Are you thinking of donating something to a museum? Here are some of the most common questions donors ask.

Museum Artifact Donation FAQ

Hi Kim

About gifts, once an item is donated, what happens if the museum decides to eliminate the item or must the museum keep it forever?

After an item has been accessioned into the collection, it cannot be disposed of unless/until it has been deaccessioned. Every museum has its own policy regarding deaccessioning. At my museum, as curator I can recommend an item for deaccessioning, based on an established set of criteria, but it must be approved by my director. If it is over a certain monetary value, the board must also approve it.

Ideally, nothing should be taken into the collection that will not be taken care of "forever" -- but things do change over time, and sometimes it is necessary to deaccesion items from the collection.

Does that help?

I thought I had written about this awhile back! Check this out for more specific information:

What is Deaccessioning?

Let me know if you have any questions!

yes, it does help.