The way you describe it, three numbers for each object seems inescapable, even if a bit much. Here are my thoughts: Your LOAN Number: This should be assigned when the objects arrive at your museum and never change. You might anticipate or "pre-assign" them ahead of time, but making changes based on what actually arrives vs assigning all the numbers at arrival... you'll have to decide which takes more time or causes more bottlenecks. In any case, this is the number that I would suggest be used as the primary access to the object record in your computer database. And also by the rest of the staff of the museum. Our loan numbers start with TL. then have lot item and year, eg: 'TL.5.12.1995'. We put the year at the end so that if someone drops the TL the number still does not look like an accession number. If you wanted to number the exhibits, the lenders and the items you might make numbers that looked like: 'TL.7.5.12.1995'. Thus all obj ects whos loan numbers started with TL.7 would be for the same show. This seems most logical. Lending Museums ACCESSION Numbers: This is their number. You may need to record, even publish it. But it's just text, and I wouldn't bother any more about it than about any other assigned attribute of the object, like title or medium. Catalogue numbers: Try to let the catalogue designers and museum educators worry about this. Don't use their proofs or printouts for any registration functions, use your own lists, and try to encourage them to do the same. Of course these are going to change as the exhibit design and layout evolves, but do you really need to record these? Maybe enter them only after the show has crystallized. 'nuff said. ============================================================ Stephen B. Ringle, Registrar [log in to unmask] University of Maine Museum of Art 5712 Carnegie Hall, Room 109 vox: 207-581-3257 Orono, Maine 04469-5712 fax: 207-581-3083 ============================================================