Persistent object identifiers

Staff assign an identifier while enrolling a particular possession. They use it in condition records, labels, event references, correspondence, handoffs. The identifier supports an enduring address while staff revise descriptions or change access.

An accession reference such as NT-0047 identifies the hypothetical camera used in this account. It carries no required interpretation of value or ownership. Staff can attach an appropriate label or tag, retain a registry entry, distinguish duplicate descriptions. A replacement or newly produced print receives another identifier with a recorded relation to the camera.

Nested material sometimes requires a further reference. Staff may identify an inserted photograph separately while recording its position in a book. For an unremarked passage, an address within a copy may suffice. Parts and object addresses explain those choices. Persistence requires ongoing maintenance of references, access, exports, records during institutional changes.