WESTMINSTER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT
POLICY
I. SCOPE OF THE COLLECTIONS
A. The Westminster Historical Society’s mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret Westminster’s history for present
and future generations. The collections – library, archives, and artifacts – serve and fulfill that mission.
B. The objects in the Westminster Historical Society collections exist in one of the following categories:
1. Permanent collections: materials on, by, about, or representative of Westminster and the activities of people who
live in Westminster that are owned outright by the Society, or objects owned by the Town or in the Society’s care, for the
purpose of study and exhibition. The materials include, but are not limited to:
• Archives
• Books
• Photographs
• Machine readable data
• Artifacts
• Clothing, textiles
• Works of art
2. Non-accessioned collections: materials that exist at the Society on a temporary or permanent basis. They consist
of:
a. Loans: These shall be short-term (one year or less) for purposes of exhibition or study.
b. Materials used in exhibits, lectures, publications and other appropriate media.
c. Educational Materials: Teaching aids, usually expendable materials, used by students, various groups, and
individual visitors as educational tools for learning experiences and hands-on activities.
C. The materials collected will focus on significant themes in Westminster’s
history:
• Pre-industrial Westminster
• Westminster’s role in all wars
• Businesses and industries
• Religious institutions
• Schools
• Westminster people
• Finnish immigrants
• The Finnish Cooperative movement
• Westminster architecture, public and private
• General Nelson Miles
D. Collecting goals and priorities
• Special emphasis will be given to acquiring items related to the Society’s collecting themes.
• The Society shall attempt to broaden its holdings related to Westminster groups, themes, issues, and events that are
currently under-represented in the Society’s collection.
• The Collections Committee will create a “Collecting Plan,” which identifies primary areas for active solicitation of
additional items to the collections each year. This collecting plan will be made available to the public at the reception desk.
II. GOVERNANCE OF THE COLLECTIONS
A. The Collections Committee
1. The Collections is a standing committee of the Historical Society, made up of a minimum of three members.
2. The Curator or Registrar may be asked to attend Collections Committee meetings.
3. The chair of the Collections Committee is a member of the Board of Directors.
4. The Collections Committee shall meet a minimum six times a year or at the call of the Chair or any three voting
members of the Collections Committee.
5. The Collections Committee is charged with the oversight of the Collections Policy:
a. Recommend to the Board of Directors approval of all acquisitions and deaccessions.
b. Monitor and specify all procedures related to collections.
c. Recommend fine arts insurance coverage and limits to the Board.
d. Approve means of determining insurance evaluations.
e. Submit annual reports to the Board on the state of the collections.
f. Create a “Collecting Plan” for the Society.
g. Approve loans of all objects.
B. Dissemination of Policy
Copies of the Collection Policy shall be made available to all persons who work with the collections.
C. Periodic Review
The Collections Policy shall be reviewed in the fall of each year. In particular, the “Collecting Plan,” which identifies
primary areas for active solicitation, will be examined and changed as necessary every fall.
D. Procedure for amendments and revisions to policy
Any member of the Collections Committee may make recommendations for changes to the Collections Policy. The
recommended changes will be sent in writing to each member of the Collections Committee at least two weeks before the
meeting at which they will be discussed and voted upon.
III. ACQUISITION POLICY
A. The title to every object accessioned must pass to the Historical Society. Donors will be requested to sign a
contract giving the Society sole ownership of the item/s. Items offered as long-term loans will not be accepted.
B. Criteria for determining whether an object should be accepted:
• The object is consistent with the Society’s mission.
• The object is documented as having been made or used in Westminster.
• The object is in good condition.
• The object is consistent with the collection goals.
• The Society can properly store and preserve the object.
• The object will be utilized in the foreseeable future.
• The object is not encumbered with conditions imposed by the donor regarding its future use or disposition.
• The use of the object is not restricted or encumbered by intellectual property rights (copyright, patent, trademark, or
trade secret).
• The use of the object is not restricted or encumbered by its nature (obscene, defamatory, potentially an invasion of
privacy, physically hazardous).
• The object is so unusual that it presents an exceptional opportunity for the Society and thus should be given
preferential consideration.
• If the object is offered for sale, it or a comparable object might be obtained by gift or bequest rather than the
purchase.
• The acceptance of the object in all probability will not result in major future expenses for the Society (for
conservation or maintenance or because it opens a new area of collecting).
