Somerset County Council Heritage and
Libraries Service
Museum Acquisition and Disposal Policy
Governing Body: Somerset County Council
Approved under the Scheme of Delegation by Miriam
Maddison, Corporate Director Community Services
Signed:
Date approved under the Scheme of Delegation:
Date at which policy due for review: October 2016
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1. Museum’s statement of purpose
The Museums Service is part of Somerset County Council’s Heritage and Libraries
Service and collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits the material evidence of
humankind and the natural environment, with particular reference to the county of
Somerset, for the purposes of inspiration, education and enjoyment. It manages the
Museum of Somerset at Taunton Castle, the Somerset Rural Life Museum,
Glastonbury, and the Somerset Brick and Tile Museum, Bridgwater. It has a strategic
and leadership role in promoting and co-ordinating museum provision throughout
Somerset.
2. Existing collections
Geology
The geological collection contains about thirty thousand rocks, minerals and fossils
collected mainly from the historic county of Somerset and from neighbouring areas in
North and East Devon, West Dorset and West Wiltshire. It contains scientifically
important specimens of national and international significance. The highlights are the
Pleistocene mammals, Liassic marine vertebrates, Lower Greensand siliceous marine
invertebrates, Liassic insects and the iron and copper minerals from West Somerset.
Lower and Middle Jurassic fossil invertebrates form an important subsidiary collection.
Many specimens derive from small, hand-operated quarries, such as those at Street
and Ilminster that have long ceased to operate or from the bone caves of the Mendip
Hills. The collection documents the historical development of the science of geology in
Somerset and most of the individual collections date from the mid-19th century to the
early 20th century.
The collection of Ice Age mammals is the most scientifically important geological
collection in the museum consisting of 18,000 specimens collected from the famous
bone caves of the western Mendip Hills and the fluvio-marine deposits (Burtle Beds) of
Greylake in the Somerset Levels. The collection consists of bones, tusks, antlers and
teeth of fossil mammals and birds. It represents the most significant Late Pleistocene
assemblage in southern England.
Biology
The collection consists of an irreplaceable source of local reference and voucher
specimens. Apart from a few oddities and exotic additions the material largely derives
from the area of pre-1974 Somerset.
Some of the older and rarer specimens have been mentioned in standard works of
reference and county lists. For instance references to bird skins in the County Museum
occur in The Birds of Somerset (Palmer and Ballance 1968) and Beetles of Somerset
(Duff 1993).
The collection comprises:
Study skins and mounted specimens - these include a small collection of British
mammals and a good range of British bird species from the county together with some
great rarities such as the Great Bustard and the White-tailed Sea Eagle. There is a
large series of albino specimens which have scientific and sociological interest. Most of
the material is British and much local. Among the foreign specimens is a mounted
Kakapo or Flightless Owl Parrot (Strigops habroptilus) from New Zealand of which
there are only 123 left alive.
Birds' Eggs - these include an egg and nest collection from historic Somerset made by
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W. Wigglesworth, an important ornithologist of the early twentieth century.
Osteological collections - there are a number of good skulls of large foreign
mammals, including lion, polar bear, sloth, monkey, deer and dolphin. Some of these
are from the collection of John Hanning Speke. There is also a reference collection of
disassembled skeletons of small mammals and amphibians from Somerset.
Conchological collections - The collection has two components:
- a large mid-19th century collection of foreign marine and terrestrial shells which
includes interesting rarities and items of historical interest, e.g. a small collection of
Japanese land snails given in 1951.
- a good late-19th century collection of British land, freshwater and marine shells
containing identified specimens of small and deep-water species, types usually missing
from collections. It includes the Vernon collection (1865) and Foss collection (1880s).
Entomological collection - The large and diverse insect collection comprises
lepidoptera, hymenoptera, diptera, coleoptera and orthoptera. Dominated by butterflies,
moths and beetles, it provides the material evidence to support an historical
understanding of their state and status within the county. Many specimens are
vouchers for the Somerset lists of lepidoptera and coleoptera.
The herbarium
The collection contains vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, lichens and seaweeds.
Together with the insects the herbarium is the most scientifically important collection
and is the best documented. Containing in excess of 30,000 specimens, it has been
used to provide data and voucher specimens for the Flora of Somerset (Roe, 1981) as
well as the earlier floras of the county published by Murray (1893-1896) and Marshall
(1914).
Specimens include material from all the important botanists associated with Somerset
and some nationally important names, e.g. the collection of Hewett C. Watson (1804 1881), one of the most influential 19th century botanists and referred to as “the father
of topographical botany”. The oldest collections appear to be those of Dr. Gapper (later
Southby), c.1822 and Thomas Clark (1793 - 1864).
Archaeology
Material ranges from the Palaeolithic to the 19th century and comprises both chance
finds and excavation archives almost exclusively from historic Somerset and
overwhelmingly from the area of the post-1974 county. There are some 75,000 small
finds (artefacts of metal, bone, glass, stone etc.) along with a large quantity of bulk
finds of pottery, stone and animal bone.
Particular strengths of the collection lie in the following archaeological archives, some
of which are of national importance:
Brean Down Bronze Age settlement

