2. 02 disposaltoolkit
Disposalflowchart 3
Guidingprinciples 4
1.Introduction 5
Purpose of the toolkit 6
Scope of the toolkit 6
Using the toolkit 6
Ethical and legal context 7
Managing the process 7
2.Whydispose? 8
Outcomes and selection 9
Whose views should be sought 11
in the process?
3.Afteranitemhasbeen 13
selectedfordisposal
4.Methodsofdisposal 15
Free gift or transfer to another 16
Accredited museum
Exchange of items between museums 16
Free gift or transfer to another 17
institution/organisation within the
public domain
Return to donor 17
Sale of items to an Accredited museum 18
Transfer outside the public domain 18
Sale outside the public domain 19
Recycling of item 19
Destruction of item 19
5.Recordingtheprocess 21
6.Dealingwithproblems 23
7.Communicating 25
theprocess
Glossary 27
Appendices 28
1. Related organisations 28
2. Additional guidance from the 29
Charity Commission
3. Good Governance guidance 30
4. Additional guidance on
financially motivated disposal
(can be downloaded separately)
Checklistfor 31
alldisposals
Abbreviations:
AAO:Accreditation Assessing Organisation
ACE:Arts Council England
CyMAL: Museums, Archives and Libraries
Wales, a division of the Welsh Government
DCMS:Department for Culture, Media and
Sport
MA:Museums Association
MGS:Museums Galleries Scotland
NIMC:Northern Ireland Museums Council
Acknowledgements:
The development and publication of this
toolkit was made possible through funding
from the MA’s Esmee Fairbairn Foundation-
funded Effective Collections programme.
Copyright Museums Association
2014
Contents