An inventory is an essential function of the registrar to fulfill the mission of the museum or to provide an accurate accounting of what the private client owns. The inventory usually addresses the maintenance of the object records, comprehensive accounting of the museum’s or owner’s holdings, smaller spot checks of specific collections, or outside auditor requests for the museum’s accountability and care in holding the collection in the public trust. For the private client, an inventory will help with insurance policy coverage and premiums.
Working in the museums, I helped oversee and participated in major inventories for collection accuracy in locations and possible discrepancies in collection records and confusion in numbering in identifying objects. I also worked with outside auditors, matching object to number, number to object and their locations for the objects. After doing an inventory with private clients, I have provided automated and paper records with photographs for their collections.
