The easiest and best policy statement you can make regarding acceptance of artifacts is that they be taken without restrictions of any kind. First of all, the museum should be free to decide the best use of the items. Secondly, if the donor wants to restrict the donation in some manner, then perhaps he or she should just keep the item in question and not donate it. Third, once you make an exception or accept a restriction, what's to stop the next person from demanding something really absurd. This may sound cold, but I've seen too many instances over the years where donor/lenders meant one thing and the museum understood something different or a donor/lender changes his/her mind after the donation. This is not to say that there can't be exceptions. It's just better to have a clear-cut policy beforehand so that everyone understands what happens once possession is transferred. You can always go to your Board of Directors and ask for a waiver of the policy on a case-by-case basis. Jeff Tenuth Indiana State Museum Indianapolis, Indiana ________________________________ From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Rumm Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 1:42 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Accepting Items with Must Exhibit Restrictions Dear Colleagues, Greetings to you. I'm a new member to this listserv, so please forgive me if I'm asking a question that's already been discussed. My institution (Buffalo Bill Historical Center) is weighing whether to change or maintain our current policy regarding the acceptance and acquisition of items for our collection that carry a "must exhibit" requirement. The question has surfaced several times in recent months with regard to the potential donation of items. Our current policy is to accept such items provisionally (i,e., on a case-by-case basis), but we're endeavoring to determine if we need a clear-cut policy statement. I'd very much appreciate learning of other institutions' policies and procedures in this regard. Sincerely, John C. Rumm, Ph.D. Curator of Western American History Buffalo Bill Museum Buffalo Bill Historical Center Cody, Wyoming ========================================================= 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). ========================================================= 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).