All objects coming into the Whitney for consideration get a 'T' number
(i.e., T.2003.34).  The deed is sent and once returned the work is approved
for acquisition by the Board.  Then the permanent number is assigned (if it
happens in the next calendar year the number might be, for example
2004.165).
 
We retain the T number as an alternate number in case the work was published
with a 'T' number - that it can always be retrieved - even though TMS will
take us to the newly assigned object number - which, of course is what we
want.
 
Using a T number, 'E' number (for objects borrowed for exhibitions) and 'P'
(promised gifts) keeps the sorting much cleaner in the TMS list view, thus
all the E, P, T and yes, even X ("found in the collection") numbers sort
according to the year they were brought in (or discovered) one group after
the other. It works like a charm.
 
Suzanne Quigley
Head Registrar, Collections & Exhibitions
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
 
v: 212 570 7795
f: 212 570 7784
e: [log in to unmask]
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Anne Marr ( [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 1:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Assigning loan numbers
 
 
Not strictly a TMS question, but does have some relevance.  When an object
comes into the Museum as a potential acquisition do you assign a number to
it and create an object record?  What numbering system do you use?  We just
started doing this when we got TMS and we use the reverse of the future
accession number e.g. 23.2002 would become 2002.23 once the Deed of Gift was
signed.  This was a bit shortsighted as the acquisitions by year in TMS is
sorted by the accession date and not the object number.   The accession date
for us is the date when the Deed of Gift is signed, so if the Deed for
2002.23 was signed before 2002.2 the list is all out of whack.  I would
appreciate it if anyone could suggest a better way of doing this.  In the
days before TMS we didn't assign a number at all and all we had were paper
records.
 
Thanks,
 
Anne Marr
Registrar
New Brunswick Museum