Your institution may loan or borrow objects for multiple reasons, including, but not limited to, exhibition and research. When you consider borrowing or loaning objects, what legal and ethical issues should you take into account? In this module, you will learn what institutions must do in order to pursue incoming and outgoing loans. 

Webinar
Loans webinar is presented by Kristen Zimmerman, Registrar, The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens.

Webinar Length: 24 min. 52 sec.
Note: When viewing the webinar, a new browser page will open.

Activity
Discussion Question: Many of our institutions either loan objects from their collection, or borrow objects from other institutions for exhibition or research purposes. This means someone else is responsible for your objects, or you are responsible for someone else’s objects during a period of time. Who determines how you manage responsibility for the object during those times, and whose authority do you follow in the event of a threat or damage to the object?

Under what circumstances do you loan objects from your collection? And under what circumstances do you NOT loan? Who is responsible for the insurance for loaned or borrowed objects? What decisions can a borrower make about your objects while in their possession? What is your formal process for care in the event of an emergency? Who should determine whether or not you charge loan fees? If your institution charges a loan fee, what expenses does the fee cover?

Samples
Boynton Beach City Library Archives - Resources Sharing Statement (.pdf)

Museum of Science & History of Jacksonville (MOSH) - Loan (.pdf)

Stranahan House - Loan (.pdf)

Tallahassee Museum - Loan (.pdf)
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Online Resources
2012 Florida Statutes 265.565, Museum Loans
http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/265.565

National Park Service (NPS), Museum Handbook, Part 2a: Museum Records, Chapter 2: Accessioning, Parts P-S: Incoming Loans
http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHII/mh2ch2firstfile.pdf

National Park Service (NPS), Museum Handbook, Part 2a: Museum Records, Chapter 5: Outgoing Loans
http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHII/mh2ch5.pdf

Speaker Biography
Kristen Zimmerman is the Registrar at The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, and has been with the museum since 2007. Prior to joining the staff at The Cummer, Kristen worked at the Cleveland Museum of Art for two years as a Registrarial Assistant. She has a BA in Art from the University of Pittsburgh, and a MA in Art History from Case Western Reserve University.