Policy, Process and Procedures
Museums are charged with developing exemplary collections that promote their mission. In pursuit of this, museums occasionally designate objects for “deaccession” from the collections. Museum deaccessioning is the permanent removal of objects and/or art from a museum's collection.
The deaccession of objects from a museum’s collection should be an exceptional occurrence thoughtfully undertaken with care for the museum (which holds the collection in public trust and oversees care and stewardship of the collection), and the donors who gave the objects or provided the funds to purchase the objects for the collections. Funds generated by the sale of deaccessioned collections must remain restricted, and must only be used for the purchase of new collections, and in some cases, for direct care of collections.
Criteria
Standard practice dictates that museums follow specific guidelines when determining what items to deaccession. Items generally may be deaccessioned if they are:
- Deemed not relevant to the museum’s mission (the item longer fits into the mission/collecting plan);
- Duplicative or in excess of number or type required for anticipated needs;
- Inferior in quality;
- In such poor physical condition that proper repairs are not feasible or will render the object essentially false;
- No longer able to be cared for properly by the museum;
- Acquired or held illegally or in violation of the principles and laws described in the museum’s accession policy; or
- Eligible in accordance with the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
If one or more of these conditions are met, the items may be deaccessioned.
Process and Procedure
Standard professional practice requires that a museum’s collections policy define a clear process for deaccessioning, including how they will be carried out and which stakeholders should be involved (board, staff, advisory groups, etc.). In many museums, deaccession decisions originate from curatorial staff, are researched by collections staff, and discussed and voted on by a governing committee such as a collections committee. The collections committee then makes a deaccession recommendation to the Executive Director and the Board of Directors. Due to the ethical ramifications of these activities, deaccessioning should always be undertaken with a full understanding of its significance and any loss of public trust that might result from the action. Generally a unanimous vote is required to move forward with a deaccession.
Once staff identifies items for deaccession, it is important to create and follow very specific and consistent procedures.
The first step is to gather complete documentation including:
- Accession number
- Details of acquisition, including status of the title to the object(s), all legal, accession related paperwork and correspondence
- Description of the object(s) with a photograph and condition reports
- Written document clearly articulating and substantiating the reason for deaccessioning the item
The next step is careful review and discussion of all documentation. Important questions to consider during this discussion are:
- Does the museum hold a clear title of the item? Do they have all the paperwork substantiating ownership?
- Are there binding conditions associated with the accession that would prohibit deaccessioning the item?
- Does the item meet the established criteria for deaccession?
- Are there negative community or donor implications related to deaccessioning this item?
- If this is a NAGPRA deaccession, has your museum fulfilled it’s legal and ethical obligations related to the claim?
- Are there any outstanding issues, questions or concerns?
Once all of these steps are followed and all questions are satisfied, the deaccession must be voted on by staff and the board as designated by each museum's specific Collections Policy.
Only after the deaccession is approved and the process complete is the method of disposal determined.
Disposal
Disposal is the physical removal of the object from the museum. Designated staff may recommend deaccessioned objects be disposed of in the following ways:
- Exchange with other museums or educational institutions for objects having approximately equal intrinsic and monetary value
- Transfer to another museum or educational institution
- Objects that have deteriorated and have no further value for research or educational programs and cannot be sold will be completely destroyed or recycled as appropriate
- For items deemed a “Total Loss” by an insurance claim, staff must follow disposal instructions stipulated from the insurance company
- In the case of objects being repatriated in accordance with NAGPRA, transfer to the appropriate party according to official regulations
- Sale through a reputable auctioneer or dealer. Sale at public auction is strongly encouraged.
If sold through a dealer or means other than public auction, two independent estimates of fair market value must be secured.
Deaccessioned objects may also be retained by the museum for use in the classroom or for other educational purposes. Accession numbers should be removed, records updated, and objects clearly marked to indicate that they have been deaccessioned.
Under no circumstances should deaccessioned objects be acquired directly or indirectly by museum staff, volunteers, members of the Board of the museum.
Disposal of collections that have been treated with hazardous materials or are innately hazardous themselves must be disposed of safely and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Deaccession Funds
It is important to reserve deaccession funds, and accrued interest on those funds, in a deaccession account that is strictly reserved for the purchase of new objects for the collections. Under some circumstances, funds from the sale of deaccessioned objects are used for direct collections care. Direct care may include storage, conservation, or preservation. Use of funds for general operating, or other expenses are not permitted.
All documentation regarding the deaccession and disposal should be assembled with all legal documentation in the registration files.
Using CatalogIt to Process and Manage Deaccessions
CatalogIt enables users to easily and comprehensively manage and track deaccessions through use of the “Deaccession Profile.” The profile can be used for a single item that is being deaccessioned or a group of items going through the deaccession process at the same time, regardless of the reason or criteria.
The Deaccession Profile includes:
- Reason/criteria for the deaccession
- The ability to track the status of the deaccession, from the time it is proposed until it is approved, and later, its disposition
- The ability to track funds gained from the deaccession
- Easy tracking of each individual item related to the deaccession
After the profile is populated, the Deaccession Profile is easily added to every individual Entry, with a note to explain where the item is in the process, and if it was approved.
Last, each Deaccession should be related to the original Accession Profile. From within the Accession Profile, go to “Related Deaccessions” and associate the profile for any Deaccession related to Accession. Use the “notes” to clarify which item was deaccessioned. Since you may have more than one entry in an Accession, this is a repeating field so you can relate future Deaccessions, if needed, to the Accession Profile.
Deaccessioning can be daunting. CatalogIt not only streamlines this process, but also ensures all legal documentation is centralized, easy-to-find, and organized in an intuitive and secure manner.