In response to: "Recently, someone dropped off an item at our museum (literally left it on the front steps)....Does anyone have a policy that covers this type of situation? What about if the item was something we did intend to accession?" It wasn't "donated," it was abandoned. Check on your state's abandoned property law. Many states have adopted such laws, including North Dakota - I'll send you a copy of ours if you want it (please contact me off-list). If you DO want the piece, then an abandoned property law will help you gain ownership. If you DO NOT want the item, treat it as if someone had left a bag of garbage on your step - if the "donor" didn't care enough to provide you with appropriate legal documentation of your ownership, or the artifact's history, why should YOU care about it any more than he/she did? We run into this situation frequently, with "donors" stepping in the front door and handing our volunteers an artifact and fleeing, or just leaving it on the step. If you haven't processed the item into your collections, you need not treat it as your property, IMHO. Don't let the public think of your institution as a dumping ground! Good luck. Chris Dill - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C. L. Dill, Museum Director State Historical Society of North Dakota 612 East Boulevard Bismarck ND 58505-0830 P: (701)328-2666 F: (701)328-3710 E: [log in to unmask] Visit our Web site at: http://www.state.nd.us/hist/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -