There is a procedure for this too. Once you become aware of an object in
your collection that doesnšt seem to have any documentation, you begin
documenting it. Affidavits, photographs, staff recollections are all valid
for this. If your state has abandoned property laws for museums on the
books, then you use the first discovery of the object as the date it was
łabandoned.˛ Youšll have to hold it for a while, but eventually, you can
take legal title to it and then decide its fate.
Claudia
--
Claudia J. Nicholson
Executive Director
North Star Museum of Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting
2640 E. Seventh Avenue
North St. Paul, MN 55109
651-748-2880
[log in to unmask]
Celebrate the Boy Scout Centennial in 2010 and the Girl Scout Centennial in
2012 with us!
www.NorthStarMuseum.org
On 10/17/07 2:09 PM, "elizabeth spinelli" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Question?
>
> What if you are unaware of the origins of the objects and how long you have
> had them? At what point can you discard or distribute them to another
> institution, if they are irrelevant or damaged objects. Particularly if items
> have never been accessioned and provenance is uncertain.
>
> Pamela Silvestri <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 10/16/2007 11:32:43 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
>> [log in to unmask] writes:
>>
>>> Okay- this may be a silly question- but I wanted to get some opinions
>>> from
>>> the rest of you out there, as some of you may have dealt with a similar
>>> situation...
>>>
>>> A little over a year ago, our institution received- via the post office-
>>> an
>>> unsolicited donation of materials. In the past year, I have attempted to
>>> contact this donor several times and have yet to receive a signed Deed of
>>> Gift
>>> (or a response for that matter!) and so I'm curious...
>>>
>>> Since the proposed donor obviously will not sign a deed of gift- and
>>> since
>>> these items are things we would like to add to the permanent collection
>>> can
>>> we consider this abandoned property?
>>>
>>> Or- could we simply list the items as FICs (Found in Collection)- (even
>>> though
>>> we know who sent them) and wait the appropriate amount of time (as stated
>>> by our State law) to claim them as ours? Is that considered sneaky or
>>> underhanded?
>>>
>>> Or- should we simply send them back?
>>>
>>> I should also maybe mention that these items have little to no monetary
>>> value-
>>> they are 3 pieces of packaging (shopping bags and a jewelry box with a
>>> store's logo on them) from a local store dating from the 1940s-1980s.
>>>
>>> Any thoughts on this? They would be greatly appreciated...
>>>
>>
>>
>> Not a silly question at all! Similar to your situation...I have sent a form
>> to a donor who has yet to return it. I have my copy and I noted the date that
>> the form was sent. Since then, I made a note on the form that the original
>> has yet to be returned.
>>
>>
>>
>> Since they have the original form...I'll have to make up another (which will
>> include the subsequent notations) and send it out. For this one, I'll be
>> using a return-receipt. I'll also include a SASE. And of course, thank them
>> again for the donation and just a note about why the signed form is required
>> and that it needs to be returned by a certain date, or the item needs to be
>> picked up by then in order to complete the donation process.
>>
>>
>>
>> At this time, I would encourage you to write once again and send via USPS,
>> return-receipt. I think another attempt to contact the donor (including the
>> return-receipt) is a good will gesture and include documentation to support
>> the items as 'abandoned' property.
>>
>>
>>
>> It would be good to also let them know in writing ,that unless the form is
>> signed or the items are picked up that your organization would be unable to
>> acknowledge their donation and will only be able to consider the items as
>> 'abandoned'.
>>
>>
>>
>> Pam
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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