Hello - I have recently become the collections manager for a museum with tens of thousands of objects (both cultural and natural history). The earliest collections records go back to 1914 when the museum started. The various numbering systems also go back that far though the most recent (and ornate) incarnation was brought to life in the 1960s. None of the records are computerized. Many objects are not numbered or even properly accessioned. I want to start properly accessioning objects into the collections (so I can clear a space on my worktable!) but want to begin this process with a numbering system that will withstand all (or at least most) of the demands for flexibility that past, present and future cataloguing may require. Sometime in the next few years we hope to secure the funding to support a computerized database and the staff to process collections items and records. I need a system that will survive the next few uncomputerized years and that will convert easily to a non-customized database package when the time comes. My question is this: when creating unique object numbers is it industry standard to encode the number with year, donor, object-within-donation or is it also acceptable to assign sequentially unique numbers that have no other embedded meaning beyond their unique status and ability to link to associated records? And, are there off-the-shelf database systems that can handle either type of number-sequence? I can see advantages to both types of numbering but would like to know what others in the field think. (Background: The byzantine numbering system already in place is divided into culture groups (denoted by an arbitrary 2 letter prefix, e.g. 'AA' for Korea), and various numbers, some of which record the year it was catalogued and some don't. (AA 65.1 could be the first Korean artifact registered in 1965 - AA 363 could be anything). The beginnings and ends of particular number-sequences are virtually impossible to determine without extensive research. Objects are also assigned function codes (e.g. 'daily garb' 2.1 or 'toys and games' 5.2 etc.) and then stored within their culture groups and function codes. This physical layout is the only means for searching within the collections. The card catalogue cannot be searched unless you know the number already. Searches by donor are almost impossible, searches by year of accession are possible but difficult, searches by object type are conducted in a shelf-by-shelf scan, and searches within cultural group are also done physically.) Thank you in advance for any advice you might be able to offer, Lindsey Richardson Collections Manager The Children's Museum 300 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).