Object number
The Object number field records a unique number that identifies your object.
Field details
Public field
object_number is the field ID
Text field with 50 character limit
Detail, Core and Public tabs in the object cataloguing page
Cataloguing tips
eHive will check if an object number has already been used, but you must determine the next available number. Paper accession registers are a common place to track the numbers you have used.
We recommend a numbering system of up to four components separated by full stops. For example:
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MT.2018.1.1
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BFM.2017.26.3
| Component | Notes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Museum prefix | All numbers will start with your museum’s alphabetic prefix. |
MT BFM |
| Year | The first number is the year you accepted (accessioned) the item. Record the year in full. |
2018 2017 |
| Donation number | The second number records the order in which gifts were accepted into the collection that year. The numbering re-starts at 1 at the beginning of each year. |
1 26 |
| Multiple objects in a donation | A third number is used if a donor gifts more than one item as part of the same gift. In such cases, a third number is given to each individual item gifted by the same donor. |
1 3 |
Parts
If an object has parts, include the number of parts in the object number.
For example:
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An object with the number BFM.2017.26.3 has four parts, with part ID numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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These parts should be expressed as 1-4 at the end of the object number.
-
Therefore the object number should be BFM.2017.26.3.1-4.
See also: Part ID number
Search tips
You can search on this field with:
object_number
For example, enter object_number: 1991 into the search field to find object numbers including 1991.
