In a previous job I helped re-write their collection management policy.
It included a list of criteria to be reviewed when determining whether
or not to accept an offered gift.  These criteria were divided into two
groups.., Mission-Driven criteria and  Best Professional Practices
criteria.  Number 1 of the Best Practices criteria stated that the
primary  obligation of the institution is to preserve the artifacts in
its collection into the indefinite future.  If it can't do that for the
offered artifact for whatever reason, the museum was obligated to turn
down the gift.  When a problematic gift was offered, it was easy for the
staff to be discouraging  based on Board policy so it rarely came to the
Collection Committee, but when it did based on the collections policy,
the Committee invariably approved the staff recommendation.  Please note
that the Collection Committee had extensively reviewed the draft
collections policy with the staff before recommending its adoption to
the full Board of Trustees, so when they declined a problematic gift
they were following a course of action that they had already committed
to as a matter of policy.  This also meant that declining the gift was
an institutional decision, rather than a personal decision of a curator
or Board member.   However, as a matter of customer service, the staff
did try to give the donor recommendations and contact info for other
institutions that might be better suited to take the artifacts.  In most
cases the prospective donor went away reasonably happy even though he
had been turned down.

Hope this helps with your project.

Linda Bitley


>>> [log in to unmask] 12/8/2006 3:24:38 PM >>>
I am a graduate student at Tufts University and I'm working on my final

paper assignment for a class I'm taking.  The assignment requires me to
ask
question and then use research to support an answer to that question.
My
question is:  "What course of action should a museum take if it is
presented
with an object that meets its mission, but it is an object that the
museum
can not properly care for."  I'm looking for any advice anyone can give
me.
I know this situation has come up countless times, so if anyone is
willing
to share their experiences, I would really appreciate your help.

Stephanie Rohwer

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