Art & Museum Accession Records

1. Log In

• Go to the ArchivesSpace admin portal and sign in: https://pacificu.libraryhost.com/admin

2. Select Repository 

• Make sure you are in the correct Repository: Archives, Art, or Museum. This is on the very top-right of the page. 

3. In the tabs on the left, select Create > Accession

• Note: To edit an existing record, instead go to Browse > Accession, find the record, then click on the Edit button. 

• A new Accession record that is partially filled out based on our defaults / template should appear on your screen. 

4. Title section 

• Enter a title that follows our rules.
  See Titles: How to Create Them   >  Titles for Art & Museum Collections

5. Identifier
Rules of thumb below. See Call Numbers > Accession Numbers for more detail. 

• First subfield = ART [for art collections] or MUS [for museum collections]

• Second subfield = Year of acquisition, e.g. 2024

• Third subfield = Normally this is the only field you change. Enter the next available sequential number within your collection/year. For example, if the last record in the database was ART.2024.32, then the next number is ART.2024.33

6. Accession Date 

• Enter the date the item was added  to our collections, using the format YYYY-MM-DD. (Often the accession date is today's date, since you're adding the item!)

• If the exact date is unknown, use the first day of the first month or year when we think we acquired it, e.g. 2020-01-01. Ask the archivist if unsure. 

7. Publish? 

• Normally this box should be checked. This means the public can see the Accession Record. We only "un-publish" in special circumstances such as duplicate records, items that have been withdrawn, etc. 

8. Description

1. A brief outline of what the object is. For art and museum objects, this ideally includes the object type (e.g. painting, chair, sculpture); medium (such as acrylic, wooden, marble); and subject matter or purpose (e.g.  "depicts ...."  or  "used to ...").  We encourage you to include proper names, places, and events that may help people find the object.

2. Identifying characteristics or marks on the object, if applicable

3. 1-2 sentences about the person or organization who created it, if known/applicable

4. Very brief notes about framing / condition problems if applicable.
   
   

9. Provenance

• An  optional field. If applicable, you may enter details about the chain of custody of the object here. Note that this field may be visible to the public, so no private or sensitive information should be entered.  

10. Other "Basic Information" Fields

• These fields can usually be left with their default values, as shown here. 

• "Acquisition Type" occasionally needs to be changed: Gift means it was donated; Purchase means Pacific paid for it; Transfer means it was owned by another unit of the university and sent to us; and Deposit means a long-term loan (which we don't accept).

• Access and Use Restrictions rarely need changes. "Access" restrictions refer to times when we have limits seeing the material (for example, when no one is allowed to see certain files due to privacy concerns). "Use" restrictions refer to known copyright, etc. restrictions on the items. By default, we assume Art to be In Copyright, which is what the link says. 

11. Dates

This section can be used to create several kinds of dates describing the collection. We normally only use it to describe the Date of Creation. More documentation: Dates FAQ

• Label = Creation

• Expression = YYYY or YYYY-YYYY format. This should be the year(s) when the object was created. If you don't know, enter the range of possible dates, e.g. 1940-1969

• Type = Single Date for one year. Inclusive Dates for a date range.
  Note: "Bulk Dates" is used mostly for archival collections, to indicate that nearly everything falls in a certain date range but that there are a few outliers. If you use Bulk Dates you have to add a second set of date values, e.g. Bulk Dates 1900-1910; Inclusive Dates 1900-1972

• Begin & End = YYYY format. If you have a Single Date, only enter the Begin Date.
  Note: Please enter this even though you already entered it in the Expression field! The "Expression" is meant to be human-readable, while Begin/End are machine-readable. 

12. Portion, Number & Type

In this section, you are recording how much stuff there is based on how it will be stored.  This section is machine-readable, meaning that it uses standardized terms and units so that ArchivesSpace can automatically compile statistics on how much stuff we have in total. 

• Portion = Whole (normally.)
  Note: "Whole" means that this is your only Extent statement; meaning that you can count the entire object/collection using just one unit type, like just in cubic feet. If you have (for example) 3 cubic feet + 2 items, then you would create two Extent Statements, each one being marked "Part."

• Number = [Number, like 1]
  This is how many units there are, like 2 items, or 4 cubic feet. 

• Type = [The unit of measurement]. For art, this is normally Items
  Things in boxes get recorded in terms of cubic feet.
  Things that aren't boxed (like paintings or large sculptures) are counted as items.
  Things that are purely electronic data are counted in GB.
  Bound items that are shelved as-is (not in boxes) are counted as volumes. 

