Hi Aleesha,

In Houston, we have three different numbering strategies for incoming loans:

1.       IL.20XX.XX for all incoming loans that are coming in specifically for an exhibition.

2.       TRL.20XX.XX for incoming loans that are coming in for potential acquisition.  These are usually updated after a year to become

3.       YL.20XX.XX for loans that have become long term loans that get renewed every year.

We've found it to be pretty vital that we make separate records, no matter how skeletal, for works that are coming in as part of a package show.  Inevitably several years after the show has come and gone, we will get questions from a visitor who wants to know about this or that piece that they saw, and we need to be able to quickly retrieve it.  Along the same lines, when we are feeling ambitious, if we know that the same work has been here previously for whatever reason, we try to use the initial record for it, and update the number to indicate that it came back.  This way, we can more easily keep track of the comings and goings of things.  We probably miss quite a few things, but we do our best.

David

From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Aleesha Ast
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 10:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Numbering loan objects

Hello all,

I know I posted a similar question two years ago, so forgive my redundancy, but I cannot come to a clear decision on how best to number incoming loan objects. How would you recommend numbering your incoming loans (objects)? I prefer to have some sort of differentiation between incoming loans that are specifically for an exhibition we're organizing, and works that we're borrowing to place in our permanent galleries. I've used exhibition-specific prefixes, which is nice because it makes searching very simple, but I'm afraid that will leave us with just too many prefixes in the database. Here are some of the options I've thought of:

- Use IL.20XX.X.X for ALL objects we borrow. The year is based on when they will physically be at the museum, next number is Loan Agreement number, and then object associated with that loan.

- Use the above just for works borrowed for the permanent collection, and EL.20XX.X.X for works coming in for an exhibition we're organizing.

This is going to be the start of getting other staff members used to using TMS this way, so they do not have an opinion yet.

One other semi-related question: Do you enter object records for packaged traveling exhibitions? We were thinking of just scanning in the checklist and attaching it to the exhibition record, which has its obvious limitations.

Thank you for any advice!

Best,

Aleesha Nissen Ast
Assistant Registrar
Norton Museum of Art
West Palm Beach, FL

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