Collections Policy
of the
Pepperell Historical Society
Contents:
Section 1: Statement of Purpose
Section 2: Collecting Objectives
Section 3: Collection Management
Section 4: Acquisition Policy
Section 5: Acquisition Procedures
Section 6: De-accessioning Policy
Section 7: De-accessioning Procedures
Section 8: Loan Policy
Section 9: Loan Procedures
Appendix: Sample Forms
SECTION 1: Statement of Purpose
The Purpose of the Pepperell Historical Society shall be to acquire and preserve historical
knowledge and materials of Pepperell, Massachusetts and other areas if pertinent to
collections. It shall promote this history by every feasible means to as wide an audience as
possible
SECTION 2: Collecting Objectives
The Society shall discover and collect any material, which may help to establish or illustrate
the history of the area. These acquisitions may be by purchase, grant, donation or
otherwise; and may include buildings and land determined to be of historical interest to
Pepperell.
The Society’s collections may include study collections and expendable collections, in
addition to regular collections.
SECTION 3. Collection Management
Collection Committee
1.
2.
A standing committee of the Society is established, the Collections Committee.
It shall consist of at least one member of the Board of Directors, at least one
elected officer and one to three members at large, not excluding other directors
and elected officers. The Board of Directors shall appoint the Collections
Committee. Should the Committee become deadlocked on any issue, the
question will be decided by a vote of the general membership.
Responsibilities of the Collection Committee
a. maintain inventory of Society holding
b. maintain accession/de-accession records
c. make recommendations for accession and de-accession of items to Board
of Directors
d. adopt appropriate forms and records to facilitate administration of policy
e. adopt regulations outlining processes of Collection Policy administration
SECTION 4: Acquisition Policy
1. Acquisition Criteria All Society acquisitions must meet the following criteria before
being accepted by the Society and the Museum:
a. The owner must have clear title.
b. If the item is to be purchased, the Board of Directors must arrange funding
before the transaction is agreed upon.
c. The Society must be in a position to properly care for the acquisition in the
short and the long term.
d. The significance of the artifact must be determined.
e. The provenance and authenticity of the artifact must be documented as
much as possible.
f. All moral, legal and ethical implications of the acquisition must be
considered.
g. Except for rare circumstances, no acquisition will be encumbered by less
than full literary rights, property rights, copyrights, patents or trademarks.
h. An acquisition must be free of donor-imposed restrictions.
i. All acquisitions must conform to the Society’s collecting objectives set forth
above.
j.
2. Means of Acquisition
a. Artifacts may be acquired by purchase, bequest, gift, exchange, field
collection, excavating, levy by creditors, abandonment, reversionary clause,
and adverse position.
b. No artifact shall be knowingly or willfully accepted or acquired which is
known to have been illegally imported into or illegally collected in, the
United States contrary to state or federal law, regulation, treaty or
convention.
c. The Society shall refuse to acquire materials artifacts where there is cause to
believe that the circumstances of their collection involve destruction of
historic sites, buildings, structures, habitats, districts and objects.
d.
3. Title to Acquisition
All right, title and interest shall be obtained by the Society for all potential
acquisitions, without restrictions or limiting conditions if possible. Such acquisitions
shall have the potential of being converted to free and clear title under appropriate
law.
4. Conflict of Interest
No member of the Society or its staff may obligate the Society to accept any object
that is not consonant with the intent of the collecting objectives and acquisition
criteria set forth in Section 3.1, or approved by the Board of Directors.
SECTION 5: Acquisition Procedures
1. Authority
The Board of Directors on behalf of the Society shall accept acquisitions by gift,
bequest, purchase or exchange. All acquisitions by whatever means shall be in
conformity with the collecting objectives for the Society and acquisition criteria set
forth in Section 3.1.
2. Accessioning Procedures
1. A Society officer or director may accept an item in temporary custody
from the donor.
2. If the donor is present he/she will fill out a "Gift Agreement and
Temporary Custody Form” describing his/her intentions with the
donation.
3. If the item has been received in the mail, a "Gift Agreement and
Temporary Custody Form” will be completed.
4. A director or designee will maintain a list of items in "Temporary
Custody."
5. The director or designee will present the item proposed for accession at
their next meeting.
6. The Board of Directors will decide by a simply majority vote whether to
accept or reject the item for accession.
7. If accepted, the artifacts will be recorded in the Accession Record book.
3. Special concerns and situations
1. Acquisitions by purchase shall be made only after:
o proper financing has been arranged
o the Board of Directors approved the purchase
2. Materials left anonymously in the custody of the Historical Society will be
evaluated and considered for inclusion in the collections. If accepted, the
deed of gift will be signed by an authorized agent (an officer or director)
and will describe in detail the circumstances pertaining to the acquisition.
3. The Society may attempt to gain title to unclaimed loans in its possession
through the "abandoned property" law in MGL.
4. Municipal records from the Town of Pepperell will be accepted only if
they comply with the Massachusetts Records Disposal Schedule.
SECTION 6: De-accessioning Policy
The Collection Committee may wish to remove an item from the collection which:
is not longer of benefit to the Society’s mission. Such as action must comply with
the following rules:
1. An item will be considered for de-accession if the item:
a. is a duplicate of an item already in the collection.
b. is deteriorated beyond utility to the Society mission
c. does not in any way interpret the history of Pepperell or
the lives of the people who lived in the Town.
d. cannot be given the necessary care or preservation.
e. is inferior to others in the collection
f. is a fake or otherwise not as represented
SECTION 7: De-accessioning Procedure
The Collections Committee will discuss the proposed de-accession and by a simple
majority vote confirm or reject the de-accession of the item. The Board of Directors will, in
turn, vote upon the recommendation of the Collections Committee to de-accession the
item.
C. Special concerns or situations
1. No donated object shall be de-accessioned for any reason for two
years after the date of its acquisition. (See U.S. Tax Reform Act of
1984 and I.R.S. regulations.)
2. Objects designated as unclaimed loans can be de-accessioned as
abandoned property only with approval of the Collections
Committee and Board of Directors.
D. Methods of disposal of items
1. The preferred way to dispose of de-accessioned items is by auction.
2. No objects in the collection shall be sold directly to a member of the
Board of Directors or staff or their immediate families.
3. With approval of the Collections Committee, the Historical Society
may choose to give an item to another institution.
4. With approval of the Collections Committee, the Historical Society
may choose to consider a formal, reciprocal transfer of materials
between the Historical Society and another institution or individual.
5. With approval of the Collections Committee, certain de-accessioned
items that are deemed unsalvageable may be destroyed.
E. Collections Fund
1. A Collections Fund will be created into which all net proceeds
resulting from the disposition of de-accessioned items are deposited.
2. Withdrawals from the Collections Fund may be made only for:
o purchase of items for the collection
o purchase of materials for the conservation of collections
o conservation of artifacts
SECTION 8: Loan Policy
1. Loans
a. In order to further the purpose of the Society, the Society may grant or
request loans of objects with the approval of the Board of Directors.
b. Any loan, incoming or outgoing, is conducted in a manner consistent with
appropriate stewardship for objects of material culture.
SECTION 9: Loan Procedure
1. Authority
The Board of Directors shall execute all loans and transfers on behalf of the
Society.
2. Procedures
a. Loans
i.
The appropriate Incoming or Outgoing Loan form shall document
an Object loaned from or to another individual or institution.
ii.
A Collections Receipt shall accompany any loaned object.