What constitutes a temporal event
A temporal event is any occurrence that involves a measurable or witnessed deviation from expected temporal reference at any Athenaeum site or in connection with any accession. This includes: unexpected changes in object age or condition sequence; rooms or corridors presenting in a period other than the expected one; staff or visitors experiencing temporal offset greater than the documented drift for the site; objects or accessions arriving before they were sent; and any encounter with the institution's own past or future staff.
How to report
Temporal events should be reported to the Registrar as promptly as the temporal position of the reporter allows. Reports should include: the site and approximate time of the event in local reference; a description of what occurred; any objects or areas affected; and the identity and temporal position of all witnesses.
Do not attempt to correct a temporal event unilaterally. Do not tell other staff what they will see before they see it. Do not make records that describe events as already resolved if they are not yet resolved from the perspective of the reader.
Initial response and escalation
The Registrar will acknowledge the report and assign an initial response level under the Incident Classification Guidance (MA-POL-022). Events involving active frame instability at a storage site are escalated immediately to the Frame Integrity department.
Post-event record
Closed temporal events are recorded in the restricted incident log. They remain open for review if any aspect of the event recurs or if new information is received. An event is not considered closed solely because the period in which it occurred has passed.