Rolling Inventory (Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014)

*Please remember to have clean hands and wear white gloves!  Handle the photographs carefully and according to our standard procedures.  If a box is too heavy, ask for help.  Use a truck to transport larger boxes from the shelving units to the large table in the Reading Room.  If you have any questions or concerns, please ask Susan. 

1. Take an Accession form from the "Inventory to be Completed" folder.  Make sure you get all of the corresponding pages

2. Write today's date on the top right.

3. Retrieve the box(es) containing the items in that accession. If you are unsure where to find the box, check in PastPerfect.  Go to Photos > Find > Object ID and put in the Accession number of the individual photo (not all photos from one accession are shelved together).

   • Location "Photographers" refers to the first ranges of wire shelving where the photographs are arranged by photographer's last name

   • Location "Collections" refers to the last few ranges of wire shelving where collections are arranged in ABC order (collections may have items from more than one photographer)

4. If the box(es) with the items from that accession also contain items from another accession, please check in the "Inventory to be Completed" folder for that other accession number to see if those materials must be counted as well.  If so, take out the other form so that you may count all items at once.

5. Mark the location of the items on the accession form next to the item number and description

   • Make sure it says "PHOT" (if shelved in Photographers' section), "COLL" (if shelved under Collections), "VLT" (if in vault) or "CS" (if in Cold Storage).

   • Write down the Range and Section numbers, Ex:  R2S1 (These numbers are found on the shelving unit)

6. Take items out of the boxes and make that all items in an accession are accounted for.

7. When you find an individual item, check it off on the accession form.

8. If you do not find an item, highlight that item's accession number with a highlighter.

9. If you find that an item is not marked with its accession number (e.g. P75-04-001), then please write it on the back of the item:

   • Turn the photo over

   • Using a 100% graphite pencil, write the accession number lightly in the lower left-hand corner (make sure to begin the number with a "P")

10. If you find that there is no acid-free tissue interleaving the photos, please gently put a sheet of tissue between each photo (under the mat, if matted.  If the photos are encapsulated or housed in plastic, you do not need to interleave).

11. If the photos are housed in a portfolio, please note that on the accession form, and write the title of the portfolio.

12. Check the label on the box.  Does it have all inclusive numbers listed?  Ex:  P74-05-001 to 012, P2001-05-010, P96-04-021 to 023.

    • If all of the inclusive numbers are not listed on the label, write "Needs new label" on the accession form in the top left. 

13. Once all items have been counted, put them back in numerical order in the box.

    • EXCEPTION:  if the items vary in size, please put the smaller ones on top, even if they have a higher accession number than those below

14. Return the box to its correct location.

15. If all items have been accounted for, check of the accession number(s) on the Master List

16. If you cannot find all items, highlight the accession number(s) on the Master List

17. Place the accession form(s) in the "Inventory Completed" folder.

In PastPerfect

1. Open the Photos Catalog

2. Click on "Find" on the top toolbar

3. Select "Accession Number"

4. Enter the accession number into the search box (don't forget the P)

5. Click on "Edit" on the top tool bar

   1. In the "Collections" box: Make sure that the name of the collection conforms to the following convention:

      1. If from the Photographers' Section, the name of the collection should be "Photographers: Last Name, First Name"

      2. If from the Collections Section, the name of the collection should be what that collection is called, e.g. "Lossing Collection"

   2. For "Home Location" please follow the standard for locations below

      1. All should begin with AOK:

      2. If from the Photographers' Section, use the term "PHOT:" after the AOK:

      3. If from the Collections Section, use the term "COLL:"after the AOK:

      4. Next, put in the Range and Shelf information, ex: R1S2

      5. Finally, if there is a box number, be sure to put it after the RS numbers above, e.g. AOK:PHOT:R2S1:Box4

   3. Click on "Custom."  In the "Last Inventory Date" field, put in the date the item was inventoried.

   4. If there is a named portfolio, click on "Custom" and go to the "Series" field.  In that field, write, "From the portfolio, [name of portfolio]."  Example:  From the portfolio, "Recto/Verso."

   5. If there are any notes, click on "Notes" and fill in the information.  Example:  Photograph is framed.

   6. Save the record.

Printing Labels

1. We want to make sure that the labels on the boxes are explicit.  So, we want all of the accession numbers of the items included in the boxes to be reflected on the label.

2. Turn on the power to the P-Touch label printer

3. Click on the P-Touch icon on the computer's desktop

4. Open the ____________ file

5. For Photographers: the first line should be the photographer's Last Name, First Name. For Collections: the first line should be the collection name, Example: Baltimore Camera Club Collection

   1. Next, list the accession numbers and ranges. Example: P75-54-001 to 025.

      1. If the numbers are not in a range, use a comma to separate them.  Example:  P94-16-005, 010, 012, & 021 to 024. 

      2. If there are multiple accessions in a single box, put them on the row below.

         1. Example: P75-55-001 to 009
            P2008-06-001 to 004
            P2010-03-002, 007 & 011

      3. If there are multiple boxes, list the box number on the label.

         1. Example: Gibson, Ralph Box3
            P95-64-001 to 010

   2. The next line should read: The Photography Collections

   3. The last line should read: UMBC