Steven -
Your education collection sounds very much like our education
collection.  At one time we tried to call it an Auxiliary collection (to
use a more inclusive term), but Education stuck.
I would not give the potential donor an option of designating how the
collection will be used.  Your section choice, any collection you see
fit, clearly stated on the Deed of Gift form, allows you to determine
use.  We have had several cases where an "Education" item was
re-cataloged as a Permanent Collection piece, and have thousands of
situations where I wish we could easily switch a piece from Permanent to
Education.  At the time of donation the lender is told that the Museum
retains the right to place a piece in the Education collection, and that
there is a very remote possibility of deaccession.  I don't recall a
situation where the donor withdrew after the policy was explained.
We do minimal cataloging on Education collection items, roughly about
half the amount for a permanent collection piece. 
All of the above policies and practices are spelled out in our
Collections Policy and our Procedures manual.

PS: Art, History and Science Museum? Which one? We are in the process of
adding Science to our Museum and I'm curious how that works!

Sincerely,
Janelle Matz 
Collections Manager
Anchorage Museum of History and Art

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Stewart [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 6:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Donations not for Permanent Collection

Our general museum (art, history, and science) is currently undergoing
strategic planning in an effort to formulate a long-range plan.  My
title
is Curator of Collections, and my role in this is to create a long range
plan for the Collections Department and the Exhibits Department and to
help
with the Education Department.

My question is this.  We already have an "Education Collection" which is
part of the Collections Department.  The Education department also has
items that are used similarly but are not part of a "formalized
collection".  Many of the items in both Departments are in essence the
same
type of items.  In my mind these items can be used in a variety of
ways...

1) Hands-on items in Exhibits
2) Lab Rats for trying various "Conservation methods"
3) Theatrical Props in museum Educational programs
4) Interior decorating items for Foyers, lobby, hall ways, bathroom
walls, board room, dining room, research library, etc.)
5)      Furniture

We have a Prospective donation form that we fill out when a donor wants
to
give us an item(s) for our collection.  Currently we give donors the
option
of 1) only for the permanent collection, 2) any collection we see fit
(includes Education and permanent), 3)  only for the Education
collection,
and we do not record antying that goes to the Education Dept items.
Would
you all give the donor this option?

What name do you think is appropriate to call these items?  Education,
Prop, Study, Research, Conservation Collection?  Should all of the items
be
put in one collection or various collections dependent on the intended
use
of the item?

One of our staff is against recording any background information for
these
objects, as they contend that the object will be used up and the outcome
does not warrant the effort.  Another staff member is for recording
donor
info, brief description of the object and registering the object with an
identification number.  The former staff member thinks this is
unnecessary.  How much information do you folks record for these types f
artifacts?

Thank you in advance for all of your reactions!
Steven Stewart
[log in to unmask]

ps more info for people who wish to contact me off the list.

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