What is an acquisition number?

The acquisition number is a unique identification code that provides information on when the building was added to the collection, such as a museum, a library or a similar source. Organizations usually have their own acquisition code and if the object changes hands, a new number will be assigned. This is part of the management of collections, art and science of maintaining accurate, detailed and useful records of objects in the inventory in favor of scientists, owners and other parties. For example, the library can use codes that start for a year, include a two -digit code specifying the item type, and then add three or more digits to indicate each acquisition number. For example, the number like 200912304 may indicate that the item was Acquired in 2009, is an academic magazine and was 304. The diary that was added to the collection this year.

Some collections instead use the term "access number". In both cases, this identif isIc code one of the first items associated with objects when they come to the ownership of the organization. The technician that processes the item on arrival is generated by the acquisition number, adds it to the item record, and, if possible, mark it. This might include the location of a sticker or a transmitter on an item or creating a curator card that will come to it if the item cannot be manipulated directly.

It is possible to find items by acquisition number and other parameters if interesting. These numbers can provide valuable information to observers who know the code associated with them. They also allow organizations to quickly sort databases to organize an inventory in a meaningful way. For example, a biostatist could sort the fields to highlight all proteins added to the database in a given year.

Acquisition code systems are designed to be flexible to allow space to expand collections and events such as entering the new century where the two -digit year could cause confusion. In the manThe EU, which has been opened since the 17th century, for example, the annual code such as "18" can indicate any number of years, such as 1918 or 2018. If the system must be improved to adapt to changes in the nature of the organization, this can result in a long transcript process to enter older items in the collection.