It is amazing the number of questions I have as a new curator.  It
would probably not be so bad if I had formal training but all I have
is a history degree and few museum internships. 

I am the museum curator/research librarian/archivist of a small
institution.  The current system uses sequential numbers for
accession numbers and does not want to change that.   What I am
having a difficult time with though is how to. . . hmmm, how not to
confuse the question . . .OK-I'll use an example.

 A donor comes in with a box of newspaper clippings, a WWII army
uniform, photographs, some personal family papers, and a book he
picked up specifically for the library. Currently we use one Cert. of
Gift and after the collections committee decides to keep everything I
start assigning #'s, ect. ect. ect.  The collecitons/library/archives
all have their own seperate area and photographs get assigned a
photograph number.

Where I I have trouble is, if I assign acc# 9988(with applicable
abc's) to the uniform, do I then assign 9989 to the library book,
9990 to. . .what?    What about the papers? The clippings?  On the
Cert. of Gift they are currently just writing that the book went to
the library, the clippings were distributed throughout the verticle
files,  the family paper were in the archives, and the photographs in
the photo file.  Also, they have not been maintaining a master log
but I have picked up one and plan on using it.  Do I write the
clippings and family papers in it?  Do I assign a number to the
papers.    

I am creating donor files and files for each accession number (to
maintian the Cert of Gift, relevant correspondence, information about
the object, ect.), both of which did not previously exist. However
this does not help much in the library and archives. 

My initial feeling is I should have a seperate Cert of Gift for the
collections and another one that encompasses photographs, library
books, and other archival material.  But after thinking it thru I
realized it has its own set of very complicated issues--what about
previously donated  archival materials? Adding a different numbering
system to the current ones?  and on and on. 

Add to the confusion on my part--the collections and archives are
several years behind.  I have stuff piled everywhere waiting to tbe
accepted by the collections committee (as far back as 2003), accepted
objects from even further back awaiting numbers, and piles of Cert of
Gifts that are not filed or are not signed by the collections
committee chair, and photographs from a 1992 donation waiting to be
processed.  

The museum is a good one and I do not mean to sound totally negative
but I am very stressed and really want to get
collections/librabry/archives in order.  

Any guidance you can give me would be very appreciated.

Thanks, Rebecca

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