughts might be. 

Thanks!


------------------------------
Andrew Schlauch
------------------------------