Terminology Resource Description

As part of its work with documentation standards the Collections Trust (formally MDA) has, since the 1970s, been developing and maintaining a scheme which allows for the identification of collection-holding organisations and their collections in the UK. This has been done by the issuing of unique MDA Codes.

An MDA Code is usually made up of five letters - the first three being an abbreviation of the town or village where the organisation is located, followed by two letters as an abbreviation of the organisation's name (e.g. WINGM for the Gurkha Museum in Winchester). Exceptions to this are: London, where LD is used and this is followed by three letters for the institution. Some organisations wish to have a common code for all their museums (e.g. TWCMS for Tyne and Wear Museums). Some of the Nationals have kept their own codes (e.g. IWM for Imperial War Museum).

An individual collection held by an organisation may have its own MDA Code, but this is very unusual. Possible reasons for this might be that the collection was, at some point in its history, held by another organisation that no longer exists.

It is possible for an organisation to change its MDA Code. This can be for various reasons. For example, the organisation may move its location or it may have been amalgamated with another organisation. However a change of MDA Code does not mean an organisation has to change its documentaion or re-mark its objects.

http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/mdacodes/