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Deaccessions Policy

Deaccession is the permanent removal of an object from a Museum collection.

The Museum’s philosophy is that its collections are a permanent part of the public trust and shall be retained as long as the objects can be adequately and properly stored, maintained, preserved, and used, and that they continue to exist in accordance with the criteria for acquisition.  However, the Museum recognizes that, at times, it may best serve the public interest by removing certain objects from the Museum’s collections.  The Museum will seek to make decisions about disposition of objects in keeping with the Museum’s mission of preservation, research, and education in service to scholarly and cultural communities and keeping in mind the Museum’s capabilities and given its available resources.  The Museum will generally seek to transfer objects to other collections within the Museum, within the University, or to other not-for-profit museums and institutions within the state of Illinois that would most benefit the public trust and in a manner consistent with the University of Illinois Business and Accounting’s policies and procedures.  The following policy applies to materials owned by and accessioned into the Museum’s collections including the Artifact, Documentary Multimedia, Teaching, Library, Props and Furnishings collections, except where otherwise noted.

Responsibility for Deaccessioning

The Director is ultimately responsible for the disposition of the Museum’s Collections.  Registration staff deaccession responsibilities are generally divided as follows.  The Registrar is the primary Registration staff responsible for overseeing review of collections and for presenting deaccession proposals to the Acquisition Committee.  The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions plays a key and primary role in preparing information for the Acquisition Committee, implementing the Acquisition Committee’s decisions including completing required paperwork and transferring deaccessioned objects.  The Assistant Registrar for Collections plays a key and primary role in ensuring that objects are fully catalogued prior to deaccessioning, and assists in the deaccession process as needed.  Both the Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions and the Assistant Registrar for Collections participate in documenting location changes and making changes in the ledgers.

Criteria for Deaccessioning

The decision to deaccession may be made according to any one or more of the following criteria:

1. Objects are determined to no longer fulfill a role in promoting and supporting the objectives and purposes of the Museum as set forth in the Museum’s mission statement;
   
2. Objects are determined to no longer be consistent with the collecting plan; 
   
3. Objects can be replaced by similar objects in better condition or with more complete provenance and that would significantly improve the quality of the collection;
   
4. Objects found to be legally or ethically in violation of:
   
1. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, November, 1970;  Article 9 Convention under the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (1983)
2. Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Public Law 101-601; 25 U.S.C. 3001-13; 104 Stat. 3042
3. Treaty of Cooperation between the United States and Mexico for the Recovery and Return of Stolen Cultural Properties for Pre-Columbian artifacts
4. Antiquities Act, Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979
5. Treaties, memoranda of understanding or other legal agreements between the United States and other countries regulating importation of archaeological and ethnographic materials
6. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), 1977
7. African Elephant Conservation Act 16 USCS 4203
8. Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, 16 U.S.C. 703-712, Ch. 128; July 13, 1918; 40 Stat. 755 and subsequent amendments
9. Endangered Species Act of 1973 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544, 87 Stat. 884 and subsequent amendments
10. Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1943, 16 U.S.C. 668-668d, 54 Stat. 250 and subsequent amendments
11. USFW and USDA regulations relating to biological material imported from outside the U.S.
12. Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 relating to biological material
13. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 16U.S.C. 1361-1407, P.L. 92-522 and subsequent amendments
14. All other applicable local, state, federal and international laws and regulations
    
5. Objects that raise other legal and/or ethical issues that make it inappropriate for the Museum to possess, collect, own or use them and for which, upon consultation with the Office of the University Counsel, issues are best resolved through deaccessioning;
   
6. Human remains and sacred materials determined to be from cultural groups that would find the collection of such materials and their use by the Museum to be offensive or inappropriate;
   
7. Objects determined to require security, storage, maintenance and preservation beyond the Museum’s ability and/or resources according to current professional standards;
   
8. Objects that have deteriorated to the extent that they no longer retain significant value as documents of human cultural heritage and are no longer useful for educational or research purposes;
   
9. Objects identified as a potential hazard to personnel, the building, grounds, or collections and beyond the ability of the staff and facilities to contain; and
   
10. Objects that have donor-imposed requirements that the Museum cannot fulfill and which, upon consultation with the Office of the University Counsel, are best resolved through deaccessioning.

