AASLH Technical Leaflet

A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR STATE AND LOCAL HISTORY #278 Cleaning House: A Guide to Deaccessioning and Abandoned Property By Alli Rico useums today Alli Rico are in a constant state of flux. They change with society, Mcollecting tangible evidence of this transformation as it occurs through time. But museums are not static entities. They must be allowed to evolve as priorities shift and visitor interests morph. Struggling to meet the demands of a new generation of visitors, today’s museums—particularly history museums—are faced with the challenge of reinterpreting and reimagining collections in new and inspiring ways. Additionally, these museums are working to reshape their collections to better fit their A Chippendale chair in the Naples room at the Cambridge missions and collecting policies. Historical Society. 1 Cleaning House: A Guide to Deaccessioning and Abandoned Property Daniel Casey The Cambridge Historical Society was founded in 1905, and since 1957 has been located in the Hooper-Lee-Nichols House at 159 Brattle Street. volving to meet new and Deaccessioning Procedure developing trends should A thorough, well-written deaccessioning policy is involve a thoughtful scan just as important as a thorough acquisitions policy. If staff know why their museum collects what it collects, of the museum’s collection. they will have a better idea of why objects are chosen Distilling a collection should to be deaccessioned. Never fear: writing a deaccessioning policy doesn’t require starting from scratch! lead to deaccessioning objects that no Collegial efforts have made the process of writing E these policies less intimidating. Not only have many longer—or in many cases never did— museums made their policies available through AAM, serve to further the museum’s mission. AASLH, and other professional groups, oftentimes While many museum professionals may staff from other museums are willing to share their know the definition of deaccessioning, it internal documents with colleagues, and will offer assistance when drafting new documents. (For exam- serves to restate it. Deaccessioning is the ple, the Shiloh Museum of the Ozarks has shared its “[formal] process of removing an acces- deaccessioning policy on AASLH’s website.)2 The critical part of the deaccessioning policy is, of sioned object or group of objects from the course, the procedure. A comprehensive procedure museum’s collections.” This process is an will help current and future staff work their way essential component of any strong collec- through the deaccessioning process, and will be useful in the event that a deaccession is challenged or ques- tions management policy.1 tioned. If staff can point to a thorough and board- approved procedure, they can show that due diligence was followed during the deaccessioning process.3 2 The deaccessioning procedure should start with ensuring your Alli Rico museum can show proof of this due diligence. Once staff has selected and set aside collections objects to be deaccessioned, each object should be thoroughly researched. Depending on the size of your institution, this might be done by a collections manager, registrar, or curator (or one per- son performing all three roles). Provenance research to document the life of the object prior to acquisition is particularly important. Examine your accession records or proceedings to determine when objects were accepted into the collection. Donor history, possible reasons for accession, and any further research into the object may also be necessary, technical leaflet #278 leaflet technical depending on how thoroughly the object was initially documented when it first entered your collection. A provenance research form can come in handy to help orga- nize this research for future use. Ceramic jugs made at the Pottery Next, ensure the museum has Shop & Kiln at Old Sturbridge Village. clear title to every potential deaccession. For older museums and historical societies, this can often involve researching loans with little documentation, lections like? What are the stories they try to tell and objects found in the collection. Many historic through their objects and exhibits? Taking this route museum collections have these poorly documented not only promotes collegiality between museums, but objects in their collection simply due to the age of shows an honest attempt to keep potential deacces- the museum. Luckily, most states in the U.S. have sions in the public domain. Museums have an ethical statutes that specifically deal with responsibility to share objects, not the disposition of museum prop- hoard them. This idea of sharing erty, which will prove helpful can be extended to a permanent when attempting to clear title to AASLH has posted deaccession to a museum that has undocumented objects. If you’re a sample deaccession the resources and mission to fully considering starting a deaccession- recommendation form from utilize the object in question. Keep ing project, become familiar with the Historical Society of track of all correspondence regard- ing the transfer of objects between your local abandoned property laws Central Florida at and confer with colleagues at other museums for future reference. And go.aaslh.org/Deaccession. institutions on how to best approach in that regard, make sure to save these materials. If you can afford everything relating to deaccession- to do so, consulting with a lawyer Forms like this ing an object: every email, letter, 4 familiar with property law is an even ensure that you have and form that you work on. Additionally, consult an outside more ideal solution. followed proper procedure While you are researching the opinion when considering objects for choosing to deaccession provenance of these potential for removal from the collection. deaccessions, start considering these objects, and makes Often, an object may appear to be alternative homes for the objects approval from the board of little or no value to a curator or in question. Think about other and committees easier. collections manager, but an outside area museums. What are their col- perspective could provide an alter- 3 Cleaning House: A Guide to Deaccessioning and Abandoned Property native way of viewing an object within the context of of title before any forward progress can be made on a the museum’s mission. This outside opinion can come deaccessioning project. from colleagues at other institutions, and from the There are typically two types of abandoned prop- members of your collections committee. erty found within a museum’s collection: old loans Document the reasons an object might be deacces- (often called unclaimed loans) and objects “found in sioned, and list those in your deaccessioning policy. the collection” (FIC). These reasons seem to be standard across the field. Often, it is beyond the means of the museum to When deciding to deaccession from your collection, do research to find living heirs to old loans, as this the object could be: requires extensive time and financial investment. It is • outside the scope of your collecting policy or no important to thoroughly research how the museum longer relevant to your mission documented loans. Sometimes, older museum records • a duplicate of other objects will use the term “permanent loan,” which can often • unable to be properly pre- imply the object was given as a 6 served, in poor condition, gift to the museum. or causing a risk to the It’s important to note that collection Old loans are expired loans, old loans do not include undocumented objects or • lost, damaged, or beyond rea- or loans of unlimited duration objects found in the collec- sonable repair left unclaimed by lenders at the tion. After a thorough collec- museum. The term includes When noting your reasoning tion inventory, undocumented on a deaccession form, elabo- unclaimed objects left at the objects can sometimes be rec- rate on each cause as it fits each museum under informal custody onciled and returned to their object. Is an object causing risk arrangements for study or original status (permanent col- to the collection because of a examination by museum staff. lection, loan, gift). However, potential insect infestation? Say objects labeled FIC are those so in your recommendation. that, after thorough research, The more specific and descrip- Found in collection the museum is still unable to tive you can be in your recom- are undocumented objects that determine the object’s original mendations to your collections remain without status after all status within the collection. committee and board, the bet- With FIC’s, though, the bur- ter your argument will be. attempts to reconcile them to existing records of permanent den of proof rests with the Once you have researched claimant, to provide evidence collection and loan objects are your potential deaccessions, that they are in fact the legal 5 each deaccession recommen- completed. owner of the object.7 dation needs to be approved. All museums deal with Typically, this approval first undocumented objects found comes from the collections in the collection, simply due committee, and then from the board. Create a deac- to the age of most U.S. museums and the relatively cessioning recommendation form for each object. It recent professionalization of the field. It is only the should include: past few decades that the museum field has begun • Object name and accession number using unified methods of documentation and train- • Donor information (if available) ing; as such, older objects suffer from a lack of proper • Reasons for deaccessioning cataloging and documentation.8 • Method of deaccession (donating to another The best way to rectify this situation (before museum, public auction, destruction, etc.) embarking on your deaccessioning project) is to do a complete collections inventory. This is time- and Abandoned Property staff-intensive, and often put off to complete other Abandoned property is endemic to the museum tasks; however, it is an important part of healthy col- field, and it is important to understand the abandoned lections management, and absolutely critical if you property laws in your state before embarking on a plan to work on deaccessioning.

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