Accession Number.  There are two versions of the Accession Number field.

• The Accession Number Components (XAN field) is the subfielded input version.  It separately identifies each part/component for use by the application in proper sorting and providing convenient retrieval by components (if you are using the standard year and group identification system).

  

  • The default in the first subfield will be the current year but, if your Accession Numbers do not use a yyyy.gggg.iii (year.group.item) pattern, you can type over this default value with your assigned alpha or alphanumeric string (or a previous year).
  • Type your second part/group number directly or, if you want to have the system assign the next-available number, follow the type "000" instructions. Use the picklist to verify already assigned numbers or select an existing group number for which you now want to assign another item number.

• The Accession No. (AN field), used in searching and reports (and in the transfer into the Catalog), is constructed automatically after you update the record. A period is used to combine the XAN elements present in a record.

  

Transfer-to-Catalog Fields. This field group includes the set of fields shown below. Use of the "transfer" option is likely to depend on the nature of the Accessions record and your processing workflow.

If you plan to transfer the data, the Record Level Name is required. Input of a valid Record Level Name (or selection from the Picklist) automatically populates the (protected) Record Type field.

In working with accruals/accretions for which a top-level Catalog record already exists, you will need to decide how you want them to be represented in the Catalog hierarchy, e.g., as:

• level-2 Series or, if you have established multiple Series for a collection, as level-2 Subseries (with a Record Level Name of accrual or accretion)
• level-3 container records

In consideration of performance associated with the online Finding Aid, consider splitting up large numbers of accruals/accretions, e.g., by constructing new parent records for them. Test periodically to determine the "maximum" number applicable to your data.

When the Accession record is completed, you can leave the Transfer into Catalog (TSTAT) field set to the default or change it to:

• Approved, if you plan to use the Transfer task.
• Block, if the data are not appropriate starting points for cataloging at any hierarchical level
• Transferred, if you plan to create a new Catalog record directly (bypassing the Transfer task). If you want to note the date that a Catalog record was created, use the Management Notes field. The Transfer Date field is a system field, populated when you submit the Transfer global operation.

For each of the phrases used in the radio button captions, the key words below are used to store your selection. They are used in retrieval and will display in selected reports.

Tip.  After you have transferred a record, the Transfer into Catalog (TSTAT) field is still editable. If you were to change a TRANSFERRED setting, e.g. to READY, the same record cannot be used to transfer data/construct a new record more than one time.

The fields from which data will be transferred into the Catalog are noted in the Input Fields charts.

Donor/Source Data (SRC). This is a controlled field that requires a Names authority record.

• It is a repeating field so that you can associate a single record with more than one name. Use the Notes subfield to distinguish their roles, e.g., an intermediary vs. the actual source of the materials.

• Although other authorities require that each term be unique, the Names authority does not apply this requirement. If you enter a valid name for which there is more than one authority record, you will receive an Error Alert.

  

  Click the Picklist button and a Names authority search will be executed automatically to display the set of possible selections.

  

  On the Picklist page, you have these several choices:
  -- make one or more selections
  -- modify the search to display one or more other names
  -- click the pencil button to update one or more of the authority records
  -- add a new name

  If you determine that names are duplicates or should be retired, edit them to set the Lookup/Picklist Setting Action to Reject.

  The More Details report in Accessions (and in the Catalog) includes a link to generate a sub-report of data from the Names authority for the one or more Donor/Source names associated with a single record.

  
  

Location Data

We recommend that permanent assigned locations be stored in Accessions records only if you do not plan to create Catalog records for the materials. Use the Location Now field for tracking their temporary assignments.

Use a value such as Assigned Location to note when it has been stored in its "permanent" location (as recorded in the Catalog).

Status Fields

There are several Status fields in the Accessions database for which you will want to establish sets of controlled vocabulary that best reflect your practices and policies. They are:  Legal Status, Processing Status, Disposition Status, and Record Status.

• Each of these fields is a single-occurrence field. If you want to track changes over time instead of just the current status (with its as-of date), use the Management Notes field to capture important former values or, alternatively, create combination listbox values for the Status field(s) to include the current status and key former status values.
• Values for the Legal Status field may overlap with possibly relevant values for the Acquisition Method field, and you can decide whether to keep the overlap or establish non-overlapping sets. Of the two, only the Acquisition Method value will be included in the Transfer to Catalog task.
• For Deaccessioned materials, you can use the Deaccessioned? field alone, use one of the status fields (e.g., Legal Status), or a combination of both.