"Elia, Catrina" wrote:

> In your situation, did you:
> *       Publish a public notice of the deaccession disposals, and if so, where was it published and how much detail was given?
> *       Offer any of the objects back to the donors, and if so what parameters did you set?  Anything donated in the last 10 years?  Anything with a family provenance?  Anything with a value of more than $500? etc. What problems did this present?
> *       Offer any of the items to other museums? How much work did this end up being and what problems did this present?  Did you sell them?  Trade
> them?  Receive any kind of compensation?
> *       Auction items?  And if so, did you auction them in the same town as the museum and did you auction them in the museum's name or anonymously?

Hello,

I cannot offer the legality of the above choices, but I can tell you what I feel as a *doner* of a possibly deaccessioned item. My mother hand made a unique quilt that was an original design. She made it when she was about 18 in the 1920s. Each lady on the quilt had 3-dimensional
applique of different fabrics, all in excellent condition and color. Each lady's hair was of a yarn of different color -- some in curls, some embroidered to look sleeked back in a bun, etc. Although the clothing was almost antibellum (puffed sleeves, bouffant skirts, etc.), their
faces and set of their hats are distinctly 1920s.

That quilt has great family value to us as doners. I asked the museum, Texas Tech University Museum, if they could please notify us if they ever deaccession it, so we will have a chance to buy the quilt back. I had to sign a release of all ownership of the quilt when we gave it to
the textile collection, but we would be very disappointed if the museum got rid of the quilt without first allowing us a chance to recover it.

We are grateful that the museum felt the quilt is unique enough that they wanted it in their collection. We know that their preservative efforts are much better than an individual could provide.

That's a long way around saying that from a personal point-of-view, I would hope museums would offer any of the objects back to the doners FIRST -- then move on to the other options. I believe that families will be much more ready to donate historical objects if they are assured
that in case of deaccessioning, they will be given first chance to get the item back.

Betty
Histrian, Terry County Historical Commission

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