Deaccession Proposal and Review Procedure

The deaccessioning review process offers an opportunity to assess whether objects should be removed from the collections and to review means of disposal.  This process may also serve to confirm the appropriateness of maintaining objects in the collection.  The deaccession review process described below is required for the removal of any object from the Artifact, Documentary Multimedia, Teaching, Props and Furnishings, or Library collections.

Any staff member may bring to the attention of the Registrar the need to review objects for potential deaccessioning. 

The Registrar is responsible for verifying that the Museum has title to dispose of the specified objects and that there are no known restrictions on the original gift.  The Registrar with the assistance of the Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions is responsible for preparing the following information so that the Acquisition Committee can make an informed decision:

1. Acquisition Committee Agendas that list the date of the meeting and briefly describe each proposal with type (gift, loan, deaccession), name of source or donor, and objects with incoming or accession numbers;
   
2. Artifact Reports, usually generated from the database, which provide catalogue information about the artifact including incoming number or accession number, a digital image, source, provenance, date, origin, and recommendations from staff, scholars, curators regarding reasons for deaccessioning; and
   
3. Other pertinent information such as correspondence with donors, research regarding the significance of the artifact, etc.

Whenever possible, this information will be presented to the members of the Committee in advance of the acquisition meeting. The Committee is to review the material and critically evaluate whether the objects meet the deaccession criteria.  The Committee may ask for additional research if needed to reach a decision.  The Committee may review and make recommendations regarding the means of disposition for objects being removed from the collection, within the limitations of the means of disposition as described below, if there are particular concerns.  If no recommendations are made regarding the means of disposition, the Registrar will follow the procedure for means of disposition as described below. The Committee is to agree by consensus on each agenda item described in the Acquisition Committee Agenda.  If a consensus cannot be reached, the Director hears all Committee members’ arguments and opinions, reviews and evaluates available information, and makes a final decision. 

For simple proposals that require urgent attention, the Registrar with the assistance of the Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions may elect to write and distribute Acquisition Committee Agendas and Artifact Reports via email.  This is done only when the proposal is believed not to require discussion by the Committee.  It is the Acquisition Committee’s responsibility to respond to the email Acquisition Committee Agendas and immediately to submit their comments, objections or vote of approval via email or other means.  If any Committee member has any concerns or issues that cannot easily be clarified or resolved, the proposal must be tabled and presented at the following scheduled Acquisition Committee meeting.

All recommendations by the Committee are to be presented in a final document, Acquisition Committee Recommendations. This document will be circulated to the Acquisition Committee and staff for review and feedback.  The Registrar is responsible for responding to any issues raised by the Committee and staff, and for resubmitting any issue to the Committee for reconsideration.  The Committee is to review and approve the final form of the Acquisition Committee Recommendations.  The Director must give final approval in writing or through email response before the recommendations are implemented. Once the decision is approved, the Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions in coordination with the Assistant Registrar for Collections and the Assistant Collections Manager is responsible for implementing the Acquisition Committee Recommendations for deaccessions according to the means of disposition as addressed below.

Means of Disposition

1. Regular Means of Disposition

   Means of disposition that best utilize the object’s educational, historic, or scientific value given its current physical state and condition is to be pursued through transfer first within the Museum itself; second within the University of Illinois; third to the Illinois State Museum; fourth to another in-state Museum or not-for-profit institution; and finally to University Central Management Stores as outlined below.  The Acquisition Committee may recommend directly contacting specific campus units or Illinois institutions that are appropriate homes for objects to be deaccessioned. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions under the direction of the Registrar will pursue such recommendations, but he/she must proceed through the following steps and in the following order:
   
   1. Transfer of objects to a different Spurlock Museum collection.
      
   2. Transfer to non-collection status for use by the Spurlock Museum as a consumable material if appropriate.  This is done only if the item is determined not to have significant usefulness to other Museum collections, other University units, or institutions outside the University. These items may be given away, used until they are no longer useful, or destroyed by Museum staff, designated part-time staff, or volunteers in conjunction with educational programs and events for educational purposes only.  Museum staff, Museum associates, and volunteers are not to be the recipients of these materials.  No tracking or documentation of these materials is required after deaccessioning is recorded.  Objects are labeled or tagged as consumables in order to avoid confusion with objects from the Collections. 
      
