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Museum collections cannot remain static, existing solely as mausoleums, or, in the case of the Smithsonian, as the "Nation's Attic." As a general rule, objects and specimens are accepted for Smithsonian collections only when there is good faith intention to accession and to maintain the material in perpetuity on behalf of the public. Responsible acquisition of objects and specimens is preceded by thoughtful review, evaluation, and, if necessary, disposal of existing collections. Deaccessioning is the process used to record the removal of an accession from the collection. Deaccessions occur because, despite conservation efforts, some objects deteriorate beyond usefulness; others are found to be redundant; others do not relate to the mission of the museum and, therefore, are judged to be better placed elsewhere; and others are selected for research or public education. Methods of disposal include transfer, donation, exchange, repatriation, sale, and destruction. In some cases the purpose of the deaccession and the method of disposal are the same, i.e., lost or stolen, died, escaped, and inventory reconciliation. The method of disposition is generally affected by the nature of the collection: natural history museums tend to favor exchanges with other educational institutions while art museums rely on the marketplace to acquire and dispose objects. Deaccessioning procedures are designed to insure thoughtful, well-documented consideration of each proposed disposition in the context of the best long-term interest of the museum, the general public, and the object or specimen.To relinquish physical custody, legal title, and management control of an object or specimen. Disposals are categorized by the method used to relinquish custody and title to an object or specimen.
[b]Exchange[/b] To dispose of an object in return for an object of equal value. If the values of the exchanged objects are unequal, a combination of disposal methods may apply. [b]Sale[/b] To dispose of an object or specimen in return for payment of money or its equivalent.
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