Matthew,

I would have to say "prioritize". The inventory of what is there now is
most important for your sake and the institution. If there are any means of
recovering or tracking said missing objects, then institute them asap.
Recovering/creating documentary control is critical. Nothing should leave
until that is in place and the proper forms are there to be signed. The
donor getting their stuff back immediately is not important if it is going
to cause more problems than it solves. Only then can you be sure that you
are doing all that you can for the donor and your institution.

Inform the donor of the situation and the professional standards that are
being applied. Give them options, if any exist, and enlist their help. You
can not just show them the objects and ask which ones are theirs, but
hopefully they can provide enough information on their property to allow
you to make a positive id.

I am not sure about the missing objects. If they are unrecoverable, then it
may depend on the attitude of the donor and the state of your insurance.

Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850


                                                                           
             Matthew Burchette                                             
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Oh, man. I am the new curator at a museum (remaining nameless) that has not
had a museum professional in over ten years. The records are a mess, no
archival materials to speak of, and I (we) are missing artifacts! I have a
donor that would like his loan back, but I cannot find almost any of his
stuff. I have located some things that "could" be his, but since no
accession numbers were ever recorded on objects I don't know which is
really his. Advice on how to handle this and where to start?

A complete inventory is coming soon, but how to handle these missing
artifacts?

Much thanks,

Matthew
Adopt a Greyhound!
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