   3. Transfer to other University units and affiliates, such as the Krannert Art Museum, Giertz Education Center, University Archives, University Library, Illinois Natural History Survey, Allerton Park and Conference Center, Music library, etc, that are deemed to be appropriate repositories for the given objects.  The Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions will contact all potentially appropriate University units and document their responses before proceeding to the next means of disposition step.
      
   4. Transfer to the Illinois State Museum.  State regulations require that the Museum offer all objects to the Illinois State Museum before offering them to any institution outside of the University of Illinois.  The Illinois State Museum has the right of first refusal.  The Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions will contact the Illinois State Museum and document their response before proceeding to the next means of disposition step.
      
   5. Transfer to other not-for-profit state institutions within the state of Illinois contacted directly.  The Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions will contact appropriate institutions if the object is deemed appropriate for another state institution.  If the Acquisition Committee and Director do not present any recommendations for appropriate institutions as identified in the Acquisition Committee Recommendations, the Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions will proceed to the next means of disposition step.
      
   6. Transfer to other not-for-profit institutions through listing with the Illinois Association of Museum’s Museum Clearinghouse. The Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions implements the listing according to Museum Clearinghouse policy and procedure, which allows staff from other Illinois institutions to review the objects being deaccessioned online at its website.  Staff from institutions interested in acquiring the Museum’s deaccessioned pieces as listed may contact the Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions directly to arrange for transfer.  University of Illinois Property Accounting requires that all items being deaccessioned from the Artifact Collection be listed on the Museum Clearinghouse website prior to proceeding with transfer to surplus.  Property Accounting also may specify how long an object must remain on the list.  If no institutions come forward requesting the objects, the Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions will proceed with the next means of disposition step.
      
   7. Transfer to other museums outside of the state of Illinois can only be established through special arrangements with University Property Accounting & Financial Reporting in the University Office of Business and Financial Service and Central Management Stores, and must be financially beneficial to the State of Illinois.  This is rarely done due to the complexity of the University’s administrative system, but it is an option. 
      
   8. Transfer to Central Management Stores as surplus materials. The Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions must contact University Property Accounting & Financial Reporting in the University Office of Business and Financial Services for permission to proceed.  The Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions initiates a PAS U35 Form through the Museum’s business office for submission to Central Management Stores.  The Registrar or Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions coordinates with Central Management Stores to transfer the objects.
      
   9. Disposal.  Objects of insignificant monetary value and/or that have no perceived educational, historic or scientific value to other institutions, or objects that have deteriorated or are damaged to the extent that they no longer retain significant monetary value and cannot reasonably be expected to have any educational, historic or scientific value to any other institutions can be discarded if none of the above means of disposition are deemed appropriate. In such cases the Registrar Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions must first contact University Property Accounting & Financial Reporting in the University Office of Business and Financial Services for approval to proceed.  In such situations it is not necessary to go through the above steps. 

2. Means of Disposition for Objects Identified as Potentially Raising Issues of Non-Compliance or Other Legal Concerns

   The Museum is to consult with Office of University Counsel about the appropriate disposal of materials in a manner that will conform, first and foremost, to applicable local, state, federal and international laws and regulations, as well as to University and Museum policy and procedures.

3. Means of Disposition for Objects Presenting Potential Physical or Health Hazards

   For objects identified as having potential hazards to personnel, the building, grounds, or to collections, the Museum staff must try to fully understand the nature of the hazard, as well as rules and regulations for disposal, before proceeding.  If this effort is not entirely successful, the Museum staff is to consult with University Environmental Health and Safety and/or Office of University Counsel as needed. If despite the potential hazard, the objects may still be appropriate for use by other institutions, the Museum is to proceed with disposition as explained above, with full disclosure of the potential hazard. If the potential hazard makes the objects inappropriate for use by any other institution, the Museum is to proceed with disposal in a manner that will conform to University Environmental Health and Safety recommendations and guidelines; applicable local, state, federal and international laws and regulations; as well as University and Museum policy and procedures.

4. Unacceptable Means of Disposition

   State regulations prohibit the sale of University of Illinois property by University departments and units such as the Museum. Exceptions to this rule may be made through special arrangement with University Property Accounting & Financial Reporting in the University Office of Business and Financial Services and Central Management Stores.  If a sale or retention of proceeds is approved, proceeds must be used for new acquisitions for the Museum’s collections. Museum employees, Museum volunteers, Museum Board Members, members of related organizations or other Museum associates, their families, or representatives cannot acquire objects deaccessioned by the Museum. Per University regulations objects deaccessioned from Museum collections cannot be distributed to charities.

