Read Marie Malaro's "Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections."  You
always have to back up your statements, no matter how young a
professional, or old fuddy duddy in the system.  We prefer a "no strings
attached" on all donations, and we do tell people that items will not be
automatically put on display; if and when we do, we make a courtesy call
to the donor.  It is up to the donor to decide whether they are willing
to accept our policies.  I understand that sometimes you will have to be
flexible on this issue, and it should not be done lightly.  If the item
is of such paramount importance to your museum or collection, you will
find a way to make it work within your priorities, building space, and
policies.  Sometimes being flexible with one donor leads to other
donations which may not necessarily have conditions attached.  You may
want to contact the Isabella Gardner Museum in New York, their collection
had certain restrictions which in today's date would seem horrific to
those of us who prefer the windows closed and a new fangled HVAC system.
I believe the Gardner has surmounted these problems, but let's hear from
those who in the past have had to accept items with conditions attached.

O

Olivia S. Anastasiadis, Curator
Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace
18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard
Yorba Linda, CA  92886
(714) 993-5075 ext. 224; fax (714) 528-0544; e-mail:  [log in to unmask]

On Thu, 13 Aug 1998 08:34:28 -0400 "Starlyn D'Angelo" <[log in to unmask]>
writes:
>What are your strongest arguments for upholding the "no strings
>attached"
>policy for donations to museum collections?
>I am a young professional and occassionally I find that I must back up
>my
>opinions with hard facts or the words of others before people listen
>to me.  I insist that no professional museum promises donors permanent
>display of an object (this is noted several times in the
>Museum-L archives but no rationale is provided).  I need the words of
>other
>professionals to back me up.  Thanks for your help.
>
>Starlyn D'Angelo, Curator
>Old Stone Fort Museum Complex
>

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