Somerset Levels – conserved worked wood and associated finds of Neolithic
and Bronze Age date excavated by the Somerset Levels Project between 1973
and 1987 in the wetlands of central Somerset. The techniques and
methodologies developed by the Project form the basis of the approach to
wetland archaeology worldwide)

Meare Lake Villages – two Iron Age sites excavated between 1908 and 1956

Glastonbury Lake Village – an Iron Age settlement constructed on an artificial
island

Ham Hill – excavation archives and chance finds acquired over the past 150
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years from the largest hillfort in Britain with occupation evidence spanning the
Mesolithic to post-medieval periods

Cadbury Castle – a hillfort which underwent major excavations in the later
1960s and early 1970s, occupation spanned the Mesolithic to late Anglo-Saxon
periods

South Cadbury Environs Project – archive from a project begun in 1995
focusing on a 10km square around Cadbury Castle with a particular emphasis
on the Bronze Age to Roman periods

Ilchester – finds from major excavations in post 1974 Somerset’s main Roman
and Medieval town

Shepton Mallet – archive from extensive excavations on this small Roman town

Low Ham and East Coker Roman mosaics

Lamyatt Beacon – Romano-Celtic temple

Medieval and post-medieval pottery kiln sites including Donyatt, Wrangway,
Crowcombe and Nether Stowey

Shapwick Project – material from a ten-year long multi-disciplinary study of
settlement evolution and land-use in the parish of Shapwick from the Mesolithic
period to the present day
Amongst the most important of the non-excavated material is the collection of Bronze
Age metalwork, both hoards and individual finds.
Human Remains
The museum holds the remains of 900 individuals, predominantly inhumations of
Roman date but with smaller numbers of late prehistoric and medieval date. Most
derive from archaeological excavations. There are a small number of cremations of
Bronze Age and Roman date.
Ethnography and non-British Archaeology
In the later nineteenth and earlier twentieth century the museum collection included a
significant amount of ethnographic material. Objects from India, North America, Africa,
Australia, New Zealand and Europe were donated by a range of collectors including
Frederick Jervis-Smith, W.W. Walter, Frederick Thomas Elworthy and Edward Burnett
Tylor
The majority of the ethnographic collections were transferred to the University of
Manchester Museum and Liverpool City Museums in the 1940s but a small and
significant collection was retained.
Social History
The collections derive from early efforts to reflect the county and tend to form
typological groups of artefacts such as friendly society brasses. Since the foundation of
the Somerset Rural Life Museum in 1973 the collections have developed in a more
structured way and broadly reflect the social, domestic and working life of the county
from the 19th century onwards.
Aspects of particular importance are:

A regionally significant assemblage of the county’s farming tools and
equipment, records, photographs and ephemera, many by Somerset makers
such as Dening of Chard.
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
An important collection of wagons and carts, including good examples of
Somerset types such as an Exmoor ‘curry cart’, a putt cart, timber wagon,
market wagons, a hay ‘lorry’ and a Somerset cock-raved wagon.

Brompton Regis carriage works collection of wagon-making tools and
associated equipment from a concern run by the How family. The material was
carefully recorded in situ as part of the acquisition and documentation process.

An extensive collection of dairy and cheese-making equipment from numerous
agricultural holdings and dairies throughout the county, dating from c.1850 to
the present day.

An extensive and regionally important collection of cider making tools and
equipment collected throughout Somerset. There is a supporting documentary
and photographic archive compiled in the 1980s.

