Scope: Instructions for adding new collections to the accessioning book. For use by the Accessioning Specialist and Technical Services Archivist only.

Contact:  Jude Corina

Unit: ATS/RMC

Date last updated:  March 2025

Date of next review: March 2026

 Roles: Accessioning Specialist: Jude Corina,   Technical Services Archivist: Freddy Leow

Contents:

Basic Instructions

1. Open Excel file “Accession Book” on the X-drive at X:\RMC\Accession Book.
2. Select type of collection/item number needed from the ribbon at the bottom of the screen.
3. Find the last number used in the appropriate sequence.  See below for specific numbering instructions within Mss, Arch, and various media types.
4. Insert a row in the spreadsheet after the last number.
5. Fill out all entries in row, using the same formatting as above (font, size, date format, etc.)

If these instructions are not clear, ask a technical services staff member for clarification.

Mss (Manuscripts)

For manuscript collections (4-digit number), look in the list for the proper category and assign the next consecutive number.

700s = Theses written using RMC materials (four columns)

1-4500 = Regional history

4600s = Manuscripts and bound manuscripts

4700s = History of Science

4800s-6900s = General collections

7000s-7200s = Vietnam Veterans collections

7300s-7900s = Human Sexuality collections

8000s-8100s = Rare Book collections not cataloged individually

8200s = Rose Goldsen Archive collections

8400s-8900s = General collections

9000s-9200s = Native peoples collections from the Huntington Free Library

Example 1: Manuscripts without hyphenated numbers:

• Scroll to manuscript or archive/collection number required, locating last number in manuscript list (e.g. 6936).
• Insert a line below 6936 and add 6937 plus title/description and date.

Example 2: #700- each item is numbered individually and each is hyphenated

• Scroll to end of #700- numbers (e.g. #700-181).
• Insert a line below #700-181 and add #700- plus the next number after the hyphen (e.g. #700-182).
• Mark column four “Thesis”.

Example 3: bound manuscripts - each item is numbered individually and each has the collection number first, a space, and the Bd Ms number after the space (e.g. 6602 Bd Ms 1).

• Scroll to the appropriate collection number - numbers (e.g. 6602 Bd Ms 1).
• Insert a line below 6602 Bd Ms 1 and add Collection number- plus the next number after the space (e.g. 6602 Bd Ms 2).
• If your new Bd Ms is in a new collection number with no previous Bd Ms numbers, the new Bd Ms number will always be 1. It is necessary to check online to make sure there are no other bound manuscripts with the same exact number.
• Mark column four “Bd Ms”.

Arch (Archives)

For University Archives collections, the number has three parts, with two dashes/hyphens separating the parts (e.g. 1-1-1).  The first number indicates the department or affiliation, the second indicates the relationship in the department or affiliation.

To find these first two numbers, consult the Archives Control Plan.   If you do not know how to determine these numbers, consult a manuscript/archives cataloger.

Once the first two numbers are determined, consult the section marked Arch in the ribbon at the bottom of the screen in the Accession Book file.

• Scroll to the end of the “Arch” section and insert a line.
• Add the first two parts of the number as determined from the Archives Control Plan.
• Add the third number which should be the next consecutive number already in the list (e.g. 13-19-3887 was last number, 41-5-3888 is next number).

DVDs, CDs, Videos, and Other Media

• Scroll to the end of the list and assign the next available number (e.g.  DVD-642 is the last number, DVD-643 is the next number).
• Add a new line and fill in the item number, Collection number, Title/description, and date.
• If a video or tape recording is digital, add a “d” after the number (e.g. V-5728d).