Database Number Labels

Database Number Labels

By Brennen Dyer
Database numbers connect the physical specimen to the digital record. Any obstacles between specimens and digital records should be avoided. Going from database to specimen shouldn't be difficult, but the reverse is riskier. In this guide I'll talk about my database number labels and how they are designed with facilitating the latter. For discussion about a database itself, view the guide under Tips & Guides > Database > Filemaker Database.

The Prefix

The prefix is the set of letters that are typically before the numbers. I recommend striking a balance between complexity, unigueness, and meaning. This may sound impossible, but we'll review some examples of real prefixes that have been used. I simply use my initials with "C" on the end to denote Collection, but that's because I'm a personal collector. Institutions often use either the initials of the museum itself or those of the encompassing institution. For example, 

Number of Numbers

This isn't as big an issue as the other considerations but it's worth a moment to think about. How many entries do you think the database will have when it stops growing? Take that number and add a zero to the end. For me, I think I can reasonably approach 100,000 specimens, so my database numbers have six digits. That way, from 000000 to 999999, I can have a million specimens in my database before I'd have to increase the number of digits.

My template

Now that I've given my piece on the philosophy of database labels, I offer my template. It was interesting learning to code Excel macros, which I did to help you modify my template for your purposes. Just follow the directions in the text box right of the labels. If you'd rather have a substantially different design, then I recommend trying to design one yourself. I had fun doing it and I'm better with Excel as a result, so it's a win-win. All you really have to know is how to format the number cells so the number is displayed the way you want, use formulas to increment numbers from cell-to-cell, and tune the Print Area to your needs. Here's a guide on cell formatting, which was the hardest part for me.
Database Number Labels
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