13. Container Summary & Dimensions

• Container Summer = [Number] + [Container Type or if no container, the Type of Object] . This section is a human-readable, plain English description of the container(s) in which the object (or Portion of the collection, if applicable) is stored on the shelf. If the object is not stored in a container, then you describe the object itself. Examples: 
  1 oil painting   |   1 chair  |   2 boxes  |  1 folder |   10 volumes

• Dimensions = [L" x W" x H" for art / artifacts; Leave blank for archival boxes]  
  Skip this if describing a standard archival box or folder of documents. For art and artifacts, record L" x W" for 2D objects; or L" x W" xH" for 3D objects. Note that you should record the outside dimensions of the art/object including the frame, since the point of this field is to know how big the complete object is for shelving/display purposes. 

14. Agent Links - General Notes: 

Agents are -- in ArchivesSpace jargon -- people or organizations that are related to the object you are describing, such as the donor, the creator, or the subject of the object.

Agent records in AS are created/maintained in a separate database table than the Accession Record. This is so that we only have to enter the info once; and also so that if we change an Agent record, we only have to update 1 record instead of potentially hundreds of Accession records. Thus you are "linking" to an Agent Record here.  

How to fill out this section: 

• "Add an Agent" for each of the agents below. (Button is on the right.)

• Record Donor's Name if known. Role = Source; Relator = Donor; Agent = Name*

• Record Creator's Name if known. Role = Creator; Agent = Name*

• Optionally, if other creators, subjects, etc. are relevant, add them as needed.

*Names: What if your Agent doesn't exist yet? See "Create a New Agent", below. 

To Create a New Agent

• Click on: Agents (Dropdown Arrow) > Create;
  Then select one of the following (note, if this option isn't visible, tell the Archivist; you may need permission settings upgraded):
  Person = an individual, e.g. John Smith
  Family = a family, e.g. Smith Family
  Corporate Entity = any other group, e.g. Smith College or Smith Co.  

• A new pane should appear: "Create Agent"

• Scroll down to the Name Forms section and fill out the section like how it appears in the image to the left. Normally this includes:
  Source = Local Sources
  Rules = Resource Description and Access
  Name Order = Indirect
  Primary Part of Name = [Last name / surname, normally; but for people who have only one name it goes here.]
  Rest of Name = [First,  Middle, etc. names]
  Dates = [Birth / Death dates if known; dates you don't know or haven't happened yet, leave blank. For example: 
  1863-1905   |   b. 1950    |     d. 1975  ]

• Other fields: Normally we leave Prefix, Title and Fuller Form blank. Suffix would only be used for "Jr." "Sr." or similar. Number is only used when someone is the 3rd+ of their name, like George Smith III. 

• Click "Create and Link to New Agent"

15. Create Container Instance

A "Container Instance" is how AS tracks the locations of physical objects from our collections as we store or display them. You'll need to create one "container instance" per box or per standalone object (e.g. 1 Container Instance per framed painting. To add an instance & location: 

• Type = Mixed Materials

• Top Container:  Click dropdown arrow > Create.
  Note: Normally you will need to Create a new "Container" for each box or object you accession. Do not re-use Containers from other collections / accessions. 

• A new pane should appear: "Create Top Container"

• Indicator = 1 [or if you've already created 1, then use 2, and so on.] All other fields, e.g. Container Profile, Container Type: leave blank

16. Add Location

• While still in the Create Top Container pane:
  Click "Add Location" Button
  Note: If you accidentally closed the Top Container pane, you can reopen it: Click on the Container Number in the Accession Record > View (this will reopen the pane) > Edit button

• Status = Current
  Start Date = [Today's date]
  These can be left with the default values. 

• Location = Start typing the name of the room or building, then select the location where the item will be stored / displayed. Some notes: 

  • Default Art Storage = Tran Library , 2nd Floor, Fireplace Storage

  • Oversize Art Storage = Off-Site Oversize Storage

  • Can't find your location? Make a note of the location you need and email it to the Archivist. In the meantime, you can note the location temporarily using the Accession Record > User Defined > String 1 [Shelf Location] field
    
    

• Click  the Save Accession button
  You can now  click on the "View Published" button at the top of the page to see how the record appears to the public.  Look through the published record to make sure it is correct.
  
  

• Error Messages?
  If you forgot a field or two, it will give you a warning at the top of the Accession Record. You will have to address the errors before saving.