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Re: ethics of deaccessioning



The American Association of Museums' Code of Ethics is based on the legal
status of museums (as defined by AAM and the IRS) as being non-profit
organizations which hold their collections "in trust" for the citizens of
the state in which the museum is incorporated.  As such, the sale of museum
collections (including archival materials in such institutions) means that
the people of the state no longer benefit from having those materials
available to them.  If the deaccesioned items are transferred (sold or
donated) to another non-profit collecting institution, the public still has
access to them.  If the items are sold to a individual (generally not
acceptable), the item has been put back into the private sector.  The
proceeds from any sale of museum collections is generally restricted to the
purchase of other artifacts to be added to the collection.  Occasionally,
conservation of items already in the collection can be funded with the
proceeds.  The reasoning here is that the items which were sold were
previously available to the public and that the public should receive an
equivalent benefit from any sale.  Also restricting the use of such funds
prevents the wanton selling of collections to fund day-to-day operations of
a museum with a failing budget, or to pay staff, start new programs, build
or maintain facilities, etc., all of which are necessary operations, but
become null if the museum's collections are depleted.

It seems to me the same factors should apply to public archives which are
incorporated as charitable non-profits.

My disclaimer ... I do not have legal training but spent a number of years
in the museum field and familiarized myself with this issue.

Catherine Bruck
University Archivist
Illinois Institute of Technology
Paul V. Galvin Library
35 W. 33rd St.
Chicago, IL  60616
312/567-6840
312/567-5318 (FAX)
bruck@iit.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU]On
Behalf Of TawnyRN@AOL.COM
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 6:00 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: ethics of deaccessioning


Archival colleagues:

I have been told the American Museum Association Code of Ethics specifically
forbids using the proceeds of sale of deaccessioned museum materials for
anything other than purchase of a new artifact.  The current SAA Code of
Ethics mentions nothing about deaccessioning whatsoever, perhaps, because we
may "weed" duplicate documents, but rarely sell these materials.  If an
archives decids to deaccession materials that don't fit into its collection
policy, it usually shreds them, offers them to another institution, or
returns them to the donor.

Can you give me some deaccession examples from your own experience and the
ultimate disposition of this material?

Thank you,

Tawny Ryan Nelb
Nelb Archival Consulting, Inc.
5610 Woodberry Ct.
Midland, MI  48640
(517) 631-1011
tawnyrn@aol.com

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