C. Items may be accepted as a:
• Gift
• Bequest
• Purchase
• Exchange
D. Special concerns and situations
1. Acquisitions by purchase shall be made only after:
• proper financing has been arranged
• the Collections Committee Chairman has verified that the budget will allow the purchase
• the Collections Committee has approved the purchase.
2. Materials left anonymously in the custody of the Historical Society will be evaluated and considered for inclusion in
the collections. If accepted, the deed of gift will be signed by the authorized agent (Chairman of the Collections Committee)
and will describe in detail the circumstances pertaining to the acquisition.
3. The Society may attempt to gain title to undocumented collections in its possession through the “abandoned
property” law in MGL.
4. The Society may attempt to gain title to unclaimed loans in its possession through the “abandoned property” law in
MGL.
5. Municipal records from the City of Westminster will be accepted only if they comply with the Massachusetts
Records Disposal Schedule.
E. Accessioning Procedures
1. The staff person will accept an item in temporary custody from the donor.
2. If the donor is present he/she will fill out a “Temporary Custody” form describing his/her intentions with the
donation.
3. If the item has been received in the mail, the staff person will fill out the “Temporary Custody” form.
4. The Registrar will maintain a list of items in “Temporary Custody.”
5. The Curator or Registrar will present the item proposed for accession to the Collections Committee at their next
meeting.
6. The Collections Committee will decide by a simply majority vote whether to accept or reject the item for accession.
7. The chairperson will report the new accessions to the Board on a regular basis.
F. All gifts to the Westminster Historical Society are deductible on federal income tax forms according to Internal
Revenue Service laws under 501C3c. By law, the donor is required to determine the value of the donation; staff is not
allowed to give an appraisal of donations.
IV. DEACCESSION POLICY
A. When the Society has accessioned an object, the item assumes a special status above that of ordinary equipment or
personal property; it has become an educational asset. To remove that special status from an object, to retire its number
from use thereafter, is a most serious action that requires more than cursory attention. Therefore any object removed from
the collections and physically disposed of shall be done with strict conformity to the following rules:
B. Deaccessioning procedures
1. The Chairman of the Collections Committee or Curator shall recommend items for deaccession if:
a. the object is a duplicate of an item already in the collection.
b. the item is deteriorated.
c. the item does not in any way interpret the history of Westminster or the lives of the people who lived in the Town.
d. the item cannot be given the necessary care or preservation.
e. the item is inferior to others in the collection
2. The Collections Committee will discuss the proposed deaccession and by a simple majority vote confirm or reject
the deaccession of the item. If they choose to deaccession the item, the Committee will make a recommendation to the
Board of Directors to deaccession the item.
3. The Board of Directors will vote upon the recommendation of the Collections Committee to deaccession the item.
C. Special concerns or situations
1. No donated object shall be deacessioned for any reason for two years after the date of its acquisition. (See U.S. Tax
Reform Act of 1984 and I.R.S. regulations.)
2. Objects designated as unclaimed loans can be deacessioned as abandoned property only with approval of the
Collections Committee.
D. Methods of disposal of items
1. The Collections Committee may decide to notify the following persons of the intent of the Historical Society to
deaccession an item:
• Donor
• Heir
• Lender
2. The preferred way to dispose of deacessioned items is by auction.
3. No objects in the collection shall be sold directly to a member of the Board of Directors or staff or their immediate
families.
4. If it is decided that objects used in the educational program are no longer needed, such items may be sold at the best
possible price, but following the guidelines accorded to the collections.
5. In certain circumstances the Historical Society may choose to give an item to another institution. Upon
recommendation of the Collections Committee and approval of the Board of Directors, the Curator will follow through on
the these actions.
6. In certain circumstances the Historical Society may choose to consider a formal, reciprocal transfer of materials
between the Historical Society and another institution or individual. Upon the recommendation and the approval of the
Collections Committee, the Curator will follow through on these actions.
7. With approval of the Collections Committee, certain deacessioned items that are deemed unsalvageable may be
destroyed.
E. Collections Fund
1. A Collections Fund will be created into which all net proceeds resulting from the disposition of deacessioned items
are deposited.
2. Withdrawals from the Collections Fund may be made only for:
• purchase of items for the collection
• purchase of materials for the conservation of collections
• conservation of artifacts
V. USE AND ACCESS TO COLLECTIONS
A. The Westminster Historical Society preserves collections for use by researchers and should make available original
research materials in its possession on equal terms of access. The Society will not deny access to materials to any
researcher, nor grant privileged or exclusive use of materials to any researcher, nor conceal the existence of any body of
materials from any researcher, unless required to do so by statutory authority, institutional mandate, or donor or purchase
stipulation.
