Rachel -
I agree with Bill that these are objects which likely should never have
been accessioned in the first place. However, it does not seem that it was
your call to bring them into the collection. It also seems that you walked
into a complicated situation that involves ethical, legal, and political
(in terms of community/board reaction) considerations. Having worked at a
small-town Museum, also, I can understand the position you are in.
I am not a lawyer so there is not much I can speak to in regard to the
legal issues. I cannot see, however, why you would not be able to dispose
of the objects in whatever manner that your governing body has determined
best for your institution.
Unless there is a person or org in-waiting for these objects, it would be
my judgement to donate them to a local thrift store, given their stated
insignificance to your organization's mission. Oftentimes, Goodwill or the
Salvation Army offer free pick-up of donations, particularly of large
objects. It does not make sense to me why you would pay to have them taken
elsewhere when you could benefit another non-profit through a contribution
at no financial cost to your org.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of any additional assistance.
Best,
-Jack
On Tue, Jul 24, 2018 at 11:16 PM, William Hosley <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> The right answer is to learn to say NO and not feel obliged to solve their
> problem for them even if they’ve been a donor which, most of the time,
> isn’t even the case.
>
> Bill Hosley
>
>
> On Jul 24, 2018, at 8:51 PM, Samantha Smith <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> Hi Rachel,
>
> Everyone I know recently is trying to give pianos. I swear this is the 3rd
> time I've seen this question in the span of a month!
>
> Some suggestions, since most of the museums I know don't really have the
> room or the capabilities to care for these instruments.
>
> 1. I would talk to a local pianist/organist We have a piano at the home
> I'm the director of and we've got a great relationship with a tuner who
> specializes in old and historic pianos. He's been able to tell me so much
> about our instrument. (Best way to find gems like him is to ask organists
> and pianists. They'll be able to find fixers/tuners who work freelance and
> don't have the same constraints as those who work for big stores, etc.)
> 2. If they're in good condition, see if there's any theaters, youth music
> programs, schools, etc, who might benefit from a donation. My accompaniest
> just got rid of one of his pianos and ended up donating it to a local
> theater program in his town.
> 3. Sometimes churches are looking for pianos and organs.
> 4. Best bet is to spread the word through your local music community. Tell
> church organists, music teachers, musicians, theater members. They work in
> a community and will spread the word. They'll want to see all the
> instruments get good homes and will help. Sometimes there are regional
> Facebook groups that you can also post in for musicians (ie, the one I'm in
> is Northeast Ohio Church Musicians). But the more people you tell, the more
> it will spread into the little pockets of the community since there are so
> many arms.
>
> Good Luck!
>
> Sammy Kay
>
> Samantha Kay Smith
>
> Director
> Spring Hill Historic Home
>
> [log in to unmask]
> 330-933-1298
> @sammykay118
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 24, 2018 at 3:13 PM Rachel Whitney <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I am the Museum Director for a small-town, small-museum in Oklahoma. We
>> have little for our budget, and I have a few large items that the museum
>> cannot take care of anymore. I am new to the small town, as well as, new to
>> the museum world. Most of my board members have lived in the town all their
>> lives, but no one has ever worked in a museum or the very least dealt with
>> archival/collection.
>>
>> In my museum's collection are several items that we cannot take care -
>> they have never been taken care of since they were donated to the museum
>> approx. 20 years ago. I have 1 grand piano and 2 organs. They're
>> surprisingly in pretty good/fair condition, however, I know they are not
>> being taking care of because a) they're in storage - where there is no a/c,
>> humidity control, and mold in the building, b) these items have no
>> connection to the town and our mission statement, c) there are no
>> documentation on how we received these items or who they had belonged to or
>> significance to person and the town. What can/should I do? We don't need
>> them, but we can't move them, either - but if we can, we will adjust the
>> moving of these items to our budget.
>>
>> Thank you,
>> Rachel Whitney
>>
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--
Jack Blanchard '20
Bonner Scholar
*Religious Studies*
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana
C: (317) 605-5203
Twitter: @jblanchard_2020
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