One of the most extensive collections of friendly society club brasses in public
ownership in the country (c. 720 in total). Also, a very large collection of horse
brasses, mostly pre-World War Two.

A collection of c.400 items from Chidgeys’ of Watchet consisting of millwrighting
and mill parts, machine shop fittings and tools, machine parts, smithy items,
foundry items, carpentry items and patterns.

Material relating to brick and tile production in Somerset.

Oral archive – an important collection of c. 500 recordings made over the past
30 years, largely by members of the Friends of the Somerset Rural Life
Museum.

Images: a substantial collection of Somerset-related photographs has been
acquired.
Costume and Textiles Estelle, how much is Somerset-related?
The collection of textiles, costume and related items consists of some 20,000
specimens, mainly women's garments and accessories dating from the 19th century.
There are a number of earlier items particularly of 18th century date and a growing
collection of 20th century material. A small portion of the collection is made up of male
and children's clothing, some of which is heavily duplicated, e.g. waistcoats and baby's
robes. There is a large collection of fashion accessories including fans, parasols, scent
bottles, hat pins, shoe buckles, hair combs, jewellery and the Primrose Peacock
collection of over 3,000 buttons which date from the late eighteenth century to the mid
twentieth century. A small collection of occupational clothing exists including a
collection of c.40 smocks. Ephemera relating to the production of costume and textiles
has been collected including fashion prints, journals, magazines and sample books.
The flat textile collection is small but includes examples illustrating a variety of
needlework techniques with examples dating from the fifteenth century to the mid
twentieth century. Notable collections include over 2000 examples of lace much of
which was collected during the early years of the twentieth century by a Miss Babcock,
100 needlework samplers and a collection of quilts. There is a collection of needlework
tools including a good collection of lace bobbins.
The collection contains approximately 100 dolls mainly dating from the late nineteenth
and early twentieth century but with a few examples from the eighteenth and later
twentieth century. The collection includes some fine examples by notable British and
European manufacturers. A smaller number of assorted toys and games are mostly
Victorian and early 20th century in date.
Military History
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The collections of the Somerset Military Museum Trust are placed on deposit with the
Somerset County Council Museums Service under the terms of an agreement o0 14
October 1980 and which are subject to a separate acquisition and disposal policy. The
Service has a small collection of military items some of which are related to the County
Regiment and the volunteer forces.
Firearms and weapons
There are some 40 firearms of which 25 are pistols, around 60 swords and 30 daggers,
dirks etc. and a small number of other types such as halberds, partisans, helmets,
breastplates etc. Most are British made although a small quantity comes from the
continent and countries such as India, Sudan and Japan. The date range is 16th to
20th century. Some have a local connection, e.g. a pistol made by Parkhouse of
Taunton and three firearms by Israel Lillycrap of Bridgwater. A number of items, mainly
edged weapons, have local associations, notably with events in the 17th century - the
Civil War and Monmouth Rebellion.
Ceramics
The collection of Somerset-made ceramics includes earthenwares from Donyatt,
Wrangway, Nether Stowey and other centres, Brislington and Wincanton tin-glazed
earthenwares, Nailsea glass, Elton ware and examples of work of 20th and 21st-century
craft potters;
There is an extensive collection of non-British pottery from China, the Near East,
Africa, America and North West and Mediterranean Europe. The Barton collection of
vernacular ceramics is of particular significance in this context.
Metalwork
Cauldrons and skillets
The Museums Service holds a collection of 185 bronze skillets, cauldrons, posnets and
mortars, of which 179 pieces comprise the Butler collection which was acquired in
2004. This is the largest collection of English bronze cooking vessels in the public
ownership in this country and constitutes the national reference collection. The
collection derives from foundries across southern England together with a small
number of pieces from Wales. Over 40% of the vessels are Somerset-made, largely
from foundries at South Petherton and Montacute which operated in the 17th and early
18th centuries.
Silver
The collection is of regional importance with a strong focus upon 17th century Somerset
makers, including Thomas Dare senior and junior, Ellen Dare, Robert Wade and
Samuel Dell, all of Taunton, the Sweet family of Crewkerne and Chard, Christopher
Roberts of Bridgwater and John Elderton of Frome. The 50 pieces are predominantly
spoons with a small number of cups and beakers. There are two hoards of spoons,
from East Combe and Charlynch.
Numismatics
The 95,000 coins, medals and banknotes date from ancient Greek to the 20th century
and many parts of the world are represented. The collection has developed through
donations of single coins and collections (e.g. Norris in 1890, Tite early 20th century
and Walter 1901), finds from archaeological excavations and by purchase. The focus
has always been upon acquiring specimens made in, or for specific use in, the county
and with a Somerset provenance e.g. material from excavations and hoards. Of
particular significance are silver pennies from the county’s Anglo-Saxon and Norman
mints, 17th-19th century trade tokens, trade checks and medallions issued for use in the
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county and coin hoards, notably the Shapwick hoard which is the largest hoard of
Roman silver denarii to have been found in Britain and the Frome hoard, the largest
hoard of coins ever found in a single container in Britain.
Fine Art and Applied Art
The Service’s collection contains a relatively small representation of art objects, of
which paintings and drawings form the greater part. These mainly comprise illustrations
of Somerset scenes and portraits of people associated with Somerset, together with
works by artists connected with the County by birth or residence. The collection also
includes art objects such as sculture and art pottery whose connection with Somerset
is through previous ownership (for example as part of a country house collection), or
which are otherwise linked to the county and are illustrative of its history and creativity.
3. Criteria governing future collecting.
Geology
Collecting will focus on:

