Hi all

The reaction of our board to deaccessioning has been mixed.
Some board members feel items that are not within the scope
of our museum should be deaccessioned by 'long term loan'
to commercial interests.

Selling outside of the region used to be a good idea. All
that really does is prevent some of the local folks from
finding out about it right away.

When we accept items now, we make sure they come, no
strings attached. Better to turn something away than have
it be a problem 30 years from now.

In the past just about anything was accepted. Consequently
we seem to be stuck with items like a hunk of ore out of a
farmer's field and an old tree stump found down a well!
While interesting as curios, they do not have much
historical significance and ... we have little space to
present such items to their advantage.  I.E a separate room
of curios and oddities.

I had a fellow come into the museum the other day and
noticed a typewriter we have there. He commented that he
had donated a typewriter too. The question was left hanging
- why isn't the one I donated on display?  I tactfully
explained that not all items are on display at all times in
any museum - that artifacts are rotated (what a radical
concept to some folks!)  However, for all I know the
typewriter he donated has been deaccessioned. I'm sure not
going to be the one to open that discussion with a patron.

We have had board members in the past who felt you cannot,
must not, should not deaccession anything.  If it was good
enough to be accepted at some point - it is good enough to
be kept forever. This is why we are now stuck with a barn
full of old farm machinery with no place to put it - and
the board member wants his barn back.

We have another board member who would without hesitation
loan out everything in the museum for anyone in the
community to use for school displays, fair exhibits, talks
etc, etc.

We have some that fall between who say a good accessioning
policy protects the board and the museum and still gets the
best from the community in the way of artifacts. We are
still struggling with that one.

Regards
Mary Haegele
www.joes.com/home/book_list