No one has mentioned the IRS in this discussion. If the original donor took any type of tax deduction for the donation, the institution is obligated to inform the IRS about the return of the item. Just mentioning that aspect is usually enough to dissuade family members from seeking a return of an item, especially if they were planning to sell it and keep the profit. Also, if the donor/lender is dead, how do you know the family member claiming the item is the person who should get it? If you return the item to the wrong family member, how will you deal with the other members who show up on your doorstep demanding to know why you gave it that person and not them? You can diffuse the saturation be asking the family member to prove the donor/lender would have wanted them to have the item or requiring that the person have the permission of other family members to take possession of the item. I've had this happen to me a few times (involving small items) and I always require the person to send a formal, written request to the Board. Usually there is no follow up, but if there is, it is the board's decision not yours as a curator. If you have the paperwork to back up your recommendations, you are in a stronger position to retain the item. If it's the original lender/donor and the paperwork is incomplete or none existent, the Board needs to make the final decision. Wanda Edwards Curator of Collections and Library/Archives Orange County Regional History Center 65 East Central Boulevard Orlando, FL 32801 www.thehistorycenter.org Phone: 407-836-8587 Fax: 407-836-8550 These are my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the institution or county. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).