Collections Policy

Purpose

The purpose of the Chautauqua County Historical Society, as contained in the Constitution is to promote an interest in, and an appreciation of, the history of Chautauqua County by:

  • The maintenance of a museum and library of local history materials.

  • The collection, preservation, and interpretation of museum artifacts and archives relating to the history of Chautauqua County.

  • The collection and preservation of local and family history materials, including library, archival, iconographic, and photographic materials.

  • The encouragement of local historical research and the dissemination of such research in various media.

  • To foster an appreciation, enjoyment, and knowledge of local history through various educational programs.

Accession Policy

The Chautauqua County Historical Society (CCHS) will collect materials which relate to the history of Chautauqua County, NY. This shall include objects owned, made, or used by residents of the county, or which serve to reflect their lives and activities.

This collection shall only include materials which are important to the exhibition, research, or education programs of the CCHS.

To fulfill this policy, care shall be taken in all cases to ascertain that such materials meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • The item fills an important place in the collections of CCHS.

  • The item is not a duplicate of an existing collection item.

  • The item should be in good to excellent condition and should have integrity.

  • The item has a documented provenance that it was owned, made, or used by a resident of Chautauqua County.

Object Acquisition

The CCHS receives objects into its permanent collection through gifts, purchases, exchanges, or transfer.

Materials to be added to the collections must be passed upon by the board of trustees upon the recommendation of the collections committee and in accordance with this collection policy.

No materials may be accepted without a properly executed deed of gift. The collections committee shall be responsible for such records.

Materials found in CCHS collections as of January 1, 1973, shall be presumed to be the unrestricted property of CCHS.

In the case of materials labeled as loaned to CCHS by individuals known to be deceased, it shall be assumed that accumulated charge for storage and maintenance shall be such that the material now becomes the property of CCHS without restriction.

In the case of materials loaned to CCHS by persons known to be living, such individual shall be advised of this policy and asked to donate the material. In case of refusal, the material shall be returned to the owner.

Prior to accepting any object, the collections committee shall investigate available storage space, adequacy of facilities, and need for special care and maintenance. If there is any question regarding the ability of CCHS to maintain the material in proper condition it should not be accepted.

No item shall be accepted when any restriction is placed upon its use or disposition.

Loan Policy

Outgoing Loans

Loans from the collection to other institutions must have the approval of the collections committee and the board of trustees. The following criteria will serve as a guide in determining availability for loan:

  • Item is not needed for CCHS or research purposes within the time period of the loan.

  • Loans shall not be made to individuals.

  • When the lending of an object will place it in danger of damage the object shall not be loaned. Such determination shall be made by the collections committee.

All loans shall be subject to the following regulations and no loans shall be made where these are not adhered to:

  • Borrower must insure the object to the full amount specified by the collections committee, and provide written proof of insurance including CCHS as the insured.

  • Material exhibited to the public must be adequately secured.

  • Care shall be exercised by the borrower at all times to ensure proper handling and safekeeping of the materials.

  • No material may be changed, embellished, or dismantled in any way by the Borrower without express written permission of the collections committee.

  • Material may not be used for any commercial purpose whatever without express written permission of the board of trustees. CCHS should in all cases receive credit and/or remuneration.

  • In all cases the borrower should give appropriate credit to Chautauqua County Historical Society for all loans.

  • There will be no third party loans.

  • All expense of packing and/or shipping shall be borne by the borrower.

  • All loans shall be reviewed annually by April 1 by the collections committee and either reconfirmed in writing or recalled.

Incoming Loans

Incoming loans shall be handled by the collections committee and approved by the board of trustees. The same procedures shall be followed as for outgoing loans. Proper forms shall be maintained. No loans shall be accepted except for specific exhibition, research, or educational activities, and then only for the duration of the exhibit or activity.

Deaccession Policy

The CCHS recognizes that it has a responsibility to preserve its collections so that these materials are publicly available both now and in the future. Storage, exhibition space, staff time, and conservation funds are limited. Therefore, objects which do not meet the collections policy will not be added to the collections.

Further, items which are already in the collections will be subject to evaluation in the light of the best contemporary research. This process may result in the removal of particular materials, objects, or groups of objects from the collections in accordance with this collections policy.

Definition: Deaccession is the process of removing permanently from the collections specific archival material or object(s). The deaccession process shall be cautious, deliberate, and scrupulous, and shall be thoroughly recorded by written documentation.

Deaccession criteria: Archival materials and objects to be considered for deaccession must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • The archival material or object is outside the scope of the charter purpose of CCHS, its mission statement, and its collections policy.

  • The archival material or object lacks physical integrity.

  • The archival material or object has failed to retain its identity or authenticity or has been lost or stolen and remains lost for longer than two years.

  • The archival material or object is a duplicate of another item in the collection.

  • The museum is unable to preserve the item or store it properly.

  • The archival material or object has deteriorated beyond usefulness, is Infested beyond control of an exterminator, or poses a threat of physical harm to other objects in the collection, the staff, or the public.

  • The archival material or object has doubtful potential utilization in the foreseeable future or has accidentally been accessioned twice.

  • The material or object is secondary information (i.e., magazine reproductions, Xeroxed duplicates) or modern reproductions.

Deaccession Procedure

Authority: The collections committee is authorized to apply the above deaccession criteria and may recommend deaccessioning archival material or an object if one or more criteria for deaccession have been met. This recommendation shall be made in writing to the board of trustees for its approval. The written recommendation for deaccessioning will specify:

  • Fullest documentation of the archival material or object including the source and/or provenance of the item;

  • Statement of the reason(s) for deaccessioning;

  • List of restrictions imposed by the donor, if any;

  • Recommended means of disposal may include exchange, sale, public auction, sealed bid, or open bid, destruction, or transfer to another museum or library.

Restrictions: Before any archival material or object is recommended for deaccessioning or is deaccessioned reasonable efforts shall be made to ascertain that CCHS is legally free to do so. In event of a question concerning intent or force of restrictions, CCHS shall seek advice of legal counsel.

Ethics of Sale: Archival materials and objects shall not be given, sold, or otherwise transferred publicly or privately to CCHS employees, trustees, or their immediate families or representatives.

Proceeds: All proceeds resulting from the deaccession of archival materials and objects from the collections and shall be deposited in a restricted collection accession account to be utilized for the acquisition and/or care of CCHS collections.

Public Disclosure: CCHS shall make an effort to educate CCHS members and the public regarding the contents of this collections policy.

Records: The collections committee shall maintain indefinitely all records documenting a deaccession.

Policy Changes

Any changes in this policy may be made only upon recommendation of the Collections Committee, and by the vote of the Board of Trustees.

Collections Committee

As outlined in the CCHS bylaws and in this policy statement, the collections committee shall have the responsibility for the care of CCHS collections. The collections committee shall develop procedures and maintain records systems to carry out these responsibilities.