This may not happen at your museum, but what if you accession something
that is either not in one of the pre-determined categories or is in 'both'
categories? Where would you put it? I'd go with your method. If you
really want to know how many lithostones you have you'd do a search on the
category field anyway, not look at the accession numbers. In my opinion,
one should use accession numbers as chronological and numerical
indicators, and not as classifiers.

Good luck!

Marie Nordmann, Registrar, Washington Univ. Gallery of Art



On Fri, 11 Jul 1997, Emily Nedell wrote:

> I would be interested in hearing from a Museum which uses classification
> numbers instead of "accession numbers" (year.#) for organizing its
> records and labelling purposes. We are in the process of automating our
> collection and the director and I have been arguing back and forth about
> the merits of doing it one way vs. the other. He wants us on a numeric
> system so that all newspapers begin with a one number, lithostones
> another number, wood engravings another, etc. I said that Museums don't
> do it that way, and in my cataloging I am already assigning both
> a physical description and subject headings/descriptors which would make
>  this kind of numeric system redundant.
>
> Thanks for your response.
>
> Emily Nedell
> Curator
> Museum of Printing History
>