[Nhcoll-l] Number removal upon deaccessioning

[Dirk Neumann]

Hi Leslie,

we do not have a procedure for this, but I would never re-use a 
de-accessioned number, simply to avoid any potential misunderstandings 
or issues (in the future, which might be +50 yrs).

Our collections were largely lost during the war. However, our 
collections (which were combined at that time with the teaching 
collection at university) used two different numbering systems, part of 
which have been used in publications. Part of them came back to our 
collection, after that parts of our collections that have been used as 
teaching collection at university, were "officially" returned (because 
nobody wanted to use these dusty guys sitting inside jars for lectures 
any more). This collection used a very similar, but in nuances slightly 
different number system ... among them type material.

It was very difficult to trace back catalogue numbers and to give them a 
"meaning" again.
To add more chaos, a former curator loaned mixed lots, and 
re-inventoried them (again including types of different species) under 
the same accession number ...

The key message for me was simple: never use the same number twice.

This is highly error prone and causes a lot of problems and adds 
confusion everywhere. If an object needs to be de-accessioned, give a 
clear reason under this number, who de-accessioned, for what reason, and 
what happened to the specimen. This information should remains traceable 
for all people that need or want to look this up in the future.

Hope this offers some guidance,

all the best
Dirk


Am 14.12.2015 um 19:27 schrieb Leslie L Skibinski:
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> What does your institutional policy say about “removing” your 
> institutions catalog or accession numbers from specimens when you 
> deaccession something?  Do you remove or gesso over the number?  Do 
> you draw a line through it?  Do you do nothing to the number?
>
> Do you have different procedures if you are disposing of the material 
> in different ways (i.e. transfer to another institution vs 
> destruction, etc.)?
>
> If you are transferring it to another institution and you have 
> obliterated the number on the object, do you also take the number off 
> the label?  If you do, how do you ensure the information on the 
> label/the label itself stays with the specimen?  Do you remove the 
> label and lose provenance or do you keep the label with the specimen?
>
> Any insights, examples or literature citations would be appreciated.
>
> Leslie L. Skibinski
>
> Collection Manager
>
> Paleontological Research Institution
>
> 1259 Trumansburg Road
>
> Ithaca, New York  14850
>
> Ph.  (607) 273-6623  ext. 28
>
> Fax:  (607) 273-6620
>
>
>
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-- 
Dirk Neumann

Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

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Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns
Zoologische Staatssammlung München
Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Labor
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Tel: +49-89-8107-111
Fax: +49-89-8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

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Bavarian Natural History Collections
The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
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