Somerset type, figured, cited or otherwise published material, e.g. research
collection archives.

Systematically collected and well documented assemblages of Somerset
material derived from fieldwork.

Occasional non-Somerset material for exhibition.

Manuscripts, published works, maps, plans, drawings, prints, photographs and
equipment formerly used in the collection or study of the geology of Somerset.

Personalia of geologists having strong links with the county.

Occasional reference material from South West England.
Future collecting will concentrate almost entirely on temporary exposures, both natural
and man-made, e.g. foreshore erosion, landslips, construction schemes (pipe laying,
road and building development) and quarry workings. It provides opportunistic
information relating to the geology of Somerset that would otherwise go unrecorded.
A return to derelict quarries and other early exposures would allow for the collecting of
fresh, well-documented fossil assemblages and give scope for better understanding of
the provenance of early museum collections.
Geological research will be encouraged, together with the deposition of fieldwork
archives.
Pre-Pleistocene fossils:
Existing strengths will be built upon and acquisition will endeavour to target those areas
where palaeontological evidence is under-represented in the collection.
Quaternary fossils:
The material is of national importance and efforts will be made to expand the collection,
improve access and encourage research.
Rocks and minerals:
The rock and mineral collections will be expanded to provide a more representative
sample of the county’s petrology and sedimentary lithologies.
Manuscripts, recordings and photographs:
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Unpublished information relating to objects in the collection and to Somerset geology in
general will be sought and acquired.
Biology
The existing collection will be sustainably developed in partnership with the key interest
groups responsible for wildlife conservation and recording in the county. Future
collecting will concentrate on plants, insects, mammals, birds and reptiles. Mounted
specimens, study skins and comparative bone collections will be developed for
reference and display.
Archaeology
The service will acquire archaeological material representing all periods of activity from
within the boundaries of post - 1974 Somerset. The sole exclusion is the top of Brean
Down, which it has been mutually agreed will fall within the collecting area of the North
Somerset Council in recognition of their long-standing acquisition of archaeological
archives from the location.
The Service will acquire the complete archive of objects and records from externally
undertaken fieldwork. A condition for the acceptance of fieldwork archives is that they
come packaged, documented and prepared according to the standards defined in the
Somerset County Council Heritage and Libraries Service Archaeological Handbook
(2011) and Conditions for the Acceptance of Archaeological Archives (2000).
The Service will continue to acquire human remains where they form an integral part of
an excavation archive and where they are deemed to have research value. The
acquisition and care of human remains will be carried out in accordance with the
Somerset County Council Heritage and Libraries Service’s Policy for the Care of
Human Remains (2011).
There is a strong presumption against accepting unprocessed environmental samples
from excavations.
Ethnography
As a guiding principle, no further ethnographical or non-British archaeological
specimens will be acquired. The only exception is material which directly relates to
Somerset collectors or to the history of the county.
Social History
Future collecting will focus on the domestic, social and working life of the county,
including the post Second World War period. Emphasis will be given to the combined
collection of documentary and oral material with objects. The 'personal history',
anthropological approach, used in the Brompton Regis Project, is an effective model for
future collecting.
Priority will be given to the collection of material which demonstrates significant
changes and trends in the social and economic life of Somerset, such as the impact of
mechanisation and industrialisation on agriculture and crafts, the revolution in farming
caused by the Second World War and the changing structure of village life.
In collecting agricultural machinery and tools, particular emphasis will be given to the
acquisition of items manufactured in Somerset to increase the body of evidence on the
individual manufactures and agencies operating in the county.
Material will be collected to reflect the diverse landscape of the county and emphasis
will be given to machinery used on different types of terrain and tools relating to
regional farming and craft traditions.
Items will be acquired to reflect those rural industries in Somerset which are not
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already well represented in the collections, such as mining, quarrying, rope-making and
cloth manufacture. It is essential that awareness of the importance of business
"archives" be fostered.
Items of domestic furniture and fittings made in Somerset will be collected to reflect
