Local History and Archives Policy

De-accessioning 

Material added to the Local History and Archives collection shall be held until such time as it is deemed to no longer fit the approved acquisitions policy and is de-accessioned. All information pertaining to the de-accessioning and disposition of material will be retained in the Archives' records. 

Guiding Principles 

• Archivists must use professional judgment when reappraising collections. Exceptions are handled on a case-by-case basis. 

• Although it is an important collection management tool, reappraisal does not always lead to de-accessioning. 

• To ensure consistency, the process should be systematic and thoroughly documented. 

• Reappraisal and de-accessioning is a responsible archival practice for better management of collections. The process should however be transparent but may, at times, require discretion. 

Considerations 

• Legal issues of ownership of collections (e.g., donor agreements). 

• Ethical issues regarding the disposition of collections in a transparent manner. 

• Donor relations (i.e. being open and honest with donors when discussing the proposed de-accessioning of their gift). 

• Resource allocation (i.e. cost benefit analysis before reappraising and de-accessioning a collection). 

Conflict of Interest