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