Did you know…?

We’ve all been there, digging through our ancestor’s artifacts and thinking, “wow, this is cool. I bet the museum would love this!”  You’re probably right – the museum would love it.  But it’s not just as easy as mailing the item or leaving it on the front steps of the museum. Did you know that there is an artifact acceptance process?  You can help ACHS&M preserve Athens County history by following these simple steps.

Here’s how we accept artifact donations:
1. Ask yourself if the artifact is part of Athens County history.  ACHS&M’s policy states that we can only accept items from Athens County and Southeastern Ohio regional history.  If your artifact isn’t from Athens County, we can still help you find the right museum to preserve the item.  (Exceptions include items used nationally. i.e. pop culture items).

2. Call or visit the museum to talk to the curator about your artifact.  We need to assess the artifact by making sure that we can properly care for it and to make sure that it won’t be a duplicate in our collection.  If it is a duplicate, we have many contacts with other museums that would be happy to preserve your item.

3. Collect any and all related information.  Any story, newspaper clipping, or little tidbit you might have about the item is extremely important to the museum.  Even typing up a family story that involved the item will make it more valuable to researchers and educators.

4.Type or neatly handwrite an inventory of exactly what it is that you are donating.  Bring this list when you donate the items.

5. You will need to fill out two deed of gift forms at the museum. These documents officially give ACHS&M the right to preserve your heirlooms.  You receive the second copy of the form for your records; plus your donation is tax deductible!

6. The artifact is accessioned (accepted) into the collections.  The item goes through a research process, catalogued into the computer database, assigned a number, and properly preserved in an archival safe box.

So, next time you have an item that you know the museum would just love to have, give us a quick call and we’ll follow the process of preserving your family’s history together!