ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No "long term" loans as a form of "giving", please unless you want future
generations of registrars to curse your name and spit on your grave.
Loans should ALWAYS have specified lengths and be renewed on a regular basis
(see The New Museum Registration Methods if you have any questions about
this at all).

As far as the deaccession goes, I'm not sure I understand the proposed
arrangment.   Is this an accurate summary?:

The Museum has a collection it wishes to deaccession.   There is a private
individual who wishes to purchase the collection, but instead of paying for
it he wishes to provide goods and services for only a portion of the value
of the collection.   Should you do this?

It is not clear to me whether the "goods" are additional objects for the
museum collection, i.e., is the private collector giving the museum objects
it wants in exchange for objects it doesn't?   Or are the goods something
other than collections?

You might want to think about a few more questions on the subject:

1.  What is the institutional policy on approving deaccessions (not
disposing of the deaccessioned material, just for deciding if the
deaccession is appropriate) and has that been followed?
2. Is there another option for disposition (public sale or auction)?   Is
there a value to keeping the collection intact that offsets the reduced
value you might be accepting for the "goods and services"?
3.  Is there a prior - or anticipated future - relationship between the
museum, board or employees with the private museum owner that might suggest
a conflict of interest that should always be avoided in the disposition of
deaccessioned material?
4.  Does your deaccessions policy specify that you can only make exchanges
with non profit institutions or does it say museums?   There are many
perfectly legitimate museums that are run by for-profit organizations (e.g.,
corporate museums like Wells Fargo or Hallmark), so this may not be an
exception to your policy at all.

Hope some of this helps,

Janice Klein
Director
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Kendall College
[log in to unmask]




-----Original Message-----
From: Lois Brynes <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, September 22, 2000 6:14 AM
Subject: Re: Deaccessioning Question


>Hi Anne,
>    Best scenario may be to "give" the objects in question on long term
>loan. Easy to set up and you need not specify any particular time for
>return. The "goods & services" should be provided as a donation to the
>musuem.
>    If this does not work... wring hands, do not set precedent.
>
>Good luck,
>        Lois
>Lois Brynes
>Deep-Time Associates
>
>> From: Anne Lane <[log in to unmask]>
>> Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>> Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 17:55:09 -0400
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Deaccessioning Question
>>
>> Hi, folks -
>>
>> I need your help on a situation - purely hypothetical, mind you!  ; )
>>
>> There are some items in a collection that do not fit the institution's
>> mission and that are taking up sorely needed storage space. The curator
of
>> the collection is planning on deaccessioning these items. In the course
of
>> trying to find a new home for them, he has come in contact with a person
>> who has a private company that provides goods and services that could be
of
>> great value to the institution, specifically to the collection in
question.
>> The person who can provide these goods and services owns and runs a
>> private museum that is open to the public. This person would be
interested
>> in acquiring the deaccessioned items from the institution for display in
>> the museum.
>> In return this person would provide goods and services to the institution
>> for a portion of the appraised value of the items.
>> The institution's collections policy forbids deaccessioning items for the
>> specific purpose of acquiring other items. It does allow exchanges to be
>> made between institutions, but there is concern because the museum in
>> question is a private for-profit. The curator would like to see an
>> exception made based on what he sees as an opportunity that could not
>> otherwise be available to the institution. The possibility of exceptions
is
>> written into the policy, but there is concern that this would set a bad
>> precedent.
>> I know this is a thin ice situation, and I'm not looking for wrung hands,
>> slapped wrists or cries of "Quel horreur!!!" I would appreciate anyone's
>> taking a little time to present reasoned arguments for or against. I have
>> had reason before to appreciate the cumulative wisdom of those on this
list
>> with far more experience and education than I. TIA,
>> Anne
>>
>> Anne T. Lane, Collections Manager
>> Museum of York County
>> 4621 Mount Gallant Road,
>> Rock Hill, SC 29732-9905
>> 803-329-2121, ext. 104
>> FAX 803-329-5249
>>
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