We have been on TMS for a while now. However, have just begun entering loans in the last couple of years. We currently have three types of loans:

Incoming - Short Term (generally related to exhibitions)

Incoming - Extended (lasting longer that one year)

Outgoing 

We are trying figure a good way to to assign numbers to the loans themselves which will distinguish them from the specific object numbers within the loan. Currently our systems for both are very similar. 

Also, is there anyone out there who might have what I might call a recurring loan? We have a few occasions where we have the same objects return to us seasonally on an ongoing basis. If so, how are these handled? Do you just assign and new loan number with each new event of a loan? Do you retain the same object numbers and just attach that object to the new loan, so as not to make new object records for each new loan. 

Our current numbering system for the objects actually assigns an EL (extended) or SL (short-term) loan number to the object specific to the year the loan entered the collection, however, if we receive a loan of the same objects the following year, the specific object numbers no longer match up to the year of the new loan.

I look forward to any advice or suggestions!

Many thanks, 

Karen