National Park Service Manual
National Park Service
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A. OVERVIEW |
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1. Why does the National Park Service make outgoing loans? |
Outgoing loans of museum collections further the National Park Service (NPS) mission of preservation, education and research. Parks also make outgoing loans to repositories for the purposes of long-term collections management and storage. Outgoing loans give borrowers temporary custody, not title. |
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2. Who must follow this chapter? |
If you are the staff person responsible for a museum collection, you must follow this chapter to make outgoing loans of museum objects. These procedures ensure that the collections are appropriately managed and that the NPS and the borrower are legally protected. |
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Refer to Chapter 2, Accessioning, Section C for procedures on incoming loans. |
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B. General Information on Loans |
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1. For what purposes may I lend museum objects? |
You may lend objects from the park museum collection for various purposes such as exhibition, research, scientific or exhibit preparation, analysis, photography, conservation, or other requested services, and for long-term collections management and storage. |
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2. For how long may I lend museum objects? |
If you are lending to... |
Limit the loan to... |
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NPS andnon-NPS repositories |
10 years |
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through cooperative agreements |
5 years |
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to any other |
3 years |
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All loans must must have a specific termination date. If a borrower requests an extension, you may grant it if you follow section E.3. | |
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Repository loans remain at the designated repository until you ask for them back. You may renew these loans as listed above. The repository must return the loan if it is unable to meet the terms of the agreement. | |
3. To whom may I lend museum objects? |
You may lend museum objects to several different types of recipients:
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You may not lend museum objects to private individuals. |
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4. Must I catalog objects before lending them? |
Catalog the following objects before you lend them:
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5. Who makes the loan? |
As the staff person responsible for the museum collection, you must review all potential loans and make recommendations to the superintendent. |
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The superintendent approves or disapproves all loans. |
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Once the superintendent approves the loan, you make all arrangements. |
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Consult the regional curator before making loans to repositories. Some regions may have a regional mandate to send archeological or natural history collections to a specific repository. |
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For loans to non-NPS repositories, send an informational copy of the loan agreement to the Regional Director, Attention: Regional Curator. |
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6. May I make third-party loans? |
No. The NPS does not permit third party loans. You may lend only the objects the museum owns. |
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Your superintendent may grant NPS repositories blanket approval to make third party loans for routine conservation or research. Note this authority in the additional loan conditions section of the loan agreement. |
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Your superintendent may grant NPS conservation treatment facilities the authority to initiate third party loans for contract conservation treatment. Note this authority in the additional loan conditions section of the loan agreement. |
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7. Are there special procedures for loans between parks? |
Your park as the lender must follow the outgoing loan procedures in this chapter. |
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If your park is the borrower:
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8. May loans to non-NPS repositories be covered by a cooperative agreement? |
A cooperative agreement (Figure 5.9) may be used instead of a loan agreement. You must ensure that all information contained in the loan agreement is included in the cooperative agreement. The cooperative agreement must include the loan conditions (Figure 5.4). |
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9. Are objects I lend subject to NPS inventory procedures? |
Yes, objects on loan are subject to NPS inventory procedures as outlined in Chapter 4. During the first year of a loan, the loan agreement serves as verification for inventory purposes. After the first year, the borrower must make objects available for you to inventory. The borrower may verify in writing or by phone the presence and condition of objects in your inventory. |
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Repositories are required to furnish information each year for the park annual Collections Management Report (CMR). You should require a non-NPS repository to complete the CMR as part of the loan or cooperative agreement. |
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In addition to inventory, all loans should include a regular monitoring schedule. |
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10. Are objects on loan subject to NPS collections management policies? |
Objects on loan remain subject to NPS museum management policies. Federal policies and mandates governing NPS museum collections take precedence over state and local laws and regulations. |
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Non-NPS repositories must meet National Park Service standards for management of museum collections. These standards are outlined in the NPS Museum Handbook, Part I and this handbook. Standards for storage of federal archeological objects are outlined in 36 CFR Part 79 "Curation of Federally Owned and Administered Archeological Collections." Systematic collections must remain intact. |
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11. Must I convert previous outgoing loans to the new system? |
You may convert previous loans to the new system, described in this chapter, but conversion is not required. |
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12. What do I do with loans that are not approved? |
If the superintendent does not approve a loan, file the paperwork in the correspondence file or set up a separate file for disapproved loans. |
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Source: NPS Museum Handbook, Part II (1995)