both craftsmanship and home life in the county.
The acquisition of images will be restricted to:i) those of direct relevance to Somerset and its community, particular attention
being given to photographs associated with objects acquired by the museum.
ii) contemporary records of Somerset landscapes, buildings, activities (including
farming, industrial and craft), people, customs and lifestyles, particular attention
being given to the theme of change and the recording of places, items, events or
practices to be destroyed or discontinued.
The oral archive, based on the personal experiences of people in Somerset, will
continue to be developed.
Costume
Collecting will focus on providing a representative range of the clothing and
accessories worn by people of Somerset throughout history and material relating to
textile crafts and industries in the county, including gloves, collars and shirts.
Occupational costume and accessories will be collected where they relate to working
life in Somerset.
Men's and children's wear are underrepresented and their collection is to be
encouraged.
Toys and dolls used and owned by the children of Somerset, past and present will be
collected.
Military History
The collecting policy of the Somerset Military Museum Trust is acknowledged and
material relating to the Somerset Light Infantry, the West Somerset Yeomanry, the
North Somerset Yeomanry and their successor units, the Militia, Volunteer and
Irregular Units raised in the County of Somerset will be offered to the Trust in the first
instance.
Firearms and weapons
The collecting of firearms and weapons will be restricted to Somerset-made pieces or
objects with a significant Somerset association.
Ceramics
The Service will collect ceramics made in or used within post-1974 Somerset, including
the work of contemporary potters.
Metalwork
The collection of English cauldrons, skillets and related cast bronze wares will continue
to be developed but with especial reference to Somerset.
Somerset-made and associated silverware will be acquired with the particular aim of
increasing the representation of makers and their range of products.
Hoards of silver and other pieces with a Somerset provenance will be acquired.
Other categories of metalwork, e.g. pewter and clocks, made in or associated with the
county will be acquired.
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Numismatics
Acquisition will focus on coins, tokens, medallions, banknotes, etc made in or for
specific use in the county and material used in their production; on numismatic items
found in the county by chance and during fieldwork and on material with a link to the
history of the county, eg commemorative medallions.
Fine Art and Applied Art
The Service will collect fine and applied art illustrative of or associated with the county.
4. Limitations on collecting
The museum recognises its responsibility, in acquiring additions to its collections, to
ensure that care of collections, documentation arrangements and use of collections
will meet the requirements of the Accreditation Standard. It will take into account
limitations on collecting imposed by such factors as staffing, storage and care of
collection arrangements.
5. Collecting policies of other museums
The museum will take account of the collecting policies of other museums and other
organisations collecting in the same or related areas or subject fields. It will consult
with these organisations where conflicts of interest may arise or to define areas of
specialisms, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of resources.
Specific reference is made to the following museum(s):
Somerset Military Museum
North Somerset Council
Blake Museum, Bridgwater
Wells and Mendip Museum
Chard and District Museum
South Somerset District Council
Account will also be taken of the many other community museums in Somerset
6. Policy review procedure
The Acquisition and Disposal Policy will be published and reviewed from time to time,
at least once every five years. The date when the policy is next due for review is
noted above.
ACE will be notified of any changes to the Acquisition and Disposal Policy, and the
implications of any such changes for the future of existing collections.
7. Acquisitions not covered by the policy
Acquisitions outside the current stated policy will only be made in very exceptional
circumstances, and then only after proper consideration by the governing body of the
museum itself, having regard to the interests of other museums.
8. Acquisition procedures
a. The museum will exercise due diligence and make every effort not to acquire,
whether by purchase, gift, bequest or exchange, any object or specimen unless the
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governing body or responsible officer is satisfied that the museum can acquire a valid
title to the item in question.
b. In particular, the museum will not acquire any object or specimen unless it is
satisfied that the object or specimen has not been acquired in, or exported from, its
country of origin (or any intermediate country in which it may have been legally
owned) in violation of that country’s laws. (For the purposes of this paragraph
`country of origin’ includes the United Kingdom).
