📍Processing
physical processing + location + how to decide (e.g. thickness for pams vs. open shelves, oversize, what goes in mons)
item record (location, shelfmark, access statuses)
holdings records (for journals)
workflow (e.g. labelling, going to conservation, shelving)
physical location
The physical processing of items depends on the format and location of the item.
Open shelves
Stick a barcode on the inside cover, as long as this doesn't obstruct any text or important illustrations. Find a suitable alternative place if necessary.
Stamp with plain Wellcome Collection stamp and write shelfmark in 2B pencil inside the stamp.
Put barcoded and stamped books on the labelling shelves in the Bibs room.
Oversize (open shelves)
Add (folios) to the end of the shelfmark. The location code makes "folios" visible on the catalogue.
Closed stores
Stick a barcode on the inside cover, as long as this doesn't obstruct any text or important illustrations. Find a suitable alternative place if necessary.
Stamp with an 'M' Wellcome Collection stamp and write shelfmark in 2B pencil inside the stamp.
Put barcoded and stamped books on the labelling shelves in the Bibs room.
Open shelves
Processing instructions (for LE&E) can be found on SharePoint - but these are outdated!
If you're cataloguing a new journal for open shelves, leave in the serials tray with a post-it explaining the location and shelfmark for LE&E to process.
Closed shelves
Stamp with S Wellcome Collection stamp in an appropriate space (i.e. not obstructing any text or important illustrations) and write shelfmark in 2B pencil. If there is no space for the stamp, just write the shelfmark in pencil in the top left-hand corner of the first page, or an appropriate space.
If the journal is small or fragile, put it in a Melinex sleeve, stick an ‘S’ shelfmark sticker to the top-left corner and write the shelfmark in 2B pencil
If the journal isn't in a sleeve, add a flag with the shelfmark to the first journal in the run.
Put serials in a pamphlet box and shelve in sub-basement.
Write shelfmark in 2B pencil on inside front cover or suitable alternative place if this will obstruct content.
Place zine inside sleeve and add Z sticker and "loose items" sticker and "anonymised" sticker if necessary. Write the shelfmark in the Z sticker.
Stick barcode to inside bottom-right corner of the sleeve.
Put in box for shelving in Bibs room.
Oversize
Same as above, but add O/S to end of shelfmark (and include in item record shelfmark - do not include O/S in bib 001)
Stick a barcode on the inside cover, as long as this doesn't obstruct any text or important illustrations. Find a suitable alternative place if necessary.
Stamp with P Wellcome Collection stamp and write shelfmark in 2B pencil inside the stamp.
Put in sleeve with a P sticker and write the shelfmark in the sticker.
Add to box for shelving in the Bibs room.
Historically, items of ephemera were either catalogued as an item within a box or simply at box level. Ephemera boxes were arranged by subject and followed a consequitive number shelfmark pattern, i.e. EPH123
All ephemera items are in ringbound boxes inside melinex sleeves. Sometimes items are flattened/obstructed. Sometimes they have accession/date information written in pencil on them.
If a box is catalogued to item level, the melinex sleeve may have a part number label on it like: EPH123:1 (for the first item in the box).
This information is outdated, and as the collection gets fully inventoried it will be fully itemised.
There is a hybrid retrieval system while this is in progress, but going forward each item of ephemera will be retrieved and produced individually when requested.
A/V processing guidelines are currently here
Stick a barcode to an Artist' books flag and write shelfmark in 2B pencil. Tuck the flag inside the book.
Add book to catalogued shelves in the workroom. When there are a few Artists' books to be shelved, contact Conservation who will house and store them.
New acquisitions will have been seen by Conservation Care and be housed appropriately. Conservation will add a label to the housing, add the i number (unique identifier) to the label in pencil.
Older material may need appropriate housing, check with Conservation.
All items must have their Object number (unique identifier, the i number in the 001 field) either on them or their housing.
Works on paper (prints, drawings) Write the Object number on the reverse of the object, bottom left hand corner, in 2B pencil. The folder should also be labelled on the front in pencil with the i number
Photographs The folder containing the photograph should be labelled with the Object number. Do not write on the back of the photograph.
Paintings
Framed works Collections Care will attach a D ring to the back of the frame, and add an identification label with the Object number.
3D works
Access restrictions
Objects with Restricted, Closed & Safeguarded access status must be identified by a red sticker on their container / housing. The Access status should be written in pencil on the folder.
Safeguarded items must be housed individually, not as a group.
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