OVHS standards and procedures for the acquisition, preservation, use and disposition of historical materials.
I. INTRODUCTION:
Scope of Collections:
Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) collections began in 2005 with the donation of a large number of documents and photographs belonging to the George Pusch family and related to Steam Pump Ranch (George and Mathilda Pusch Collection donated by Henry G. Zipf). Since then, materials related to other aspects of the history of the greater Oro Valley area have been donated to the Society from a variety of sources.
The purpose of this Collections Policy is to establish standards and procedures for the acquisition, preservation, use and disposition of historical materials. These materials include documents, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, books, furniture, clothing, audiovisual recordings, electronic media, artifacts, artwork, natural specimens, and other materials.
Certain decisions, as specified below, are to be made by the OVHS Collection Committee (“Committee”) while others require approval from the Board of Directors. A member of the Board of Directors serves as liaison to the Committee.
The Committee shall keep a record of meetings and decisions regarding the collections. The Collections Policy will be reviewed at least every two years.
| Previous Revision Dates: |
| April 2024 |
Property owned by OVHS (i.e. desks, computers, filing cabinets, shelving, storage containers, etc.) is not considered part of the collections, nor is property owned by a member of the Society who may use it for OVHS purposes.
II. DONATIONS:
The Committee, or Board Liaison, will make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding:
The Committee may also make recommendations regarding purchase of materials or documents that are relevant to the Society’s mission and purpose.
Donation Criteria:
The following conditions must be met before materials are accepted by OVHS:
The Committee may provisionally accept materials only when a curator or expert cannot evaluate them before transfer. A completed Deed of Gift Agreement Form must be submitted to OVHS before acceptance. If temporary custody is needed for evaluation, a Temporary Custody Receipt must be completed by the donor. OVHS assumes no liability for items in temporary custody.
If the Committee, upon reviewing donation criteria, determines that an item or collection is not appropriate for the OVHS collections, it has the authority to reject the proposed donation.
The Board of Directors will review offered materials and determine whether to accept the Committee’s recommendation.
Donation Records:
Upon approval of the Board of Directors, the Committee will document acceptance of donated materials using the Deed of Gift Agreement Form while ensuring the form is accurately completed, including all mandatory signatures, initials, and required information. The Deed of Gift Agreement Form becomes the legal agreement between OVHS and the donor regarding the transfer of materials, and it documents that OVHS is the sole owner of the property being transferred.
Additional information about donated materials will be kept in the OVHS collections files.
III. USE AND CARE OF COLLECTIONS:
OVHS collections exist for the benefit of present and future generations. Therefore, the public shall be granted reasonable access to exhibited or stored collections for the purpose of research and other educational uses.
A proposed use of an item from the collections must appropriately respect the item’s uniqueness as well as the physical, historical, cultural, and aesthetic integrity of the item.
The Committee will approve use of materials for research purposes. Whenever possible copies of original materials (i.e. documents, photographs) will be used. Researchers will be informed of appropriate handling of historic items.
Use of collections materials in publications or printing must acknowledge the OVHS (typically stating, “Courtesy of the Oro Valley Historical Society.”)
Materials in the collection may be loaned to institutions and organizations with approval of the Committee. Loans will be documented in the Incoming Loan Agreement Form that includes information on duration of loan, responsible parties, condition, and security.
The OVHS may borrow historical items from the Town of Oro Valley or other entity. Such loans will also be documented in the Incoming Loan Agreement Form and approved by the Committee. The Committee will coordinate use and care while in possession of the Society.
The Committee may recommend to the Board of Directors that a particular item or collection be appraised for its commercial and historical values.
The Committee may consider acquisition of historic materials and records through purchase if they are relevant to the mission and purpose of OVHS. The Board of Directors will approve arrangements for funding and appraisal prior to a transfer of materials to OVHS.
IV. DEACCESSIONS:
Materials in the OVHS collections will be retained as long as they continue to be relevant and useful to the mission and purpose of the Society, and if they can be properly stored, preserved, and used. Deaccessioning of materials may be considered.
Deaccessioning is the process of removing material from the OVHS collections. This process should be cautious, deliberate, and ethical. The Board of Directors, upon recommendation from the Committee, approves decisions concerning deaccessions.
Material from the OVHS collections may be considered for deaccessioning if:
OVHS ownership of materials to be deaccessioned will be transferred through a Deed of Gift Agreement Form or Bill of Sale depending upon the nature of the disposition. Disposition may include return (original donor), donation, consignment, sale, or other means of transfer.
V. GLOSSARY:
Conservation: Measures taken to prolong the life of an object or document and its physical, historic, and scientific integrity as long as possible in its original form.
Copyright: A property right that protects the interests of authors or other creators of works in tangible media (or the individual or organization to whom copyright has been assigned) by giving them the ability to control the reproduction, publication, adaptation, exhibition, or performance of their works.
Deed Gift: A contract that transfers ownership form one person or institution to another.
Deaccession: The formal process of removing records or objects from the permanent collection of OVHS.
Provenance: Information regarding the origins, custody, and ownership of an item or collection.
VI. REFERENCES:
OVHS Website – About Us
Oro Valley Historical Society’s Mission Statement, Vision, and Strategic Plan
Forms: Deed of Gift Agreement Form, Incoming Loan Agreement Form, Return Receipt of Loaned Items Form, Outgoing Loan Agreement Form, Return Receipt of Borrowed Items Form, Temporary Custody Receipt Form, Permission to Publish Form