I recently agreed (ok, so maybe I was dumb) to participate in a
session this April at the Texas Association of Museums annual meeting
on determining ownership of objects. Sure, I can talk about the TX
abandoned property law, and I will. However, my feeling is that this
law is inadequate. Even for material that has been in the museum for
40 years or more without any correspondence from the donor (if we
even know who the donor was), there is a requirement to publish
notices in newspapers, send certified mail, etc. This is a terrific
expense that will most likely result in very little return
information. I've heard that Illinois has a law that is friendlier to
museums trying to establish ownership of objects and I am curious if
there are other states that have similar, easy-to-work-with laws.
 
What I would like to do in my presentation is summarize what is going
on in other states and then make a proposal for a new Texas law that
is easier for museum people to work with.
 
Thanks in advance for your responses.
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Karen W. Anderson, Registrar
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
WTAMU Box 967
Canyon, TX  79016
Phone: 806-656-2967
Fax:   806-656-2250
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