C2CC Webinar: the Deaccessioning Dilemma

The Deaccessioning Dilemma: Laws, Ethics, and Actions

A Webinar of the Connecting to Collections Online Community

Deaccessioning is the opposite of accessioning—it is the permanent removal of an object from a collection. Disposal refers to what happens to a collection object after it has been deaccessioned. Although this important tool for collections control is as old as museums, these processes are fraught with contradiction and controversy. This webinar will address the deaccessioning and disposal of objects in the context of good collection stewardship, including criteria for justifying these decisions and deciding how to dispose of deaccessioned objects. The legal and ethical considerations of deaccessioning and disposal of objects from museum collections will be discussed, as well as and how these procedures should be documented. Critical and contentious issues will be considered including how funds from deaccessioning should be used, whether or not donors should be notified, and how to deal with public misconceptions about the process. Guidelines will be provided for writing deaccessioning and disposal policies and procedures. Questions are invited from the participants.

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