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Disposal toolkit
This document provides guidelines for museums on the disposal of items from collections. It outlines key principles for ethical and responsible disposal, including only disposing of items as part of an approved collections development policy aimed at improving public benefit. Methods of disposal discussed include transferring items to other accredited museums, returning items to donors, and sale or destruction as a last resort. The document stresses the importance of transparency, seeking stakeholder views, and retaining items in the public domain wherever possible.
Disposal toolkit
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- 2. 02 disposaltoolkit Disposalflowchart 3 Guidingprinciples 4 1.Introduction 5 Purpose of the toolkit 6 Scope of the toolkit 6 Using the toolkit 6 Ethical and legal context 7 Managing the process 7 2.Whydispose? 8 Outcomes and selection 9 Whose views should be sought 11 in the process? 3.Afteranitemhasbeen 13 selectedfordisposal 4.Methodsofdisposal 15 Free gift or transfer to another 16 Accredited museum Exchange of items between museums 16 Free gift or transfer to another 17 institution/organisation within the public domain Return to donor 17 Sale of items to an Accredited museum 18 Transfer outside the public domain 18 Sale outside the public domain 19 Recycling of item 19 Destruction of item 19 5.Recordingtheprocess 21 6.Dealingwithproblems 23 7.Communicating 25 theprocess Glossary 27 Appendices 28 1. Related organisations 28 2. Additional guidance from the 29 Charity Commission 3. Good Governance guidance 30 4. Additional guidance on financially motivated disposal (can be downloaded separately) Checklistfor 31 alldisposals Abbreviations: AAO:Accreditation Assessing Organisation ACE:Arts Council England CyMAL: Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales, a division of the Welsh Government DCMS:Department for Culture, Media and Sport MA:Museums Association MGS:Museums Galleries Scotland NIMC:Northern Ireland Museums Council Acknowledgements: The development and publication of this toolkit was made possible through funding from the MA’s Esmee Fairbairn Foundation- funded Effective Collections programme. Copyright Museums Association 2014 Contents
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- 10. automaticallynecessitateanitem’sdisposal. Iftheitemiscurrentlybeingused,hasbeen usedrecentlyorhasidentifiablepotentialusein thefuturethereisastrongcaseforretention.) Thingstoconsider: •whywastheitemacquiredinthefirstplace? •istheitemcurrentlybeingused? Ifso,then thereisastrongargumentforretention •istheitembeingselectedbecauseitisout offashion?Ifso,proceedwithcaution •wouldtheitemfitbetterandbemorewidely usedandaccessibleinanothermuseum’s collection(e.g.woulditbemoregeographically orculturallyrelevant)? Duplicateitems Thefactthatanobjectisanapparentduplicate shouldnotautomaticallybeajustificationfor disposal;theseitemsmayhavesignificant storiesorhistoriesattachedtothem,which needtobeassessed. Thingstoconsider: •istheduplicateinuse? Arethereany identifiableusesfortheiteminthefuture? •doestheitemhaveauniquehistory? •isthereculturalvalueinretainingmorethan oneoftheitems? •couldausebefoundfortheiteminanother partofthecollection(e.g.education)? •istheduplicateitemlikelytobefoundinother museums?(Ifso,itmaybedifficulttotransfer.) Underuseditems Someitemswithincollectionshavenever beenusedorarerarelyused.Ifthereislittle ornolikelihoodofthemuseumfindingause inthefuture,itmaybeappropriatetoremove itfromthecollection. Thingstoconsider: •whyisthisitemunused;whatarethe potentialopportunitiesforuseinthefuture? •coulditbebetterusedbyanothermuseum? •ifspecialistknowledgecouldbeobtained, istherealikelihoodthattheitemcouldbe broughtintouse? •isthespecialistknowledgemorelikelytobe availableiftheitemistransferred? •whatistheculturalsignificanceoftheitem withinthecollection? •istheitemuniqueoristhereothersimilar materialinthecollection? •istheitembeingselectedbecauseitisoutof fashion?Ifso,proceedwithcaution •couldthemuseumfindausefortheitem(e.g. objecthandling,educationorsetdressing)? Itemsforwhichthemuseumisunableto provideadequatecareorcuration Somemuseumsmayfindthattheyhaveitems intheircollectionsthattheyeitherdonothave thespecialistknowledgetouseappropriately, orlackadequateresourcestocarefor.Insuch caseswherethereislittleexpectationthatthe museumwillbeabletoprovidesuitablecare,it maybemoreappropriatetoremoveitemstoa collectionwheretheircarecanbeimproved. Thingstoconsider: •istheitemrelevanttothecollection? •wouldtheitemfitbetterinanothercollection? •cantheresourcesbeobtainedtocarefor theitem? •aretheresourcesmorelikelytobeavailable inanothermuseum? Itemsthataredamagedordeteriorated beyondthemuseum’sabilitytorepair Theremaybeitemsthataredamaged beyondthemuseum’sabilitytorepairthem andthereforecannotbeused.Suchitems maybeconsideredfordisposal. Thingstoconsider: •istheitembeyondrepair? •whatwoulditcosttoconserveorrepair theitem? •isthecostofconservingandrepairingthe itemwithintheresourcesofthemuseum? •isanotherowner,suchasanothermuseum oraspecialistorenthusiasts’group,better abletorepairandusetheitem? 10disposaltoolkit Whydispose? Uncontextualisedorunprovenanceditems Duetopastmethods,managementand recordingofacquisitions,museumsmay possessmaterialthatlacksdocumentationand recordedprovenance.Insomesuchcasesitems maynotbeofuseandasaresultamuseummay considerremovingthemfromthecollection. (SeeSection6,p23.) Thingstoconsider: •hassufficienteffortbeenmadetoresearch theitem’shistory? •cananotherusebefoundfortheitem? •hasthemuseumundertakenarisk assessmentrelatingto disposaloftheitem?
