3.1 Assigning Records accession number

An accession number is a unique running number given to each item when it is officially added to the library's stock. The first item ever accessioned is number 1, and every new item takes the next number, so no two items in the library share an accession number even if they are copies of the same title. The number is recorded in the accession register and written or stamped on the item, so that the item and its record can always be matched. Example: the library of a technical and vocational college in Gatundu had reached accession number 18,452 by the end of the year, showing the total number of items ever added to its stock.

Policy

An accession policy is the set of written rules the library follows when assigning accession numbers. It ensures that all staff assign numbers the same way and that the register remains a reliable legal and audit record.

• Uniqueness: Each item, including each copy and each volume of a set, receives its own number, and a number is never reused, even after an item is withdrawn or lost.
• Sequence: Numbers are assigned in strict running order in the order items are processed, with no gaps or jumps.
• Who assigns numbers: Only authorised technical services staff assign numbers and make entries in the register.
• Materials covered: The policy states which materials are accessioned (books, bound journals, audio-visual items) and which are only listed (newspapers, pamphlets, ephemera).
• Separate sequences: Some libraries keep separate numbering for special collections, such as audio-visual materials or theses, often with a prefix such as AV or TH.
• Corrections: Errors are corrected by a single line through the wrong entry, initialled and dated, never by tearing out pages or using correction fluid.
• Withdrawals: Lost, damaged or discarded items are marked as withdrawn against their original numbers, with the date and authority.
• Safe custody: The register is kept securely, as it is a permanent record of the library's assets.

Procedure

1. Confirm the item has been verified: Accession only items that have passed the quantity, quality and physical checks.
2. Open the accession register at the next blank line: Read the last number used and take the next number in sequence.
3. Enter the item's details: Record the date, accession number and the bibliographic details (author, title, edition, publisher, year, source and cost) on that line.
4. Write the number on the item: Stamp or write the accession number on the verso of the title page and any other agreed place.
5. Link the barcode: Where a library system is used, scan or enter the barcode so that it is linked to the accession number.
6. Repeat for each copy: Give every copy and volume its own number and line.
7. Check the entries: A second staff member compares the register entries with the items before they move on to classification.
8. Pass the items on: Send the accessioned items for classification, cataloguing and shelf preparation.

Example: at a county library in Wote, the library assistant accessions new books only after the senior librarian has signed the goods received note, and initials each register page when it is complete.