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Louisville Historical Museum <br />Collections Management Policy <br />a. Permanent Collection: Items accessioned into the permanent collection are intended to be <br />retained permanently. An example of an item in the permanent collection would be an original <br />historic photo of Louisville. Oral history recordings and items that are owned by the Museum <br />only in digital form may be part of the permanent collection. In keeping with professionally <br />accepted museum standards, the best possible care will be given to protect the long-term <br />preservation of items in the permanent collection. <br />b. Education Collection: Items in the education collection are those which fulfill the educational <br />mission of the Museum. Unlike items in the permanent collection, they are intended to be used <br />by staff and the public for programs, demonstrations, and/or hands-on use. It is assumed that <br />they eventually may be used up and possibly replaced. An example of an item in the education <br />collection would be a rotary phone for students and teachers to touch and handle as part of a <br />school outreach program. Education collection items may be historic or reproductions, and as <br />such may be confused with permanent collection artifacts. Education items will be distinguished <br />by putting an "E" in front of the object ID number. <br />c. Reference Collection: Items in the reference collection are published items that are made <br />available to the public for research at the Museum or used by Museum staff. It is assumed that <br />they eventually may be removed and possibly replaced. Example of items in the reference <br />collection would be a recent book about an aspect of Boulder County history or a recent book on <br />museum administration. Care should be taken so that reference collection items are not <br />confused with books that are part of the permanent collection. Reference items will be <br />distinguished by putting an "R" in front of the object ID number. <br />Nonaccessioned items: These items can be donated to the Museum, but are not added to a collection. <br />They may include such things as a photocopied family history of a Louisville area family or a printed <br />history of a Louisville area house. These items, if not of a particularly unique nature, may be filed at the <br />Museum, used on City premises, and not accessioned into a collection. Care should be taken to avoid the <br />items being confused with "found in collection" items. <br />3. Acquisition & Methods of Acquisition <br />3.1 Acquisition types <br />a. Gifts: Items that are given to the Museum by the owner or an agent of the owner are considered <br />to be gifts. <br />The primary way in which the Museum informs the public of items that it is looking to add to the <br />collections through gifts is through The Louisville Historian. The Museum staff uses the part of <br />the publication entitled "Museum Wish List" to list specific items being sought. <br />b. Bequests: A gift made through the legal conveyance of a will is considered to be a bequest. <br />Bequests do not have to be accepted, but should be considered carefully. Bequests shall be <br />reviewed by Museum staff as would any other potential acquisition. <br />c. Purchases: Purchases of items using funding, such as from the City of Louisville or the Louisville <br />History Foundation, are in this category. They can be for the permanent collection, education <br />collection, or reference collection. <br />4 <br />