| JHS Collections Policies: Use, Acquisition and De-accession Approval: These policies were approved by the board of directors on May 11, 2006. Collections Use Policy Members and non-members of the Society are encouraged to use the resources of the Society's collection for educational and research purposes. In order to preserve the collection for the use of future generations, the following rules will apply: 1. Individuals applying to use the collection for research purposes will register with the Society, stating their name, address, and research interests.
2. All research must be conducted under the direct supervision of either a member of the collections committee or an individual whom the committee has approved for that purpose. 3. No item will be available for research that has not been cataloged. 4. The collections committee will deny access to those items that it deems too fragile or rare to be used for research purposes. 5. No person may remove an item from any Society repository at any time without the express approval of the collections committee, except that a member of the collections committee may move an item temporarily from one repository to another for the greater convenience of individuals undertaking research. 6. When using manuscripts or other unique materials users must take notes with erasable pencils. 7.The collections committee will make available selected books and other materials for browsing in the museum by docents and, under docent supervision, by visitors. |
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Collections Acquisition Policy 1. Collections criteria: The Society's collections shall include only those items that pertain to the history of the community of Jamestown, that are consistent with the mission of the Society, that are in sufficiently good and original condition to warrant the cost of preservation, and that the Society can responsibly care for and preserve. 2. Scope: Books, manuscripts, photographs, currency, works of art, textiles, maps, recordings, videos, and any other historical artifacts or kinds of evidence that fit the collections criteria. 3. Procedures. Additions to the collection may be made through gifts, bequests or purchases. All proposed acquisitions shall be approved by the collections committee and, if any restrictions are involved, by the board of directors. When appropriate, donors shall be asked to sign a deed of gift transferring full title of their donations to the Society. Board members, committee members, and volunteers shall not compete with the Society for objects offered for sale or purchase. 4. Information to donors. When appropriate, a member of the collections committee shall inform donors that gifts to the collection are tax deductible to the full extent of the law, but that under IRS regulations governing conflict of interest, the Society cannot be involved in the appraisal of a donation. Appraisals are the responsibility of the donor. In order to obtain the maximum allowable deduction, gifts to the collection must be unrestricted in nature and not binding in terms of retention; and because exhibit and storage space are extremely limited, gifts must also be unrestricted in terms of display. |
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| Collections Deaccession Policy 1. Deaccessioning criteria: The Society may deaccession a collection item that is found to be outside the collections policy of the Society, that has insufficient educational or research value to merit retention, that has deteriorated beyond usefulness, that is found to be hazardous, that cannot be properly preserved or stored, that is a duplicate, or that is unnecessary because a finer example has become available. 2. Procedures: All proposals for deaccessioning an item must be approved by both the collections committee and the board of directors. The donor or the donor's legal heirs should be notified if they can reasonably be found. Any donor restrictions accepted by the Society must be honored unless waived by the donor, by the donor's legal heirs, or by appropriate legal procedures. The methods of deaccessioning shall be decided by the collections committee and approved by the board. The collections committee shall be responsible for keeping deaccession records. 3. Methods of deaccessioning: An item may be exchanged with another institution for one that more clearly fits the Society's collections criteria; it may be returned to its donor or its donor's legal heirs; it may be donated or sold to another non-profit institution with similar collecting interests; it may be discarded or destroyed; it may be sold to best advantage at public auction with proper and sufficient notice given to the public. Under no circumstances may ownership of a collection item be transferred to any board or committee member--or to any other private individual other than the donor or the donor's legal heirs--except through public auction. 4. Proceeds from deaccessioning: Proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned items shall be used only for the acquisition or direct conservation of collection objects. They shall not be applied to the operational expenses of the Society. |
