Deaccession and Disposal Requirements

Definition

The management of disposal (the transfer, or destruction of objects) and of deaccession (the formal sanctioning and documenting of the disposal).

Requirements

• Ensure that the decision to dispose is carefully considered and that all relevant evidence and opinions are sought according to the organization's policy;
• Ensure that all evidence and opinions are sought according to statutory legal requirements;
• Ensure that the organization makes every effort to determine title to objects involved and that they are free from relevant special conditions attached to the original acquisition;
• Ensure that the decision to dispose does not rest with an individual and the action is formally approved by a governing body;
• Ensure that preference for transfer be given to recognized organizations (e.g. Accredited museums in the USA);
• Ensure that title to the object is transferred to any receiving organization;
• Ensure that objects disposed of are marked as such on the accession register;
• Ensure that items to be destroyed are disposed of in a responsible manner (e.g. unwanted archaeological material will not mislead future archaeologists);
• Ensure that all decisions and actions are fully documented.

Standards, Guidelines + Use Cases

Use Cases and Community Design Workshop Notes

Spectrum procedure: Disposal and Deaccessioning

Fields

Deaccession and Disposal Schema