Anne,

Given lack of legislation to claim old loans, and depending on the
number of old loans, you very likely may never completely resolve the
problem. I worked in a museum that had acquired hundreds of old loans
over more than 60 years. I cleared lots, but didn't clear lots more.

About all you can do is chip away at it, one collection at a time,
returning it to the lender or rightful heirs (which they have to prove),
or converting it to a gift. Over time, it's surprising how many people
wander into the museum and mention that their grandparents or
great-grandparents "....left things at the museum."  That's the cue to
quickly looking up status (loan or gift) and start getting it resolved,
which can take time if you have to seek a rightful heir or administrator
of an estate, (often a relative of the people who came in).

If you have time and money, you can be more proactive in searching for
lenders or their heirs through newspaper advertising in the newspaper in
town of last known address, or advertising locally with lists of names.
The new capability to search for people on the internet should be a big
help if you have someone with time to do that. It's also a good idea to
know you can find all the items in a loan list before searching for the
lender.

There is one caveat, however, which is a PR issue. Many people's initial
reaction is that their things weren't "good enough,"  You have to get
fairly expert at explaining to people why you want to return the items
or convert them to gifts, and soothe any feelings that their family's
precious items have been "rejected" or that you are being aquisitory.
You have to explain present "good museum practices," express
appreciation for having had use of the items (whether it's true or not),
and show understanding of their historical significance. Sometimes that
means suggesting other museums where they might be more pertinent to
mission (if they are not to yours and you don't want to convert to a
gift). My experience has been that most people will understand the
museum's reasons for not storing loans, but they need to go away feeling
that the items have been appreciated.

AND, even if you get legislation, it can be a very expensive and time
consuming process to pursue to a legal conclusion.

Good Luck,

Lucy Sperlin
Heritage Management
Chico, California






Anne Marr wrote:
>
> I'm sure that a lot of you have had to wrestle with this problem in the
> past, and I hope you would be willing to share how you resolved the issue.
> I have a copy of A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections and although
> the relevant section is very informative, it obviously refers to US
> legislation.  Does anyone know whether there is any legislation in Canada
> pertaining to old loans?  Any information or advice is appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Anne Marr
> Registrar
> New Brunswick Museum
> Saint John, NB
> Canada
>
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