The accession register: what a small museum should record
The accession register is the museum's permanent list of everything it has acquired, one line per accession in number order: the accession number, the date received, the source, how it was acquired, a short description and the objects it covers. It is the record that proves an object was ever yours, so it is kept for good, never rewritten, and copied somewhere safe. Curatorbook prints it from your catalogue on the registers page.
Why a register, when there is a catalogue
A catalogue describes objects and changes as you learn more. The register records acquisitions and should not change. The Collections Trust describes the accession record as permanent and hard to tamper with, so that someone on the inside cannot quietly remove an object by deleting every trace of it, and asks for secure backup copies. Many museums still keep a bound register book for that reason, and print the register from their database at the end of each year to add to it.
If a number is corrected, the register keeps both: the old number, the new one, the date and why. Curatorbook writes that note automatically when you renumber, and prints it in the register's notes column.
The columns
- Accession number, in the museum's style.
- Date received.
- Source: the donor, vendor, estate or institution.
- Method: gift, purchase, bequest, found in collection or transfer.
- Description: one line, enough to recognise the accession.
- Objects: how many, and the first and last object numbers.
- Status: awaiting a decision, or deaccessioned.
- Notes: the credit line and any renumbering.
Addresses, valuations and restrictions stay out of the printed register. They belong in the accession file and the catalogue records, which the register points to by number.
Worked example: the demo society's register
Printed from the demo catalogue on 28 September 2026, the register has 7 lines, starting with 98.12. Accession 2026.1 is still awaiting a decision and says so in the status column.
| Number | Received | Source | Method | Description | Objects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98.12 | 1 June 1998 | Unknown, found in the collection | Found in collection | School slate and two copybooks | 2: 98.12.1 to 98.12.2 |
| 2024.1 | 12 March 2024 | Coles family | Gift | Quilt, teapot with lid, letters | 3: 2024.1.1 to 2024.1.3 |
| 2024.2 | 2 August 2024 | Millbrook Grange No. 7 | Transfer | Grange banner | 1: 2024.2.1 |
| 2025.1 | 20 February 2025 | Estate of Walter Hale | Bequest | Mantel clock and pocket watch | 2: 2025.1.1 to 2025.1.2 |
| 2025.2 | 9 May 2025 | Valley Antiques | Purchase | Photograph of the mill, about 1905 | 1: 2025.2.1 |
| 2025.4 | 14 October 2025 | Dorothy Finch | Gift | Sampler | 1: 2025.4.1 |
| 2026.1 | 18 April 2026 | Pellham family | Gift | Glass plate negatives, box of 12 | 1: 2026.1.1 |
The line for 2024.1 covers 3 objects, 2024.1.1, 2024.1.2, 2024.1.3. There is no line for 2025.3; the note on the next accession explains the gap.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the register only in the database with no printed or exported copy.
- Deleting a line when an accession is declined, instead of leaving the number unused with a note.
- Writing one line per object; the register is one line per accession, and the objects are listed in the catalogue.
- Printing donor addresses or valuations in a register that visitors or volunteers may see.
- Filling in the register months after things arrive, when the dates and sources are guesses.
Do it in the catalogue
Open the catalogue to number an accession and its objects, add photos and locations, and print the register, labels and receipts. Everything stays in this browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Save the catalogue file after every session.
Frequently asked questions
Should the register be a bound book?
Many museums keep one, because a bound book with numbered pages is hard to alter. If you keep the register in software, print it at least once a year, sign and date the pages, and keep the printout and a catalogue file somewhere safe.
Can I print the register for one year?
Yes. The registers page prints every year or any one year, in number order.
Where do deaccessioned accessions go?
They stay in the register with their status marked deaccessioned. The line is never removed, because it is the record that the object was once in the collection.
Sources
Last reviewed 28 September 2026 against:
- Acquisition and accessioning, the Spectrum standard, Collections Trust, read 28 September 2026. Used for: A unique number for each object, the register as a permanent record that is hard to tamper with, written evidence that the owner transferred title, keeping acquisition papers, and backup copies of the records.
- Inventory, the Spectrum standard, Collections Trust, read 28 September 2026. Used for: Knowing where every object is and when it was last seen there, with a number, name, description and ownership status for each.
- Numbering, Collections Trust, guidance updated August 2024, read 28 September 2026. Used for: Year based accession numbers with a running sequence and a further part for each object, full four digit years first, full stops as separators, no leading zeros, entry and temporary numbers attached reversibly, and renumbering discouraged.
This guide is our own summary, not a rule book. Rules are paraphrased, never quoted at length, and if this page disagrees with the current published rules, the rules win. Curatorbook is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any museum, association, standards body or software vendor, including the Collections Trust (Spectrum), the American Alliance of Museums, the American Association for State and Local History, the National Park Service, PastPerfect, CatalogIt, MUSARCH, CollectiveAccess and Omeka.