Documenting Your Collections
Info-Muse Network Documentation Guide

Les guides électroniques de la SMQ

Accession Date (Source)

Field used for ethnology and history collectionsField used for fine and decorative arts collectionsField used for science and technology collectionsField used for archaeology collections (object data and site data)Field used for natural science collections

Definition:

  • This field contains the acquisition date of the object by your institution.

Observation:

  • This field is used in conjunction with the Acquisition Mode and Source fields.
    Example

    A projectile shaft bequeathed by Lucie Richards on May 22, 1982

      Object Nameprojectile shaft
     Acquisition Mode bequest
    Accession Date 1982-05-22
      Source Richards, Lucie

Entry rules:

  1. Enter the date in the form YYYY dash MM dash DD, in numbers only (Y for "year," M for "month," D for "day").
    Example

    A ring found during excavations by Larry Chan on February 13, 1991

      Object Namering
     Acquisition Modeexcavation
    Accession Date 1991-02-13
      Source Chan, Larry
  2. If only the year of acquisition is known, enter it in the form YYYY (Y for "year").
    Example

    A projectile point that has been in your collections since 1956

      Object Name projectile point
     Acquisition Mode unknown
    Accession Date 1956
      Source unknown
  3. If you are unsure whether your information is correct, include a space and a question mark after the date.
    Example

    Twenty-one potsherds from the same pottery were given to your institution by Brother Hubert Lantern. The date of the gift may have been 1956.

      Object Namepotsherd
     Quantity21
     Materialclay
     Acquisition Modegift
    Accession Date1956 ?
      SourceLantern, Hubert, Brother
  4. If you know that an object was in your collections on a specific date, but you have no information on the accession date, enter the date indicated in your files, followed by a space and the abbreviation "P" for "prior to."
    Example

    A necklace for which there is a date of assessment of its condition (Current Condition Date field), but no accession data.

      Object Namenecklace
      Current Condition good
      Current Condition Date 1959-04-19
     Acquisition Mode unknown
    Accession Date 1959-04-19 P
      Source unknown
  5. If you are unable to determine the accession date despite your research, enter "unknown".
    Example

    A cup is part of your collections, but there is no information on its accession date or acquisition mode.

      Object Namecup
     Acquisition Modeunknown
    Accession Dateunknown
      Sourceunknown
  6. This field may not contain more than one entry.

www.smq.qc.ca © Société des musées du Québec