c. In accordance with the provisions of the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means
of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of
Cultural Property, which the UK ratified with effect from November 1 2002, and the
Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003, the museum will reject any items
that have been illicitly traded. The governing body will be guided by the national
guidance on the responsible acquisition of cultural property issued by the Department
for Culture, Media and Sport in 2005.
d. So far as biological and geological material is concerned, the museum will not
acquire by any direct or indirect means any specimen that has been collected, sold or
otherwise transferred in contravention of any national or international wildlife
protection or natural history conservation law or treaty of the United Kingdom or any
other country, except with the express consent of an appropriate outside authority.
e. The museum will not acquire archaeological antiquities (including excavated
ceramics) in any case where the governing body or responsible officer has any
suspicion that the circumstances of their recovery involved a failure to follow the
appropriate legal procedures including reporting finds to the landowner or occupier of
the land and to the proper authorities in the case of possible treasure as defined by
the Treasure Act 1996.
f. Any exceptions to the above clauses 8a, 8b, 8c, or 8e will only be because the
museum is either:
acting as an externally approved repository of last resort for material of local
(UK) origin; or
acquiring an item of minor importance that lacks secure ownership history but in
the best judgement of experts in the field concerned has not been illicitly traded;
or
acting with the permission of authorities with the requisite jurisdiction in the
country of origin; or
in possession of reliable documentary evidence that the item was exported from
its country of origin before 1970.
In these cases the museum will be open and transparent in the way it makes
decisions and will act only with the express consent of an appropriate outside
authority.
g. As the museum holds or intends to acquire human remains from any period, it will
follow the procedures in the “Guidance for the care of human remains in museums”
issued by DCMS in 2005.
9. Spoliation
The museum will use the statement of principles ‘Spoliation of Works of Art during the
Nazi, Holocaust and World War II period’, issued for non-national museums in 1999
by the Museums and Galleries Commission.
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10. The Repatriation and Restitution of objects and human remains
The museum’s governing body, acting on the advice of the museum’s professional
staff, if any, may take a decision to return human remains (unless covered by the
“Guidance for the care of human remains in museums” issued by DCMS in 2005) ,
objects or specimens to a country or people of origin. The museum will take such
decisions on a case by case basis; within its legal position and taking into account all
ethical implications and available guidance. This will mean that the procedures
described in 12a-12d, 12g and 12s below will be followed but the remaining procedures
are not appropriate.
The disposal of human remains from museums in England, Northern Ireland and Wales
will follow the procedures in the “Guidance for the care of human remains in
museums”.
11. Management of archives
As the museum holds and intends to acquire archives, including photographs and
printed ephemera, its governing body will be guided by the Code of Practice on
Archives for Museums and Galleries in the United Kingdom (3rd ed., 2002).
12. Disposal procedures
a. The governing body will ensure that the disposal process is carried out openly and
with transparency.
b. By definition, the museum has a long-term purpose and holds collections in trust
for society in relation to its stated objectives. The governing body therefore accepts
the principle that sound curatorial reasons for disposal must be established before
consideration is given to the disposal of any items in the museum’s collection.
c. The museum will confirm that it is legally free to dispose of an
item and agreements on disposal made with donors will be taken
into account.
d. When disposal of a museum object is being considered, the museum will establish
if it was acquired with the aid of an external funding organisation. In such cases, any
conditions attached to the original grant will be followed. This may include repayment
of the original grant and a proportion of the proceeds if the item is disposed of by
sale.
e. When disposal is motivated by curatorial reasons the procedures outlined in
paragraphs 12g-12s will be followed and the method of disposal may be by gift, sale or
exchange.
f. In exceptional cases, the disposal may be motivated principally by financial reasons.
The method of disposal will therefore be by sale and the procedures outlined below in
paragraphs 12g-12m and 12s will be followed. In cases where disposal is motivated by
financial reasons, the governing body will not undertake disposal unless it can be
demonstrated that all the following exceptional circumstances are met in full:


