Generally speaking, natural history museums don't charge loan fees.
We're pretty much dependent on free interchange of the limited
material available that (usually) has relatively little monetary
value (and often great scientific value).  Those of us who tend to
have more incoming than outgoing loans probably come out ahead, but
this is a system that seems to have worked out well for a long
time.  Loan fees almost certainly would decrease loan activity, and
natural science research would suffer as a result.

Dana Self wrote:
>
> We don't charge loan fees for borrowed individual objects, but do require the
> borrowing institution to pay for a new crate for our objects (normally
> paintings) and pay for rt shipping.  Dana Self, Curator, Kemper Museum of
> Contemporary Art, KCMO
>
> Phyllis Oppenheim wrote:
> >
> > This is of great interest please send replies to the listserv.
> > Thank you.

Art Harris
--
Laboratory for Environmental Biology
Centennial Museum (Natural and Cultural History)
phone (915)747-6985; fax (915)747-5808; [log in to unmask]
http://www.utep.edu/leb     http://www.utep.edu/museum