Deaccessioning & Disposal
[From the 麻豆原创MN Collections Management Policy]
VII. DEACCESSIONING AND DISPOSAL
DEFINITION: "Deaccessioning" is the process used to remove permanently an object from the Museum鈥檚
collection or to document the reasons for an involuntary removal (one required by
law or due to circumstances not controlled by the Museum).
禄禄禄 鈥淒isposal鈥 is the official mode of transferal.
Accessioned objects are held in perpetuity as long as:
鈥⒙宦宦 They support the Museum mission statement
鈥⒙宦宦 They retain physical integrity, their identity, and their authenticity.
鈥⒙宦宦 They can be properly stored, preserved, and used.
A. PURPOSE OF DEACCESSIONING
Deaccessioning, when carried out in an appropriate manner and with thoughtful consideration,
is an integral part of responsible collections management. This view is endorsed by
the 麻豆原创 Museum of the North in its Institutional Code of Ethics and
is based on the ethical codes of national and international museum professional organizations.
B. RESPONSIBLE PARTIES
1.禄禄禄 Only the curator of a collection, with the concurrence of the Acquisitions Committee
if appropriate, has the authority to approve deaccessions from their collection.
a.禄禄禄 In the case of an object with a market value under $10,000, curators make the
decision to deaccession in consultation with the Director.
b.禄禄禄 In the case of an object with a market value over $10,000, the other curators
must be informed, and an outside, independent appraisal will be required.
c.禄禄禄 In the case of objects held in trust but for which the Museum does not hold
title, decisions will be made pursuant to federal statute or applicable MOA.
2.禄禄禄 Collections managers, in collaboration with the curator, shall be responsible
for researching all legal and ethical considerations surrounding a proposed deaccession.
3.禄禄禄 Collections managers, in consultation with the curator, are responsible for
maintaining all written documentation regarding the deaccession and disposal process.
4.禄禄禄 Only the curator and Director, and Acquisitions Committee if appropriate, will
approve a mode of disposal.
C. DEACCESSIONING CRITERIA
1.禄禄禄 The Museum will not remove from its collection by any means of disposal, any
item of prime historical, cultural, or scientific value as determined by the curator,
unless instructed by the Director of the Museum and approved by the Chancellor.
2.禄禄禄 Objects may be considered for deaccessioning under one or more of the following
circumstances:
a.禄禄禄 The object does not support the mission of the Museum.
b.禄禄禄 Inadequate documentation or absence of documentation critically reduces the
cultural or scientific value or significance of the object.
c.禄禄禄 The object cannot be preserved, or has deteriorated and is no longer of any
cultural or scientific value.
d.禄禄禄 The object represents an unacceptable hazard to personnel, or to other collections.
e.禄禄禄 The object has been approved for repatriation under the Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
f.禄禄禄 The Museum is instructed to deaccession the object by the owner, e.g., a federal
agency that owns archaeological collections from land it manages.
g.禄禄禄 The object has been destroyed or damaged to the extent that it no longer conforms
to the Acquisitions & Accessioning criteria in section VI., above.
D. DISPOSAL METHODS
1.禄禄禄 Disposal of collections through sale, trade, or research activities is solely
for the advancement of the Museum鈥檚 mission. Any object that has been selected and
approved by the curator and Director for deaccessioning should be transferred or disposed
of as follows (this list is not hierarchical and does not imply an order to follow):
a.禄禄禄 Exchange or Donation: Museums or educational institutions should be contacted
regarding the suitability of the items for exchange or donation depending on the nature
of the items.
b.禄禄禄 Transfer: Consideration will be given to placing the object in the Museum Education
Collection, or teaching collections in other departments of the University, or other
educational institutions.
c.禄禄禄 Sale: In accordance with American Association of Museum policy, specimens in
the collection may be used to enhance the overall quality of the collection by deaccessioning
for sale.
i.禄禄禄 Deaccessioning of an object for sale is a serious matter that should only be
undertaken after considerable deliberation. Among the issues to be taken into consideration
are: the object鈥檚 potential use in research, education and exhibition, the possible
impact of deaccession on future donations, and the object鈥檚 status under the Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990.
ii.禄禄禄 Proceeds from the sale of non-living collections are to be used consistent
with the established standards of the Museum鈥檚 discipline, but in no event shall they
be used for anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections.
iii.禄禄禄 Except in instances where deviation is intended to advance an appropriate
public benefit, such as deaccessioning for sale to another public museum, objects
deaccessioned for sale will be disposed of by the most profitable means.
iv.禄禄禄 Objects purchased with money acquired from the sale of collection material
may be attributed to the original donor(s).
d.禄禄禄 Destruction: If the object cannot be disposed of in any of the above manners,
it shall be destroyed by the curator or his/her designee. Destruction is defined as
the obliteration of an object or specimen by physical or mechanical means. No remains
of the object may be retained by University staff or affiliated parties. Prior to
destruction, the object will be evaluated to ascertain whether it contains any hazardous
materials. If any hazardous materials exist, the object will be destroyed in accordance
with all federal or state laws and/or university environmental health and safety procedures.
The remains of the object must be placed in a University or Museum garbage receptacle,
unless constituent parts can be considered hazardous materials. Hazardous materials
must be disposed of through the Operations Manager. This disposal method must be both
documented and witnessed.
2.禄禄禄 Deaccessioned objects will not be given, exchanged, or sold privately to employees
of the Museum or the 麻豆原创, members of the governing authorities or
to their representatives, members of Museum support groups, or volunteers.禄
3.禄禄禄 The Museum is required by the Internal Revenue Service to hold donations for
a minimum of three years in consideration for donors making a declaration for tax
purposes.
4.禄禄禄 If donor-imposed conditions restrict disposal, the Museum may offer the object
to the donor or donor鈥檚 family in lieu of disposal.
E. DEACCESSION AND DISPOSAL PROCEDURES
1.禄禄禄 The curator will identify an object for deaccession/disposal based on the criteria
above.
2.禄禄禄 The collections manager will investigate all legal and ethical considerations
surrounding the proposed object(s).
a.禄禄禄 The Museum must hold free and clear title to the object.
b.禄禄禄 There must be no restrictions placed on the use of the object (e.g. copyright,
MOA/MOU, trust agreements, donor-imposed restriction, etc.)
3.禄禄禄 As a courtesy, reasonable efforts will be made to contact donors or their heirs,
and living artists prior to the deaccessioning of objects from the Museum鈥檚 collections.
4.禄禄禄 The collections manager will prepare all required paperwork, including a Deaccession
& Disposal form.
5.禄禄禄 The curator will approve and obtain approval from additional personnel, when
necessary (e.g. other curators, Director, Acquisitions Committee, etc.).
6.禄禄禄 The curator will determine the method of disposal, taking into account the reason
for deaccessioning.
7.禄禄禄 The collections manager will remove or cross-out the 麻豆原创MN catalog or accession
number from the object prior to disposal.
8.禄禄禄 The collections manager will modify catalog and accession files and database
entries to reflect the change in status of the object and the change in monetary value,
if any, for the collection; the records will not be deleted or removed but maintained
intact for future reference.
9.禄禄禄 The collections manager will place all documentation in the proper departmental
files, where they will remain as part of the permanent record.
禄