Deborah Harding wrote:

>Here's a nice topic for the list members to gnaw down to the bone.

>Does anyone know offhand what are the ethical standards for the use of
funds
>generated by the sale of deaccessioned items?  Are they to be used for
>collections purchase only, or may they be used for collections support
>(better cabinets, climate control, etc.)?

I believe it is well-settled that any income from deaccessions should be
used to support collections work (acquisition, care, etc.)

>How about method of disposal (public sale/auction vs. dealers)?  Someone
brought up eBay a while
>ago, but I didn't see much generated in response.

Museums accept objects as stewards for them.  When deaccessioning, common
sense suggests that we be as discreet as possible -- i.e., that we avoid
giving our "publics" any impression that we consider these objects as
commercial items to be sold in the general marketplace.

While offering objects to other museums/public institutions seems to be the
preferred first step, as I understand it the only ethical question after
that is whether or not to sell to staff, board members, volunteers.  We will
not sell to insiders who have any influence over what is to be
deaccessioned.

We will also not have a public sale of anything from collections, and I
doubt many museums would.  We have used carefully selected dealers well
outside our immediate region, so long as the dealers do not use the museum's
name.

Ross Weeks Jr.

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