Hi Anne:
We also use a similar system here at the BMA.  All objects coming in are
assigned a TL (temporary loan) number (ie: TL2003.10).  And if group of
objects from same lender, within the same master number (ie: TL2003.10.1,
TL200310.2, etc.)  Once accessioned we change object record number and
keep TL# in alternate # field.  If object is not accessioned, we delete
object record from TMS when returned.  Hope it helps, Stephanie
 
> Dear Anne:
> We have the following system:
> Before an object comes into the building, it is assigned a number by the
> curatorial department and entered into TMS.  This number is composed of
> an alphabetical abbreviation of the department (AS for Asian), the year,
> the next number in the departments sequence, and a "object
> number".  Ex:  AS2002.1.2
> When the object comes into the building, the Registrar's office assigns
> a Temporary Number.   Then if and when accessioned, an Accession number.
> Loans remain on the Temporary number until they are returned and then
> get a Returned number.  The Temporary number and the Return number are
> in the same format.
> Hope this helps
> Lynne Addison
>
> At 02:38 PM 2-6-2003 -0400, you wrote:
>>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
>
> L.Lynne Addison
> Associate Registrar
> Yale University Art Gallery
> Tel:  203.432.0604
> Fax: 203.432.7159
 
 
Stephanie Leverock
Records Manager/Collections Review Coordinator
Brooklyn Museum of Art
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238
Tel: 718-501-6483/Fax: 718-501-6135