JEWISH MUSEUM MILWAUKEE
COLLECTION POLICY
Purpose and Scope of the Collections
It is the Jewish Museum Milwaukee’s policy to collect items related to the Museum’s mission, which is set forth below. Materials collected should support research, preservation, and Museum exhibits.
The Museum will collect historical, cultural, religious, and aesthetic materials that provide information about people, businesses, organizations, events, or any other aspect of Jewish life in Wisconsin, especially Milwaukee, or in the global context. Materials collected may be in a variety of formats, whether originals or reproductions.
Additions to the Collections (Acquisitions)
The Museum should promote and seek out the acquisition by donation (and in special circumstances by purchase) of materials and artifacts described above.
Purchases by the Museum in excess of $500 must be approved by the Acquisitions and Collections Committee and the Board of Trustees in consultation with the Museum’s Archivist and Curator.
The Acquisitions and Collections Committee will be provided with a list of all donations offered to the Museum and all proposed purchases for the collection. All items that are accepted or purchased will be cataloged.
The Museum may choose not to accept items that are in poor condition, that duplicate items in the collection, or that are beyond the scope of this collection policy. Storage and conservation capabilities may limit the Museum’s ability to accept items including Judaica and objects of art. The decision not to accept an item must be approved by the Acquisitions and Collections Committee in consultation with the Museum’s Archivist and Curator.
Donors should have clear and legal title to all materials to be given to the Museum. Donations are accepted when accompanied by a signed Deed of Gift form that legally transfers ownership of the materials to the Museum. Forms must be signed by the donor and a Museum employee. Both the donor and Museum will receive signed copies of the form for their files. Donors are responsible for arranging and paying for their own appraisals. The Museum may request that a donor provide an appraisal of a donation in order to establish its value for insurance purposes.
The Museum makes no promise that donations will be displayed. Where feasible, donors will be notified that the materials they donated will be displayed and/or utilized for programmatic purposes in the Museum.
Items may be accepted for the sole purpose of sale or exchange provided the donor is informed of that purpose prior to signing the Deed of Gift form.
Removal and/or Sale of Items from the Collections (Deaccessions)
Items accepted into the collections can be deaccessioned only by recommendation of Museum staff and the Acquisitions and Collections Committee, and with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Before a donated item is deaccessioned, every effort will be made to contact the donor or donor’s family as a courtesy and to find the item an appropriate home. In the case of the sale of items from the collections, any funds generated must be used to benefit the Museum’s collections (including foracquisitions and conservation) and may not be used for general museum operating costs.
Loans
Loans to or from the Museum may be made pursuant to a written contract with the approval of the Board of Trustees and in consultation with the Museum’s Archivist and Curator and should be consistent with the Museum’s mission. Risk of harm and requirements of care should be taken into account when borrowing or lending materials.
Research
Materials from the collections (while not on display) should be made available in the Museum for research where feasible and under appropriate supervision. These materials may not be taken out of the Museum. For a fee copies can be made when practical.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Jewish Museum Milwaukee preserves and presents the Jewish experience through the lens of Greater Milwaukee, and celebrates the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture. The archives, exhibitions, programs and publications inspire public appreciation for the diversity of Jewish life in a local and global historic context.
AFFILIATION
The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is a direct service program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and is housed in the Federation’s main facility.
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