Separation of collections from their information puts those items at risk of neglect and loss. Museums have protocols and procedures to help prevent dissociation. Items in the collection are only kept in specific areas, for example: storage rooms, the isolation room, the collections processing room, exhibition galleries, and the conservation lab. Collections are not taken to staff offices or the exhibit shop. Policies and procedures about object handling and movement help prevent items from getting misplaced. Reducing the backlog of unprocessed collections also helps protect objects from dissociation.
Each item in the collection or on loan should have a unique number attached to it that connects the item to all the valuable information in the database and other museum files. Images, a detailed description, measurements, and specific condition information in the database can help reunite a specific item with its records if the label with the number is lost, but diligent labeling gives crucial protection against dissociation. Safe labeling techniques for different materials have an underlying goal of staying well-attached and legible for generations yet easy to remove without harming the item. Redundant numbering in the form of paper tags and labels on storage housings is helpful in addition to the number affixed to the item itself.
Every object in our collection has a number on it. Without this number we cannot connect it to any of its information or track its whereabouts. Numbers must be easy to find on the object without handling it too much, but also easy to hide during exhibition or photography. Most importantly, it should not cause damage. NEVER use adhesive tape on object. Either it will weaken with age and fall off, or it will not come off and will cause serious staining. It might even pull off the surface of the item. For tiny objects, you may need to tag it or label the bag or box instead. This is a last resort, because if the object is separated from its package, it is separated from its number and all its information. Different materials are labeled with different techniques to avoid damaging the object (figure 1). Tips for labeling for each material are given in the following PDF:
A labeling kit is a good way to keep all the necessary materials conveniently at hand to label incoming collections or loans. A list of the basic supplies is given in the attached pdf, and a kit like this would cost between $50 - $100 to assemble (figure 2).
Many labels are attached with an archival grade adhesive called Paraloid B-72. Use of this adhesive is a basic museum collections care or registration skill, but in-depth descriptions of the pros and cons for various other adhesives are given in this report:
There are four main strategies for selecting a label technique: B-72 and ink, hang tags, sewn tags, or pencil. The advantages of each are listed here:
This is the classic gold-standard method used in many museums. A layer of archival-grade resin like clear Paraloid B-72 is brushed onto the object as a small rectangular barrier layer and allowed to dry. The number is then written by hand in permanent ink on this layer. If the number were written directly on the object, we could not remove it and it would permanently deface the item. A top coat of the clear B-72 or other coating is applied over the number to protect it. Write the number with a carbon-based ink that will not fade, like a technical pen (Rotring) or India Ink with a quill pen. Sharpies are not archival. On a dark object, a layer of white paint is added after the first layer of clear B-72 and the number is written on the white paint. B-72 can be removed with acetone. This method has been used for decades with metal, stone, ceramics, glass, and wood. Another option is to print the number on a tiny piece of paper, either with a printer or by hand, and sandwich that between two layers of B-72. This is published in the following article:
Braun, Thomas J. “Short Communication: An Alternative Technique for Applying Accession Numbers to Museum Artifacts.” Journal of the American Institute for Conservation Vol. 46 Summer 2007 pp. 91–104.
Troubleshooting:
Additional Hints:
“Hang tags” are usually made of thick acid-free paper and attached to the object with white cotton thread or white cotton string (figure 3). Sometimes they are made from inert Tyvek white plastic sheeting. They are often used when adhesives may be damaging to an object (particularly if the acetone solvent would cause damage) or if the object is large and a number would be hard to find. Pencil or permanent ink should be used. Never use an ink or a colored thread/string that could run if wet and stain the object. Use this method for baskets, leather, and plastics. Paper tags can be marked with a #2 pencil. Hang tags are not as durable as labels directly on the item.
Cloth or Tyvek labels are usually sewn to textiles. Tyvek is a flexible, inert, white plastic sheet material commonly used for mailing envelopes or construction home wrap. The number can be written on the Tyvek or white cotton twill tape. If the twill tape is too loosely woven, the ink may bleed and be hard to read, so tightly woven twill tape is better. The label is sewn with white cotton thread onto the textile, using existing stitch holes in a seam if possible. Garments are usually labeled on the inside back at the neck. Sewing a loop through two holes at each end is usually sufficient, and allows the label to be removed with only two snips of a scissors (figure 4).
Most books, paper, and photo materials are labeled with pencil (figure 5). Typically, a #2 or HB pencil is used, and care is taken not to dent the item with the pressure from the pencil. Writing on a hard surface can prevent denting. If the pencil marking cannot be erased, it ought not be used. Some photographs have a plastic substrate that can be difficult to write on with a conventional graphite pencil, but archival supply vendors sell special pencils that will mark safely on those surfaces.
These questions help determine the best labeling technique:
One of the strongest defenses against dissociation is redundancy. Dissociation is much less likely if an object has its number attached to it, has a storage housing with this number, is kept in a proper location, and is fully cataloged into a museum database with a detailed description, measurements, images, and condition. Rolled textiles, for example, benefit from an extra tag on the outer wrapping (figure 6). To reduce handling, it is helpful to add extra tags or labels nearby (figure 7). If an item already has labels or markings of some kind, it is best to leave those in place since they often add to the historical record of the item (figure 8). Sometimes an object defies attaching a label at all (figure 9) and redundant labeling on storage housings are especially important.
Questions? Contact Us! The Alaska State Museum has an outreach mandate to help provide advice and expertise to museum professionals and other caretakers of Alaskan material culture.
Email Ellen at ellen.carrlee@alaska.gov or fill out our online contact form.