1. At all times Staff and Volunteers must be aware of their responsibilities to preserve and protect objects in the
collections.
2. Archival materials are deemed reference resources and are generally not available for circulation or loan.
3. The Library will be open during the hours that the Historical Society is open, to the extent that that is possible with
staffing.
B. Research fees
The Board of Directors may determine fees upon the recommendation of the Collections Committee for the following
activities:
1. On-site use of Library by members and non-members. Inquiries about our holdings and ready-reference questions
will be answered without charge.
2. Off-site: Research requests will be made in writing, and persons will be charged a fee for research requests to be
fulfilled.
3. Photocopies are available for a fee. Patrons are asked to stamp “Courtesy of the Westminster Historical Society” on
each sheet.
4. Original positive and negative images from the Society’s collections may be duplicated for purchase. Fees will be
established for the reproduction and publishing of photos, negatives, slides, and transparencies.
C. Patrons using the Library will be requested to comply with the following:
• Patrons are encouraged to use the computer search capability when first beginning a research project, when possible.
• Staff or Volunteers will locate and bring requested materials to researchers to the extent that this is possible.
• Leave coats and outerwear on the coat rack.
• When lockers are available, put bags, pocketbooks, backpacks, and bulky items into lockers.
• Bring only pencils and research papers into Library.
• No eating, drinking or smoking is allowed in the Library.
• Request permission from Society staff to use a portable computer.
• All materials should be handled as little as possible.
• All materials should be kept as flat as possible.
• Patrons will be asked to use cotton gloves for handling certain materials.
• Delicate or fragile items may be limited to staff only.
• The existing order of manuscript materials must be maintained.
• Archival materials must not be marked, damaged, or altered in any way. This includes the use of self-adhesive post-it
notes, paper clips, pens, highlighters, etc.
• Penalties for damage to historical materials will be consistent with MGL (Ch. 266, Sec. 99-100).
D. Photocopying
1. If photocopying is requested, please contact a staff member. Not all materials are in a condition that will withstand
the photocopying process. The staff will have final authority to decide which materials are suitable for photocopying.
2. Copies are provided for study purposes only. (See publication and copyright guidelines below.)
E. Publication and Reproduction Permission
1. Copyright protection extends to all unpublished works now protected under common law. This includes the
collections of the Westminster Historical Society.
2. Researchers must obtain permission in writing from the Westminster Historical Society Curator to publish any
materials from the Society collections. This includes the reproduction of photographs or materials. Penalties for copyright
violation are severe.
VI. CARE AND CONSERVATION OF COLLECTIONS
A. Every effort consistent with professional standards and ethics and within the financial resources of the Society will
be made to preserve the collections.
B. It is the responsibility of the Curator to recommend conservation procedures for items in the collections to the
Collections Committee.
C. The Collections Committee will recommend for approval a Collections Preservation Plan to the Board of Directors
every five years.
D. The Society collections will be stored and exhibited in environmentally safe conditions with museum-standard levels
of temperature and humidity to the extent possible.
E. The packing and shipping of collection objects moving in or out of the Historical Society will be supervised by the
Curator to ensure the utmost safety.
F. The Collections Committee will create a “Disaster Plan” to ensure the best possible protection of the collections in
the event of fire, smoke, or water damage, or natural disasters.
VII. LOAN POLICIES
A. The Historical Society encourages maximum public access to its collections by making loans which are consistent
with the long-term preservation of the collections and with the Society’s own needs for exhibit and research.
B. Incoming Loans/Borrowing: The Society may borrow objects from institutions or individuals for exhibition or
study. These objects must receive the same care as our own collection. The following loan procedures shall be followed:
1. Every loan will be for a specified period of time.
2. Every loan will be documented.
3. Loaned objects shall be returned according to the agreement or upon verbal or written order of the lender or his
agent.
4. In the case of death of the lender, after proper notification by the Historical Society to the legal representative, unless
provided for in the lender’s will, or notification to the Historical Society by the lender’s legal representative or other
provisions within six months after the death of the lender, the object(s), if still in the possession of the Historical Society,
shall become the property of the Historical Society.
