Taking legal ownership of objects, especially (but not always) to add to your long-term collection through the process of accessioning: the formal commitment by your governing body to care for objects over the long term.
This is a primary procedure. Accredited UK museums must meet the Spectrum standard set out below. The suggested procedure is one way to achieve the standard, but it is just a suggestion.
In legal terms, acquisition involves a ‘transfer of title’ from the previous owner to you. The procedure gives you proof of ownership, and it assigns a unique number that will link each object to the information you hold about it.
This is the Spectrum standard for Acquisition and accessioning. It includes policy questions and sets out the minimum requirements you should aim to meet however you put this procedure into practice.
This suggested procedure shows how you might meet the Spectrum standard for Acquisition and accessioning. It is presented in two formats: text and workflow diagram. They are meant to be starting points for you to adapt to the needs of your own museum.