Accessioning

Accessioning is the administrative process of officially recording newly acquired items, specimens, or materials into a collection, repository, or laboratory system. It involves assigning a unique accession number, creating a record of provenance, and capturing essential metadata to establish custody, provenance, and future access. This process supports traceability, accountability, and long-term preservation.

The practice is used across institutions such as museums, libraries, archives, and clinical or research laboratories. In these contexts, accessioning documents how an item entered the collection, who donated or transferred it, and any legal or rights restrictions. It also establishes initial housing, handling, and preservation needs and often marks the item for preliminary processing before full cataloging or conservation work.

Typical workflow steps include receipt and verification of transfer or donation, rights and provenance checks, physical intake and labeling with the accession number, creation of an accession file or record, and documentation of key metadata such as title or description, date, origin, donor or source, physical characteristics, condition, current location, storage requirements, and access or use restrictions. The item may then be prepared for processing, cataloging, and eventual public access.

Accession data are stored in a dedicated database or accession register and are linked to broader cataloging records as appropriate. Standards and practices vary by domain, with libraries often using MARC or Dublin Core, archives employing EAD or METS, and museums maintaining object records; laboratories use laboratory information systems for specimen accessioning. Accessioning is typically distinct from, but foundational to, subsequent cataloging and conservation activities.