C. Outgoing Loans/Lending: The Historical Society may make outgoing loans to other institutions for exhibit, research,
or other purposes. The following procedures shall be followed:
1. The Curator shall recommend proposed loans to the Collections Committee, with the exception of photos and books,
which the Curator may authorize for short-term loans.
2. Only those artifacts in stable, presentable condition will be considered for loan, unless conservation treatment for the
objects is part of the loan agreement and is approved by the Collections Committee.
3. Security measures at the host institution will be reviewed prior to loan approval.
4. Insurance documentation must accompany all loan requests.
D. Pre-existing long-term loans and permanent deposits
Title to unclaimed loans left in the possession of the Westminster Historical Society may be cleared in accord with the MGL
referring to abandoned property.
VIII. RECORDKEEPING
A. Systematic records concerning the Historical Society’s collections shall be maintained at all times. They will consist
of the following:
1. Registration/Accession Records
• Temporary Custody Forms
• Deeds of Gift
• Transfer correspondence
• Wills/trusts, other evidence of ownership
• Accession Worksheets
• Object Worksheets
• Records of purchase
• Insurance documents
• Valuation documents
2. Deaccession Records
3. Loan forms
4. Care and Conservation of Collections
5. Interpretation and Exhibit of Collections
6. Inventory forms
7. Minutes of Collections Committee meetings
B. Collections records will be protected, in so far as possible, from destruction by creating duplicate files to be stored
in an off-site location.
IX. SECURITY
A. A Society’s collections are its most important asset and the Board of Directors intends to preserve, conserve and
insure the holdings to the best of its ability.
B. The Building and Grounds Committee will be responsible for creating a long-rang plan to upgrade and maintain the
security measures around and in the Historical Society building.
C. The Historical Society will establish and maintain security measures designed to protect the collections and the
building:
1. Smoke detection system
2. Security alarm for doors and entryways and motion detectors
3. Fire suppression system
D. The Collections Committee will review the procedures for access to the collections every year to minimize the risk
of theft to the collections.
X. INSURANCE
A. The value of the collections will be determined by an appraisal by a certified appraiser when possible.
B. The valuation of each item and the date of the valuation (when it is available) will be placed in the object record of
each item in the PastPerfect database.
C. The Collections Committee will provide the Board of Directors with an inventory of all items in the Collections and
their valuation on request.
D. The Board of Directors will determine at what level of market value the collections will be insured.
E. Inventory
1. The Historical Society shall maintain an inventory of all items in the collection.
2. Data about the inventory will be placed in the PastPerfect database.
XII. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
A. The Historical Society will publish and distribute the full text of the Collections Policy.
B. The Historical Society intends to reply to responsible inquiries about accessions and deaccessions willingly and
promptly.
C. Items that are accessioned and deacessioned shall be published in the newsletters, annual reports, and other
publications.
XII. STATEMENT OF ETHICS
The Westminster Historical Society endorses the Code of Ethics established by the American Association of State and Local
History. The Board of Directors, employees and volunteers working with the collections are expected to abide by these
standards.
XIII. DEFINITIONS
• Accessioning: the formal process used to create an immediate, brief, and permanent record of an object, assembly, or
lot from the same source, at the same time for which the Society has custody, right, or title, and assigning a unique control
number to it.
• Acquisition: the administrative process of discovering, preliminary evaluating, negotiating for, taking custody of, and
documenting title of an object, assembly or lot.
• Catalog: the curatorial process of classifying and documenting objects usually in complete descriptive detail resulting
in extensive information in the form of cards, files, publications, and automated data.
• Deaccession: the formal process used to remove permanently an object from the collections.
• Documentation: the process of producing records to identify and enhance the knowledge and value of collections
with the intent of maintaining informational and intellectual control over them.
• Inventory: the process of locating and listing the accessioned, loaned, and borrowed, objects by location.
• Loans: temporary transfers of collection items from the museum, or temporary transfers of similar items to the
museum for stated museum purposes. The transfers do not involve a change of ownership.
• Registration: the overall function of creating, controlling and maintaining information, immediately and briefly, about
all objects owned by, and in the care, custody, and control of a museum.
• Value, accession: the monetary amount assigned as the value of an object, assembly, or lot at the time of acquisition
as determined by a professional appraisal, estimate, or prior, recent sale of a comparable example.
• Value, market: the dollar value at which an object would be sold assuming an informed, willing buyer and seller.
COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT
POLICY
I. SCOPE OF THE COLLECTIONS
A. The Westminster Historical Society’s mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret Westminster’s history for present
and future generations. The collections – library, archives, and artifacts – serve and fulfill that mission.
B. The objects in the Westminster Historical Society collections exist in one of the following categories:
1. Permanent collections: materials on, by, about, or representative of Westminster and the activities of people who
live in Westminster that are owned outright by the Society, or objects owned by the Town or in the Society’s care, for the
purpose of study and exhibition. The materials include, but are not limited to:
• Archives
• Books
• Photographs
• Machine readable data
• Artifacts
• Clothing, textiles
• Works of art
2. Non-accessioned collections: materials that exist at the Society on a temporary or permanent basis. They consist
of:
a. Loans: These shall be short-term (one year or less) for purposes of exhibition or study.
b. Materials used in exhibits, lectures, publications and other appropriate media.
c. Educational Materials: Teaching aids, usually expendable materials, used by students, various groups, and
individual visitors as educational tools for learning experiences and hands-on activities.
C. The materials collected will focus on significant themes in Westminster’s
history:
• Pre-industrial Westminster
• Westminster’s role in all wars
• Businesses and industries
• Religious institutions
• Schools
• Westminster people
• Finnish immigrants
• The Finnish Cooperative movement
• Westminster architecture, public and private
• General Nelson Miles
D. Collecting goals and priorities
• Special emphasis will be given to acquiring items related to the Society’s collecting themes.
• The Society shall attempt to broaden its holdings related to Westminster groups, themes, issues, and events that are
currently under-represented in the Society’s collection.
• The Collections Committee will create a “Collecting Plan,” which identifies primary areas for active solicitation of
additional items to the collections each year. This collecting plan will be made available to the public at the reception desk.
II. GOVERNANCE OF THE COLLECTIONS
A. The Collections Committee
1. The Collections is a standing committee of the Historical Society, made up of a minimum of three members.
2. The Curator or Registrar may be asked to attend Collections Committee meetings.
3. The chair of the Collections Committee is a member of the Board of Directors.
4. The Collections Committee shall meet a minimum six times a year or at the call of the Chair or any three voting
members of the Collections Committee.
5. The Collections Committee is charged with the oversight of the Collections Policy:
a. Recommend to the Board of Directors approval of all acquisitions and deaccessions.
b. Monitor and specify all procedures related to collections.
c. Recommend fine arts insurance coverage and limits to the Board.
d. Approve means of determining insurance evaluations.
e. Submit annual reports to the Board on the state of the collections.
f. Create a “Collecting Plan” for the Society.
g. Approve loans of all objects.
B. Dissemination of Policy
Copies of the Collection Policy shall be made available to all persons who work with the collections.
C. Periodic Review
The Collections Policy shall be reviewed in the fall of each year. In particular, the “Collecting Plan,” which identifies
primary areas for active solicitation, will be examined and changed as necessary every fall.
D. Procedure for amendments and revisions to policy
Any member of the Collections Committee may make recommendations for changes to the Collections Policy. The
recommended changes will be sent in writing to each member of the Collections Committee at least two weeks before the
meeting at which they will be discussed and voted upon.
III. ACQUISITION POLICY
A. The title to every object accessioned must pass to the Historical Society. Donors will be requested to sign a
contract giving the Society sole ownership of the item/s. Items offered as long-term loans will not be accepted.
B. Criteria for determining whether an object should be accepted:
• The object is consistent with the Society’s mission.
• The object is documented as having been made or used in Westminster.
• The object is in good condition.
• The object is consistent with the collection goals.
• The Society can properly store and preserve the object.
• The object will be utilized in the foreseeable future.
• The object is not encumbered with conditions imposed by the donor regarding its future use or disposition.
• The use of the object is not restricted or encumbered by intellectual property rights (copyright, patent, trademark, or
trade secret).
• The use of the object is not restricted or encumbered by its nature (obscene, defamatory, potentially an invasion of
privacy, physically hazardous).
• The object is so unusual that it presents an exceptional opportunity for the Society and thus should be given
preferential consideration.
• If the object is offered for sale, it or a comparable object might be obtained by gift or bequest rather than the
purchase.
• The acceptance of the object in all probability will not result in major future expenses for the Society (for
conservation or maintenance or because it opens a new area of collecting).
