Numbering
When thinking about finding anything, from library books to your favorite cereal, numbers are a part of identifying what we are looking for. This same idea applies to objects in a museum.
So how do museums choose their numbers?
In order to make the number unique to the object, museums have taken different tactics. In the past, museums have used a sequence of 1, 2 or 3 numbers (separated by a period). The three number system is widely adopted by many museums today, especially history museums; I will be focusing on this system in this post. If you want to learn more about the history of museum numbering system check out Registration Methods for the Small Museum (which can be purchased here).
Numbers not only give some order, but also have meaning. Here is the number I chose for my object (from the previous post):
2012.007.001
So what does this number mean? Here is a graphic to help you understand.
If you have read this far, Congrats! I didn’t bore you. You are rewarded with learning more about this number.
2012 denotes the transaction year or year it was accessioned (meaning officially added into the collection). I received this army jacket from my grandparent’s house while the family was cleaning out their home in Edgerton, Wisconsin.
007 denotes the sequence in which the object was formally brought into the collection. I received this item in July and there were other objects I received earlier in the year. This was not the only object I got from my grandparents house and I wanted to create a easy way to identify that this collection was just for army items. I want to make sure that all of these object stay in the same collection group (007), but I also need to note that the objects are different (which is why each object has its own unique number).
001 denotes that this was the first object to be accessioned from this collection. This uniform jacket was found in a cedar chest that included other army clothing and objects relating to my grandfather’s service.
When I add more army objects from my grandfather’s services they will have similar, but different numbers. For example, he also had a uniform dress hat. The number I would give the hat would be 2012.007.002 (since it would be the next object I catalog into the collection).
For more about how to create your own number take a look at Museum Registration Methods (you can purchase it here). This is the guide book for collections managers in museums.
P.S. About Prefixes
An important issue to consider when choosing a numbering system is the use of prefixes. Many museums will use prefixes for loans or temporary custody objects; for example L before a number will denote a loan object. Some museums will use a prefix to easily identify an object and its location. Objects housed in a mansion on a museum’s property may have the prefix M. For my purposes, a prefix will make the number more complicated. But is important to note that a unique number can also use letters to give the user visual notes about the status or location of the object.