Collection Labeling: Safely Applying Accession Numbers to Museum Objects

In this video, Nancy Odegaard and Gina Watkinson, conservators at the Arizona State Museum, discuss and illustrate good and bad labeling techniques. The presenters describe the contents of a well-stocked collections labeling kit, methods of applying numbers to a variety of objects, and provide an overview of unacceptable marking methods and materials. The video also demonstrates the use of laser-printed paper labels, which adhered with non-solvent based adhesives are more efficient and safer for people and objects, easier to read, and easier to remove. This session was part of the 2015 ATALM annual conference held in Washington, DC on September 9-12, 2015.