We ran across this same problem when we aquired
pastperfect. Our last database did not organize the
records by accession number or object ID but by a key
# that was assigned automatically when the records
were created. 

I am currently in the process of changing this system
and have been assigning object id #'s based on the
type of material. Posters, Maps, and Moving Images in
our collection are organized based on a classification
system so I use the classification number and the
original key number. 
Our object collection is of course in the same
predicament as you all and is almost entirely
accessioned while the archive collection does not have
enough documentation.
It's hard to try to start from scratch and it seems as
though each Museum needs to figure out what works best
for their collection.

Carey Stumm
Associate Archivist
New York Transit Museum
130 Livingston Street Room 9001
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-694-1068
[log in to unmask]

--- "Waterbury, Cristin"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> This has been an interesting thread, and obviously a
> lot of
> organizations face this in some way, shape or form.
> 
>  
> 
> Just one thing I'd like to point out.  No matter how
> you decide to
> assign the numbers or what format you use,
> PastPerfect can handle
> literally anything in the accession # and object id
> fields. Your numbers
> do not have to be in a 3 part format, and they can
> include any
> combination of letters and numbers, even different
> punctuation if you do
> not use periods in your accession numbers.  They can
> even be just
> letters.  For example, I have the lovely scenario
> where, in years past,
> the word "LOAN" was entered in the accession number
> field! No number, no
> other information, just the word "LOAN."  (ugh) The
> point is that
> PastPerfect will accept anything in that field, BUT
> just keep in mind
> that when you start adding letters and words, the
> way your accession
> numbers/object id's SORT will be affected.  
> 
>  
> 
> Good luck,
> 
>  
> 
> Cristin J. Waterbury
> 
> Registrar/Collections Manager
> 
> Wisconsin Maritime Museum
> 
>  
> 
> 	-----Original Message-----
> 	From: Burlington County
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> 	Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 11:30 AM
> 	To: [log in to unmask]
> 	Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Accessioning archival
> materials to
> museum collection
> 
> 	This seems to be a common problem in Historical
> Societies! We
> are going through the same process in trying to
> decide how to use
> PastPerfect effectively to record our collection of
> archival material
> and library material. The former director wanted to
> go back to the first
> accession book, 1930, and reaccession everything.
> Our object collection
> had been accessioned with the three part system, but
> not the print
> material in the archives and library. The State
> Historical Commission
> conducted an archival assessment, CAPES, to help us
> make decisions on
> how to proceeded. The main recommendation was not to
> try to recreate an
> accession numbering system for material acquired in
> the past which was
> never given a number, but just create a system to
> allow us to enter data
> into PastPerfect. I visited other Historical
> Societies in the area using
> PP to get some ideas. Remember, any numbering system
> will work with PP
> as long as it is in three parts, even all zeros, and
> you keep a good
> record of what was created and why. Since we have in
> our archives maps,
> deeds, manuscripts, photos, etc. and a separate
> library collection, I
> decided to use a numbering system by type of item,
> i.e. library
> collection = 000.5700.1 with 5700=library material:
> 0000.9700.1=map #1,
> 0000.9800.1=deed #1, and so forth. I'm hoping this
> system will also give
> us a good idea of how many items we actually have in
> each catagory. Any
> previously used numbers are entered into the section
> for other #, old #,
> notes as Marielle is doing. Accession numbers are an
> internal control
> system anyway, and not for patrons to locate an
> item. 
> 
> 	I'm interested in what other societies are doing
> when using PP.
> 
> 	Margaret Frame, Librarian
> 
> 	Burlington County Historical Society
> 
> 	Burlington NJ
> 
> 	 
> 
> 		----- Original Message ----- 
> 
> 		From: Pamela Elbe <mailto:[log in to unmask]>  
> 
> 		To: [log in to unmask]
> 
> 		Sent: 7/6/2005 5:24:44 PM 
> 
> 		Subject: Accessioning archival materials to museum
> collection
> 
> 		 
> 
> 		I'm looking for suggestions on how to handle a
> significant amount of archival materials (personal
> memoirs, military
> records, correspondence) and photographs donated to
> my museum over
> nearly a decade (late 1980s to mid-1990s) from
> hundreds of individuals.
> The then-archivist had the donors sign deeds of gift
> giving title and
> applicable rights to the museum, but he never
> assigned accession numbers
> for these donations (but he did assign accession
> numbers for 3-D
> objects).  In some cases where the donor gave both
> archival materials
> and three-dimension objects he obtained two
> deeds-one for the archives
> and one for the 3-D collection.
> 
> 		 
> 
> 		Here's my problem: there is no good way to keep
> track of
> what we have deeds for and what we don't as far as
> the archives are
> concerned.  I currently have my accession files for
> the museum
> collection (all of which are in our collections
> database) and then boxes
> of deeds and correspondence for all of the stuff
> that was never formally
> accessioned (none of which are in our database).  We
> use PastPerfect for
> the 3-D collection and plan to (eventually) have all
> of museum
> collections-3-D, archival, photographic-in
> PastPerfect.  This won't be a
> problem for all of the material that was acquired
> mid-1990s to present
> because everything has been assigned an accession
> number and there is
> only one deed of gift per donation, but I need to
> figure out how to
> handle all of the material that wasn't formally
> accessioned.
> 
> 		 
> 
> 		My instinct is to assign accession numbers as I
> work
> through these files, but this will end up being a
> couple of hundred
> accessions when all is said and done.  Is this a
> good or bad idea?  Any
> suggestions?  There are so many little, tangential
> problems (never
> having had a complete database, multiple files, no
> clear policy... you
> name it) in addition to the big problem mentioned
> above that it makes my
> head hurt.  
> 
> 		 
> 
> 		 
> 
> 		Pamela Elbe
> 
> 		Collections Manager and Archivist
> 
> 		National Museum of American Jewish Military
> History
> 
> 		1811 R St. NW, Washington DC  20009
> 
> 		p: 202.265.6280 x201 
> 
> 
=== message truncated ===


 



		
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