Ron Hillel was looking for guidelines and procedures for deaccessioning
from collections.
Some years ago we sat down and created two documents, one is a policy
for collections and the other is a plan. The Policy outlines what we can
and cannot do legally and the plan outlines how we can actually do
things and what we would like to do to improve the collections. I have
included the extracts from both the policy and plan as regards
deaccessioning. In practice, items noted for deaccessioning which are
not slated for destruction have often been offered to other institutions
or in a few cases been put up for auction, but only after we have
outlined what the items are, what their value is or isn't, the reasons
for removing them from the collection etc, presenting the list to our
Collections Committee for approval and finally getting the approval of
the museum board.
Hope this helps
Carol Reid
Collections Manager, Archives
Canadian War Museum
1 Vimy Place,
Ottawa, ON, Canada,
K1R 1C2
www.warmuseum.ca
tel: (819) 776-8661
fax: (819)776-8623
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
From our policy for the development of the national collection:
CMCC refers to the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (which
consists of the Canadian Museum of Civilization which includes the
Canadian Children's Museum and the Canadian Postal museum) and the
Canadian War Museum.
6. DEACCESSION AND DISPOSAL:
6.1 Since it is the intention of the CMCC to preserve the objects in
the National Collection for posterity, the decision to deaccession and
dispose of any object is taken only after careful consideration.
6.2 No object in the National Collection may be disposed of unless
it has first been deaccessioned from the National Collection.
6.3 An object from the National Collection may only be deaccessioned
with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the CMCC.
6.4 An object may be recommended by the Collection Committee of the
CWM or CMC for deaccession if it
* does not fall within the mandate
* is dangerous to the collection, to employees of the CMCC, or to
the public
* is badly damaged or in a severe state of deterioration
* is a duplicate in excess of the National Collection requirements
* has been irretrievably lost or stolen from the National
Collection; or
* has been found, through the continuing process of documentation,
to have come illegally into the possession of the CMCC, and the legal
ownership has been established
6.5 Dispositions from the National Collection are covered by Section
9(1) (c) of the Museums Act, which authorizes the Board of Trustees of
the CMCC to:
"sell, exchange, give away, destroy or otherwise dispose of
objects of historical or cultural interest and other museum material in
its collection and use any revenue obtained therefrom to further its
collection"
In no case, however, is an article disposed of solely because
of its monetary value.
6.6 The CMCC is bound by the provisions of the Income Tax Act,
notably Part XI.2, which governs disposition of objects previously
certified by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board.
And from our Collections Plan for the Canadian War Museum:
6.) Deaccession and Disposition:
6.1) Collection refinement and the resulting disposition of surplus
objects is a continuing part of the regular management of the National
Collection of the CWM. While a major deaccession and disposal project
for the entire National Collection was completed by the end of 2005, a
few areas of the National Collection still require examination on a
limited and selective basis. The Archives Collection is currently the
main area for such a potential project in 2006-2011.
It is important for the CWM to ensure that excessive duplication does
not re-develop in areas of mass produced technological artifacts. In
certain cases when such an artifact is acquired, the Collection
Committee may recommend that a less significant duplicate example
already in the National Collection be deaccessioned to provide space for
the incoming better example.
6.2) The Collection Committee of the CWM recommends surplus
objects for deaccession and disposition to the Board of Trustees of the
CMCC. An object in the National Collection may be recommended by the
Collection Committee as surplus for deaccession if it meets the
following Deaccession Criteria:
* Mandate: does not fall within the mandate of the CWM
* Safety: is dangerous to the collection, to employees of the CWM,
or to the public
* Condition: is badly damaged or in a severe state of
deterioration
* Duplication: is a duplicate in excess of the National Collection
requirements
* Unknown Location: has been irretrievably lost or stolen from the
National Collection
* Illegal Possession: has been found, through the continuing
process of documentation, to have come illegally into the possession of
the CWM, and the legal ownership has been established
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