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Re: On-line auctions



It has been the practice of a museum in which I worked to have the donor sign a
"contract" stating that the museum reserves the right to sell the item(s),  in
case they want to deacession the item in the future. This relieves the museum of
legal responsibility and at the same time informs the donor of the possibility
of their item one day showing up on ebay. The donor can decide at that point
whether to donate or not.

Kristi Warab
Technical Services Librarian
Wheelock College

"Osier, Nina" wrote:

> <<What are the ethical
> ramifications surrounding selling deaccessioned items in online auctions?
> What type of image do patrons get when they see a museum or
> archives "selling" their collections? >>
>
> I'm going to respond to this on two levels.  As an employee of a government
> archives, I don't have this problem; because citizens do not interact with
> government (as a rule) by choice, we either preserve or destroy.  We don't
> have a manuscript repository or a museum's option to deaccession by selling.
>
> As a private citizen, I've donated a couple of personal possessions
> (child-sized sea moss rakes made for me by my father, when I was 8 years old
> and going along with him to work on the off-shore ledges that appear at low
> water off the Maine coast) to the Maine State Museum.  I know perfectly well
> that they deaccession holdings regularly, and I understand why; their
> registrar is a dear friend.  BUT.  I would be very upset if I saw those
> little moss rakes, made by my now deceased father's loving hands, on eBay!!!
> I'm not in a position to say, "If they did that, I'd never donate anything
> again," because (rueful chuckle) I probably don't have another possession
> that would interest a museum.  But I'd bet money other people who DO have
> important donor potential would feel just the way I do about this.
>
> My own opinion, for whatever it's worth.
>
> Nina M. Osier, Director
> Division of Records Management Services
> Maine State Archives
>
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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>