C. Items may be accepted as a:
• Gift
• Bequest
• Purchase
• Exchange
D. Special concerns and situations
1. Acquisitions by purchase shall be made only after:
• proper financing has been arranged
• the Collections Committee Chairman has verified that the budget will allow the purchase
• the Collections Committee has approved the purchase.
2. Materials left anonymously in the custody of the Historical Society will be evaluated and considered for inclusion in
the collections. If accepted, the deed of gift will be signed by the authorized agent (Chairman of the Collections Committee)
and will describe in detail the circumstances pertaining to the acquisition.
3. The Society may attempt to gain title to undocumented collections in its possession through the “abandoned
property” law in MGL.
4. The Society may attempt to gain title to unclaimed loans in its possession through the “abandoned property” law in
MGL.
5. Municipal records from the City of Westminster will be accepted only if they comply with the Massachusetts
Records Disposal Schedule.
E. Accessioning Procedures
1. The staff person will accept an item in temporary custody from the donor.
2. If the donor is present he/she will fill out a “Temporary Custody” form describing his/her intentions with the
donation.
3. If the item has been received in the mail, the staff person will fill out the “Temporary Custody” form.
4. The Registrar will maintain a list of items in “Temporary Custody.”
5. The Curator or Registrar will present the item proposed for accession to the Collections Committee at their next
meeting.
6. The Collections Committee will decide by a simply majority vote whether to accept or reject the item for accession.
7. The chairperson will report the new accessions to the Board on a regular basis.
F. All gifts to the Westminster Historical Society are deductible on federal income tax forms according to Internal
Revenue Service laws under 501C3c. By law, the donor is required to determine the value of the donation; staff is not
allowed to give an appraisal of donations.
IV. DEACCESSION POLICY
A. When the Society has accessioned an object, the item assumes a special status above that of ordinary equipment or
personal property; it has become an educational asset. To remove that special status from an object, to retire its number
from use thereafter, is a most serious action that requires more than cursory attention. Therefore any object removed from
the collections and physically disposed of shall be done with strict conformity to the following rules:
B. Deaccessioning procedures
1. The Chairman of the Collections Committee or Curator shall recommend items for deaccession if:
a. the object is a duplicate of an item already in the collection.
b. the item is deteriorated.
c. the item does not in any way interpret the history of Westminster or the lives of the people who lived in the Town.
d. the item cannot be given the necessary care or preservation.
e. the item is inferior to others in the collection
2. The Collections Committee will discuss the proposed deaccession and by a simple majority vote confirm or reject
the deaccession of the item. If they choose to deaccession the item, the Committee will make a recommendation to the
Board of Directors to deaccession the item.
3. The Board of Directors will vote upon the recommendation of the Collections Committee to deaccession the item.
C. Special concerns or situations
1. No donated object shall be deacessioned for any reason for two years after the date of its acquisition. (See U.S. Tax
Reform Act of 1984 and I.R.S. regulations.)
2. Objects designated as unclaimed loans can be deacessioned as abandoned property only with approval of the
Collections Committee.
D. Methods of disposal of items
1. The Collections Committee may decide to notify the following persons of the intent of the Historical Society to
deaccession an item:
• Donor
• Heir
• Lender
2. The preferred way to dispose of deacessioned items is by auction.
3. No objects in the collection shall be sold directly to a member of the Board of Directors or staff or their immediate
families.
4. If it is decided that objects used in the educational program are no longer needed, such items may be sold at the best
possible price, but following the guidelines accorded to the collections.
5. In certain circumstances the Historical Society may choose to give an item to another institution. Upon
recommendation of the Collections Committee and approval of the Board of Directors, the Curator will follow through on
the these actions.
6. In certain circumstances the Historical Society may choose to consider a formal, reciprocal transfer of materials
between the Historical Society and another institution or individual. Upon the recommendation and the approval of the
Collections Committee, the Curator will follow through on these actions.
7. With approval of the Collections Committee, certain deacessioned items that are deemed unsalvageable may be
destroyed.
E. Collections Fund
1. A Collections Fund will be created into which all net proceeds resulting from the disposition of deacessioned items
are deposited.
2. Withdrawals from the Collections Fund may be made only for:
• purchase of items for the collection
• purchase of materials for the conservation of collections
• conservation of artifacts
V. USE AND ACCESS TO COLLECTIONS
A. The Westminster Historical Society preserves collections for use by researchers and should make available original
research materials in its possession on equal terms of access. The Society will not deny access to materials to any
researcher, nor grant privileged or exclusive use of materials to any researcher, nor conceal the existence of any body of
materials from any researcher, unless required to do so by statutory authority, institutional mandate, or donor or purchase
stipulation.
