Managing Accessions

The Accession module handles the formal receipt of objects into the museum’s collection, recording the transfer of legal title and establishing provenance before items are individually catalogued.

Creating an Accession

From Scratch

1. Navigate to Collections > Accessions in the sidebar.
2. Click New Accession.
3. Fill in the essential details:
   • Accession Number: Follow your museum’s convention (e.g., 2024.1). Click Preview Next Number to see what the system would auto-assign.
   • Date: The official date the title was transferred or objects were formally received.
   • Source: Link the accession to a Contact record (Donor, Vendor, Bequestor).
   • Acquisition Method: Gift, Purchase, Bequest, Transfer, Field Collection, etc.
4. The Accession status defaults to Proposed until formally approved.

From an Entry Record

Objects that arrive via the Entry Records workflow can be converted directly into an Accession. This carries across the depositor, object list, insurance value, and other details automatically. See Entry Records → Converting to an Accession.

Linking Items

An Accession acts as a grouping container for newly arrived objects:

• Link multiple Item records to a single Accession to maintain a shared legal history.
• The Accession Detail page displays an Inventory list of all linked Items.
• Items can be created directly from within the Accession wizard, or linked after the fact from the Item’s own record.

Compliance Checklist

Accessions can include a configurable Compliance Checklist — a list of conditions that must be confirmed before an acquisition can be approved (e.g., “Export certificate confirmed”, “CITES permit obtained”, “Provenance verified to 1970”).

Administrators define the checklist items under Administration > Compliance Settings. Staff tick off each item when working through an accession before submitting for final approval.

Approvals & Workflow

Larger acquisitions typically require internal authorisation:

• Submit for Review: Use the Submit for Review button to notify your supervisor.
• Approval Action: Authorised staff approve or reject the proposal from the Review Queue on the Dashboard.
• Audit Trail: Every status change, approval, and rejection is recorded in the history log with the actor’s name and timestamp.

Permissions Required

• View Accessions (accessions_read): View the list and individual records.
• Create Accessions (accessions_create): Initiate a new acquisition record.
• Manage Accessions (accessions_update): Edit details or change statuses.
• Approve Records (approvals_manage): Formally approve or reject a proposed accession.