Deaccession Documentation Procedure

After the Acquisition Committee and Director approve the deaccession, it is the responsibility of the Registrar and Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions to implement the deaccession by following the procedures described below.  In order to expedite the process, some of the steps may be carried out concurrently.

1. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions records the results, recommendations and reasons for deaccessioning each object in the ‘accession history’ or ‘Acquisition Committee decision’ field in the relevant database.
   
2. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions files the Acquisition Committee Agenda including Artifact Reports and all supplemental documentation reviewed by the committee and the Acquisition Committee Recommendation in the Acquisition Committee Report Files in order by date, in the Deaccession Files by date, and in the appropriate Source/Donor Files.
   
3. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions notifies the Assistant Registrar for Collections which objects are approved for deaccessioning.  The Assistant Registrar for Collections is responsible for ensuring that cataloguing of objects is complete prior to deaccessioning including photography and entry in the database of name, visual description, measurements, and other basic cataloguing information.
   
4. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions notifies the Collections Manager which objects are approved for deaccessioning.  The Collections Manager is responsible for ensuring that a recent condition report has been completed for objects being deaccessioned. 
   
5. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions notifies the University Property Accounting & Financial Reporting in the University Office of Business and Financial Services of the Museum’s intention to deaccession objects from the Artifact Collection before proceeding with the deaccession. They do not need to be notified for deaccessioned objects from other Museum collections because such objects are not categorized as permanent University property, and University of Illinois Property Accounting does not track or record their values.  The University Office of Business and Financial Services, University Accounting and Financial Reporting will approve and may make recommendations regarding the means of disposal.  The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions documents their approval to proceed in the Registration Database.  Copies of email or other correspondence indicating approval or recommendations are also kept in the appropriate Source/Donor Files or if the object does not have an accession number, they are kept in the Deaccession Files.
   
6. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions then proceeds to identify an appropriate disposition for the objects according to the Acquisition Committee Recommendations; The University Office of Business and Financial Services; University Accounting and Financial Reporting recommendations; and the order of the means of disposition steps described above. 
   
7. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions coordinates the physical transfer and any packing or shipping as necessary with the Collections Manager, the Assistant to the Director (Business and Building Manager) if expenses are involved, or staff of any recipient institutions when appropriate. If the objects are to be transferred to Central Management Stores, see #9 below.
   
8. After the transfer has been completed the Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions informs the Assistant to the Director (Business and Building Manager) of the value of the objects deaccessioned from the Artifact Collection; see University of Illinois Office of Business and Financial Services Business and Financial Policies and Procedures available through the University of Illinois Office of Business and Financial Services website.
   
9. If the objects are to be transferred to Central Management Stores, the Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions contacts the Assistant to the Director (Business and Building Manager) to acquire a PAS U35 Form.  The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions completes the form, and the Assistant to the Director (Business and Building Manager) submits the form to University Property Accounting.  If no value is known, the Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions consults with the Registrar to provide an approximate value for this sole purpose; see Appraisal Policy, Part B, #9.  The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions then coordinates with Central Management Stores staff to transfer the objects.
   
10. After an item has been physically transferred or disposed of, records are edited to indicate that the object has been deaccessioned.  It is the policy of the Museum to permanently preserve records and information regarding deaccessioned objects, their deaccession review including the reasons for deaccessioning, their deaccessioned status and means of disposition.  The Registration Section is responsible for ensuring deaccession documentation is completed and preserved.
    
1. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions, the Assistant Registrar for Collections, or an individual designated by him/her edits the ledger record in red pen to indicate the means and date of deaccession. 
2. Location and status changes are recorded in the appropriate database records by Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions, the Assistant Registrar for Collections, or an individual designated by him/her.  For objects from the Artifact, Teaching, and Props and Furnishings collections, the records are transferred to the Inactive Database where they are digitally maintained. Complete records for objects deaccessioned from the Documentary Multimedia Collection are kept in the database.  Database records for objects from the Library Collection are deleted. 
3. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions records changes in status, number of objects and records in each lot record for the Artifact Collection in the Lot Ledger Database. 
4. The Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions checks the Registration Database to ensure all steps in the deaccession process are completed and marks the appropriate record as ‘Deaccession Completed’ when finished.