1. At all times Staff and Volunteers must be aware of their responsibilities to preserve and protect objects in the
collections.
2. Archival materials are deemed reference resources and are generally not available for circulation or loan.
3. The Library will be open during the hours that the Historical Society is open, to the extent that that is possible with
staffing.
B. Research fees
The Board of Directors may determine fees upon the recommendation of the Collections Committee for the following
activities:
1. On-site use of Library by members and non-members. Inquiries about our holdings and ready-reference questions
will be answered without charge.
2. Off-site: Research requests will be made in writing, and persons will be charged a fee for research requests to be
fulfilled.
3. Photocopies are available for a fee. Patrons are asked to stamp “Courtesy of the Westminster Historical Society” on
each sheet.
4. Original positive and negative images from the Society’s collections may be duplicated for purchase. Fees will be
established for the reproduction and publishing of photos, negatives, slides, and transparencies.
C. Patrons using the Library will be requested to comply with the following:
• Patrons are encouraged to use the computer search capability when first beginning a research project, when possible.
• Staff or Volunteers will locate and bring requested materials to researchers to the extent that this is possible.
• Leave coats and outerwear on the coat rack.
• When lockers are available, put bags, pocketbooks, backpacks, and bulky items into lockers.
• Bring only pencils and research papers into Library.
• No eating, drinking or smoking is allowed in the Library.
• Request permission from Society staff to use a portable computer.
• All materials should be handled as little as possible.
• All materials should be kept as flat as possible.
• Patrons will be asked to use cotton gloves for handling certain materials.
• Delicate or fragile items may be limited to staff only.
• The existing order of manuscript materials must be maintained.
• Archival materials must not be marked, damaged, or altered in any way. This includes the use of self-adhesive post-it
notes, paper clips, pens, highlighters, etc.
• Penalties for damage to historical materials will be consistent with MGL (Ch. 266, Sec. 99-100).
D. Photocopying
1. If photocopying is requested, please contact a staff member. Not all materials are in a condition that will withstand
the photocopying process. The staff will have final authority to decide which materials are suitable for photocopying.
2. Copies are provided for study purposes only. (See publication and copyright guidelines below.)
E. Publication and Reproduction Permission
1. Copyright protection extends to all unpublished works now protected under common law. This includes the
collections of the Westminster Historical Society.
2. Researchers must obtain permission in writing from the Westminster Historical Society Curator to publish any
materials from the Society collections. This includes the reproduction of photographs or materials. Penalties for copyright
violation are severe.
VI. CARE AND CONSERVATION OF COLLECTIONS
A. Every effort consistent with professional standards and ethics and within the financial resources of the Society will
be made to preserve the collections.
B. It is the responsibility of the Curator to recommend conservation procedures for items in the collections to the
Collections Committee.
C. The Collections Committee will recommend for approval a Collections Preservation Plan to the Board of Directors
every five years.
D. The Society collections will be stored and exhibited in environmentally safe conditions with museum-standard levels
of temperature and humidity to the extent possible.
E. The packing and shipping of collection objects moving in or out of the Historical Society will be supervised by the
Curator to ensure the utmost safety.
F. The Collections Committee will create a “Disaster Plan” to ensure the best possible protection of the collections in
the event of fire, smoke, or water damage, or natural disasters.
VII. LOAN POLICIES
A. The Historical Society encourages maximum public access to its collections by making loans which are consistent
with the long-term preservation of the collections and with the Society’s own needs for exhibit and research.
B. Incoming Loans/Borrowing: The Society may borrow objects from institutions or individuals for exhibition or
study. These objects must receive the same care as our own collection. The following loan procedures shall be followed:
1. Every loan will be for a specified period of time.
2. Every loan will be documented.
3. Loaned objects shall be returned according to the agreement or upon verbal or written order of the lender or his
agent.
4. In the case of death of the lender, after proper notification by the Historical Society to the legal representative, unless
provided for in the lender’s will, or notification to the Historical Society by the lender’s legal representative or other
provisions within six months after the death of the lender, the object(s), if still in the possession of the Historical Society,
shall become the property of the Historical Society.
