I'm so glad this  topic has come up, because it is something that has been
really  concerning me  lately.  We have several items in our collections
that were LOANED, apparently in the early 1960s, which don't have any loan
agreement documentation associated with them as far as anyone knows (or if
there was, it's gone missing).  A  couple of years ago, a descendant of the
original lender wanted to see these items (which ARE on display, as we have
absolutely no storage space) but  wasn't  able to as the museum was closed
at the time.  I have since  tried to  contact her, but received no
response.  I have a nightmare that she will show up and demand them back.
 I brought up this concern to our Board of Directors, and it came as a total
 surprise to them that these items were on loan  rather than the property of
the Ohio Historical Society.   I've queried the Ohio Historical Society, and
have gotten the advice that I should probably "let sleeping dogs lie."  But
what happens when the dogs wake up?!

Susannah West
John Rankin House, Ripley, Ohio

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