Denman Museum and Archives Committee
Proposed Museum Collections Management Policy
1. Acquisitions (Accession)
The Denman Island Museum and Archives has been built around donated artifacts and items from individuals or groups. Donations are key to maintaining and improving our museum. On rare occasions material may be acquired through purchase, loan or transfer from individuals or institutions. Permanent loans of material will not be accepted.
There is a limited amount of storage and display space in the Denman Island Museum so a collections policy is required to ensure that only suitable items are accepted into the Museum. To be suitable for the Museum, artifacts and items must contribute to the communication and exhibition of the material evidence of the people of Denman Island and their environment. Acquisitions will be primarily restricted to items pertaining specifically to the geographical place Denman Island (Sla-dai-aich) and its immediate surrounding waters, which includes people, both aboriginal and new immigrants, animal and plant life and geographical and geological information,
Other factors determining acquisitions include: physical size vs. space available, physical condition, potential impact on other items, the ability of the Museum to care for the item, duplication of existing information or artifacts, conditions placed on the donation by the donor, and questionable authenticity or ownership. Donations will not be accepted where any local, national or international conventions regarding trafficking or transfer of material or where copyright prohibits acquisition.
The Keeper of Artifacts in consultation with the Museum and Archives Committee will decide on the acceptance of artifacts or items by the Museum. Acceptable artifacts or items will become the property of the Museum unless they are temporary loans, and will be tracked in the Museum records.
Procedure
When approached about a potential acquisition, museum volunteers will gather as much information as possible from the donor on the provenance and details of the items offered, entering this information on the Temporary Acceptance Form. The Keeper of Artifacts in consultation with the Museum and Archives Committee will then decide on whether to accept the items) or not and will contact the donor with its decision. Donated artifacts or items will require the completion and signing (by the donor and the Keeper of Artifacts) of a Gift Receipt Form transferring ownership to the Museum. On completion of the Gift Receipt, the Keeper of Artifacts will enter the relevant information about the artifact or item into the Museum’s accession records (Museum Accession Form).
