Collections

We’re preparing due diligence guidelines to help museums behave ethically when they consider selling things from their collections. Please take a look at the draft guidelines and let us have your views.

The guidelines are needed because in 2007 we amended our Code of Ethics to accept financially motivated disposal in exceptional circumstances, when it can be demonstrated that:

· it will significantly improve the long-term public benefit derived from the remaining collection

· it is not to generate short-term revenue (for example to meet a budget deficit)

· it is as a last resort after other sources of funding have been thoroughly explored

· extensive prior consultation with sector bodies has been undertaken

· the item under consideration lies outside the museum’s established core collection as defined in the collections policy.

In addition, the Code requires museums to ringfence any money raised as a result of disposal through sale solely and directly for the benefit of the museum’s collection.

Money raised must be restricted to the long-term sustainability, use and development of the collection.

To read the detailed wording of the Code of Ethics, click here

We assess proposed financially motivated disposals on a case-by-case basis against the criteria in the Code of Ethics.

We encourage museums considering financially motivated disposal to seek our confidential advice at an early stage in order that we can help you shape the proposal so that it will comply with the code of ethics.

In the first instance please contact:

Charlotte Holmes
Museum Development Officer
(e) charlotte@museumsassociation.org 
(t) 020 7566 7860

To formally respond to any proposal we will need some written background information. Please download, complete and return the information form below.

Please click here to download an information form (word)

Please note that the Museums Association evaluates proposed financially motivated disposals carefully and it is likely to take several months to provide a definitive opinion, particularly as it is usually necessary to hold a meeting of the Museums Association Ethics Committee to discuss the proposal.

You’ll also find it helpful to look at our draft due diligence guidelines that can help you through the decision making and processes necessary to sell collections ethically.

Examples of the formal advice that the Museums Association has given to museums about proposals for financially motivated disposal can be found here:

Bolton Council (word)

Royal Cornwall Museum (pdf)

Southampton City Council (pdf)
 
Northampton Borough Council (word)

Note that if sale is an incidental final outcome of a curatorially motivated disposal process then this is generally uncontroversial, especially if the item has been previously offered free of charge to other museums and the disposal toolkit has been closely followed.

To see the disposal toolkit, click here