C. Outgoing Loans/Lending: The Historical Society may make outgoing loans to other institutions for exhibit, research,
or other purposes. The following procedures shall be followed:
1. The Curator shall recommend proposed loans to the Collections Committee, with the exception of photos and books,
which the Curator may authorize for short-term loans.
2. Only those artifacts in stable, presentable condition will be considered for loan, unless conservation treatment for the
objects is part of the loan agreement and is approved by the Collections Committee.
3. Security measures at the host institution will be reviewed prior to loan approval.
4. Insurance documentation must accompany all loan requests.
D. Pre-existing long-term loans and permanent deposits
Title to unclaimed loans left in the possession of the Westminster Historical Society may be cleared in accord with the MGL
referring to abandoned property.
VIII. RECORDKEEPING
A. Systematic records concerning the Historical Society’s collections shall be maintained at all times. They will consist
of the following:
1. Registration/Accession Records
• Temporary Custody Forms
• Deeds of Gift
• Transfer correspondence
• Wills/trusts, other evidence of ownership
• Accession Worksheets
• Object Worksheets
• Records of purchase
• Insurance documents
• Valuation documents
2. Deaccession Records
3. Loan forms
4. Care and Conservation of Collections
5. Interpretation and Exhibit of Collections
6. Inventory forms
7. Minutes of Collections Committee meetings
B. Collections records will be protected, in so far as possible, from destruction by creating duplicate files to be stored
in an off-site location.
IX. SECURITY
A. A Society’s collections are its most important asset and the Board of Directors intends to preserve, conserve and
insure the holdings to the best of its ability.
B. The Building and Grounds Committee will be responsible for creating a long-rang plan to upgrade and maintain the
security measures around and in the Historical Society building.
C. The Historical Society will establish and maintain security measures designed to protect the collections and the
building:
1. Smoke detection system
2. Security alarm for doors and entryways and motion detectors
3. Fire suppression system
D. The Collections Committee will review the procedures for access to the collections every year to minimize the risk
of theft to the collections.
X. INSURANCE
A. The value of the collections will be determined by an appraisal by a certified appraiser when possible.
B. The valuation of each item and the date of the valuation (when it is available) will be placed in the object record of
each item in the PastPerfect database.
C. The Collections Committee will provide the Board of Directors with an inventory of all items in the Collections and
their valuation on request.
D. The Board of Directors will determine at what level of market value the collections will be insured.
E. Inventory
1. The Historical Society shall maintain an inventory of all items in the collection.
2. Data about the inventory will be placed in the PastPerfect database.
XII. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
A. The Historical Society will publish and distribute the full text of the Collections Policy.
B. The Historical Society intends to reply to responsible inquiries about accessions and deaccessions willingly and
promptly.
C. Items that are accessioned and deacessioned shall be published in the newsletters, annual reports, and other
publications.
XII. STATEMENT OF ETHICS
The Westminster Historical Society endorses the Code of Ethics established by the American Association of State and Local
History. The Board of Directors, employees and volunteers working with the collections are expected to abide by these
standards.
XIII. DEFINITIONS
• Accessioning: the formal process used to create an immediate, brief, and permanent record of an object, assembly, or
lot from the same source, at the same time for which the Society has custody, right, or title, and assigning a unique control
number to it.
• Acquisition: the administrative process of discovering, preliminary evaluating, negotiating for, taking custody of, and
documenting title of an object, assembly or lot.
• Catalog: the curatorial process of classifying and documenting objects usually in complete descriptive detail resulting
in extensive information in the form of cards, files, publications, and automated data.
• Deaccession: the formal process used to remove permanently an object from the collections.
• Documentation: the process of producing records to identify and enhance the knowledge and value of collections
with the intent of maintaining informational and intellectual control over them.
• Inventory: the process of locating and listing the accessioned, loaned, and borrowed, objects by location.
• Loans: temporary transfers of collection items from the museum, or temporary transfers of similar items to the
museum for stated museum purposes. The transfers do not involve a change of ownership.
• Registration: the overall function of creating, controlling and maintaining information, immediately and briefly, about
all objects owned by, and in the care, custody, and control of a museum.
• Value, accession: the monetary amount assigned as the value of an object, assembly, or lot at the time of acquisition
as determined by a professional appraisal, estimate, or prior, recent sale of a comparable example.
• Value, market: the dollar value at which an object would be sold assuming an informed, willing buyer and seller.