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- 29. 29 disposaltoolkit AdditionalGuidancefromtheCharityCommission Museumsthatare charitiesand charitableexhibits andcollections 1.Museumsandgalleriesthat arecharities: Therearemuseumsandartgalleries thatarecharitiesandholdoneor moreexhibitsandcollections.The mainpurposesforwhichtheyhold theirpropertywillbethepromotion ofartand/ortheadvancementof education.Forguidanceonwhether thepurposesofamuseumare charitable,see: www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ media/95113/rr10text.pdf Ineachcasethecharitytrustees needtoknowandfollowthetrusts, directionsandconditionssubject towhichtheyholdthecollection orexhibit.Charitytrusteeshave overridingdutiestoactreasonably andintheinterestsofthecharity; seetheCharityCommission’s guidance:TheEssentialTrustee: www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ Publications/cc3.aspx 2.Museumsandgalleriesthat arenotcharities: Museumsandartgalleriesmay belongtootherbodiesthatare notcharities,e.g.localauthorities. However,suchinstitutionsoften holdcharitableexhibitsand collectionsthathavebeenacquired inthepastwiththeintentionthat theybeheldseparatelyontrustfor thecharitablepurposeofpromoting artoradvancingeducation. 3.Collection-holdingcharities thatarenotmuseumsorgalleries: Therearecharities,havingother objectsthanthepromotionofart, whichholdsignificantworksofart. Examplesincludehospitalsand collegesofeducation.These charitieswillonlybeabletofollow thetoolkitinalimitedwayunlessthe worksareheldonaspecialtrustfor thepromotionofart,becausethe worksareheldtofurthertheobjects ofthehospital,collegeorother non-artcharity,asthecasemaybe. 4.Restrictionsondisposal: Iftheexhibitorcollectioninquestion hasbeengiveninperpetuityand thereisnopowertodispose,the charitytrusteeswillneedtotake advicefromtheCharityCommission; thecommissionwillenablethemto disposeofthework(s)ifthiswouldbe intheinterestsofthecharity.Orthe trusteesmaywanttolendanexhibit orcollectiontoanotherbodyfor publicdisplaybut,withoutauthority fromthecourtorthecommission, theycannotifthereisaprohibitionin thetrusts.Ifthereisnothingtostop themlending,thecharitytrustees maydosoiftheyarefurtheringthe objectsofthecharity. 5.Giftsofexhibitsandcollectionsare oftengivenontermsthattheyareto beheldpermanently,butnotalways. Insomecasesthecharitytrustees havenoexpresspowerofdisposal andinotherstheyhave.Wherethere isnoexpresspowerofdisposalthe charitytrusteesshouldseekadvice. Wherecharitytrusteesdisposeof exhibitsandcollections,theymust dealwiththeproceedsasdirectedin thetrusts;suchdirectionswillusually betoreplaceitemsorinvestand spendtheincomeonly,butmay includethepowertospendthe proceedsonconservationandrepair oftheremainingexhibitsand collections. 6.Returnofitemstodonors: Wheretheyhaveacceptedan unconditionalgift,charitytrustees cannotreturnitemstodonorsunless thisisinthecharity’sinterests.If thereisastrongmoralobligation andtheitemhasalowculturalvalue, thetrusteesshouldasktheCharity Commissionforadvice. 7.Saleatlessthanmarketprice Charitytrusteesmustcomplywith charitylawandotherlawsthatapply totheircharity.Subjecttothese trusts,powersandduties,trustees havediscretion: •toacceptorrefuseadonation (ofmoneyorproperty) •todisposeofpropertythatisno longerrequiredforthepurposes ofthecharity: -atfullvalue,or -atlessthanfullvalueifthis furthersthecharity’spurposes orisotherwiseinitsinterests. 8. Governanceissues Ifacharitytrusteeorapersonor organisationconnectedwiththem wishedtoacquireitemondisposalfor thebenefitofanotherorganisation, thecommissionwouldexpectthe othertrusteestoensurethatthe bestreturnreasonablyobtainable fortheircharitywassecured.Atthe least,theacquiringtrusteeshould beexcludedfromtheirdiscussions, decision-makingandallother actiontakentomanagetheconflict ofinterest. 9. Returnofcollections Withregardtothereturnof culturalpropertyorotherexhibits orcollectionsbelongingtoa charityraisingissuesofrestitution, repatriationorspoliation,theCharity Commissionsetoutitsviewsina memorandumtoParliament’sSelect CommitteeonCulture,Mediaand SportinApril2000andacopyof thiscanbefoundonlineat: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ cm199900/cmselect/ cmcumeds/371/371ap50.htm Muchofthisadviceisbasedupon guidanceprovidedbytheCharity Commissionin2008.Advicemay changeovertimeandconsequently itisadvisabletorefertothe commission’swebsite: www.charitycommission.gov.uk Appendix2
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