WAM Acquisitions

After a newly collected artifact or collection is transferred into the physical custody of the Warren Anatomical Museum by the curator, an appendix listing each item or grouping of items must be prepared and attached to the deed of gift or acknowledge, acknowledgement (with accruals), or transfer forms (with Harvard internal transfers). This appendix also serves as the first descriptive layer for the collection and will act as a place holder until the artifact or collection is fully cataloged. This appendix or preliminary listing can be prepared by the curator or cataloguing assistant and final versions must be approved by the curator. This listing information is then migrated to the WAM object log and ASpace.

Deed of gift appendix

Create an appendix for Deed of Gift (preliminary box list).

In collaboration with the curator, assess the collection for object type. Material with human remains and obvious and known hazards may require additional measures be put in place prior to description and handling.
In collaboration with the curator, determine the object numbering format for the collection or artifacts. Collections may require single numbers (XXXXX), numbers with extensions (XXXXX.XXX, etc.), or multiple object numbers (XXXXX, XXXXX, etc.).

Once the object numbering format is determined, acquire the next object numbers in succession, numbers can be found in the Object Number Log_Accession Log spreadsheet found at: N:\Collections\07_Collections_Databases_and_Lists\WAM.

In general, WAM aims to assign as few numbers as possible to items or groups of items to expedite cataloguing and reduce over-partitioning. Artifacts and collections can receive single numbers if they represent distinct entities. Objects receive number extensions (.001, .002, .003, etc.) when they are part of a larger whole and the part is significant enough to warrant additional focus.

Available Object numbers should be evident in the Accession Checklist tab in the Catalogue Number field under the collection accession number. Alert the curator if the start number is not present.

Appendix Document

Use the appropriate deed of appendix template. WAM has two separate versions of the

New WAM, new collaboartive, or a revision in which a signiature is being obtained receoved ...
separation or new accession from a previosuly signed deed of gift
Not all new accessions require appendixes especially if historical donation outside deed process. These items receive a seprate accessioning record.

Appendix letter
amount of objects and provenance
from where, by whom, when
preliminary box list

Identify and list objects with preliminary dates and descriptions.

Find out necessary info on constituent, objects, and information about accession. (sources: Bionotes, TMS, manuscript collection, reading room, accessions/potential accessions in shared files, artifact evaluations, google images, electronic catalogue/archives etc.)

Assign next available numbers from WAM cataloging spreadsheet.

Have DH approve created box list. At least until I’ve done a few more of these!

Resources:

Control Files (physical and digital)
Accession file – Warren
Bio-Library of congress –
- Hollis
- Conventionfiles
- Constituents of TMS
- Manuscript collection on individual – bio note in file
- Finding aid

Object number and accession log

ASpace resource record

Adding to the WAM artifact collection finding aid

See Acquistions > Accessioning > Accessioning in ArchivesSpace > Adding Archival Objects to the WAM artifact collection finding aid

Rehousing and tagging

if processing get number to archival processor.