the disposal will significantly improve the long-term public benefit derived from the
remaining collection,
the disposal will not be undertaken to generate short-term revenue (for example
to meet a budget deficit),
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
the disposal will be undertaken as a last resort after other sources of funding
have been thoroughly explored.
g. Whether the disposal is motivated either by curatorial or financial reasons, the
decision to dispose of material from the collections will be taken by the governing body
only after full consideration of the reasons for disposal. Other factors including the
public benefit, the implications for the museum’s collections and collections held by
museums and other organisations collecting the same material or in related fields will
be considered. External expert advice will be obtained and the views of stakeholders
such as donors, researchers, local and source communities and others served by the
museum will also be sought.
h. A decision to dispose of a specimen or object, whether by gift, exchange, sale or
destruction (in the case of an item too badly damaged or deteriorated to be of any use
for the purposes of the collections or for reasons of health and safety), will be the
responsibility of the governing body of the museum acting on the advice of professional
curatorial staff, if any, and not of the curator of the collection acting alone.
i. Any monies received by the museum governing body from the disposal of items will
be applied for the benefit of the collections. This normally means the purchase of
further acquisitions. In exceptional cases, improvements relating to the care of
collections in order to meet or exceed Accreditation requirements relating to the risk of
damage to and deterioration of the collections may be justifiable. Any monies received
in compensation for the damage, loss or destruction of items will be applied in the
same way. Advice on those cases where the monies are intended to be used for the
care of collections will be sought from MLA.
j. The proceeds of a sale will be ring-fenced so it can be demonstrated that they are
spent in a manner compatible with the requirements of the Accreditation standard.
k. Once a decision to dispose of material in the collection has been taken, priority will
be given to retaining it within the public domain, unless it is to be destroyed. It will
therefore be offered in the first instance, by gift or sale, directly to other Accredited
Museums likely to be interested in its acquisition.
l. If the material is not acquired by any Accredited Museums to which it was offered
directly as a gift or for sale, then the museum community at large will be advised of
the intention to dispose of the material, normally through an announcement in the
Museums Association’s Museums Journal, and in other specialist journals where
appropriate.
m. The announcement relating to gift or sale will indicate the number and nature of
specimens or objects involved, and the basis on which the material will be transferred
to another institution. Preference will be given to expressions of interest from other
Accredited Museums. A period of at least two months will be allowed for an interest in
acquiring the material to be expressed. At the end of this period, if no expressions of
interest have been received, the museum may consider disposing of the material to
other interested individuals and organisations giving priority to organisations in the
public domain.
n. The nature of disposal by exchange means that the museum will not necessarily be
in a position to exchange the material with another Accredited museum. The governing
body will therefore ensure that issues relating to accountability and impartiality are
carefully considered to avoid undue influence on its decision-making process.
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o. In cases where the governing body wishes for sound curatorial reasons to exchange
material directly with Accredited or unaccredited museums, with other organisations or
with individuals, the procedures in paragraphs 12a-12d and 12g-12h will be followed as
will the procedures in paragraphs 12p-12s.
p. If the exchange is proposed to be made with a specific Accredited museum, other
Accredited museums which collect in the same or related areas will be directly notified
of the proposal and their comments will be requested.
q. If the exchange is proposed with a non-accredited museum, with another type of
organisation or with an individual, the museum will make an announcement in the
Museums Journal and in other specialist journals where appropriate.
r. Both the notification and announcement must provide information on the number and
nature of the specimens or objects involved both in the museum’s collection and those
intended to be acquired in exchange. A period of at least two months must be allowed
for comments to be received. At the end of this period, the governing body must
consider the comments before a final decision on the exchange is made.
s. Full records will be kept of all decisions on disposals and the items involved and
proper arrangements made for the preservation and/or transfer, as appropriate, of the
documentation relating to the items concerned, including photographic records where
practicable in accordance with SPECTRUM Procedure on deaccession and disposal.
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