An accession number is a sequential number given to each new book, magazine subscription, or recording as it is entered in the catalog of a library. If an item is removed from the collection, its number is usually not reused for new items. This numbering system is usually in addition to the library classification number (or alphanumeric code) and to the ISBN or International Standard Book Number assigned by publishers.
Accession numbers are also used by museums to identify objects by the order in which they entered the museum's collection. In many museums, the accession number will consist of the year acquired and a sequential number separated by a period. In addition, departments or art classifications within the museum may reserve sections of numbers. For example, objects identified by the numbers 11.300 through 11.350 may indicate objects obtained by the museum in 1911; the first 299 numbers may be used to indicate American art, while the next fifty (11.300-350) may be used for African art.
See also
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