1. As long as it is made clear what the funds will be
used for (to increase or care for the collection, not
maintain staff salary or something similar. Also, is
it possible to contact the donors or their families?
Having their permission might help the decision making
process.

2. A public auction is a better choice than a private
one for selling deaccessioned items in order to avoid
real ethical problems and bad press. Once attempts
have been made to house them in other museums, I would
say a public auction is not unethical.


>
> Two ethical questions:
>
> 1.  Do you think it is ethical for a history museum
> to hold a public
> auction of historical artifacts donated to the
> museum for the purpose of
> raising funds?  These would be objects that were
> never accessioned, and
> the museum would make it clear that they are not
> items desired for the
> museum collection.
>
> 2.  Do you think it is ethical for a history museum
> to hold a public
> auction of deaccessioned items from its collections,
> once reasonable
> attempts had been made to find good homes for these
> items in other
> museums?  These would be items deaccessioned for
> good reasons (e.g.,
> insufficient documentation, not needed in the
> collection, poor quality,
> etc.).
>
> Thanks,
> John
>
>
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