Please read the following guidelines carefully before filling out the form, below.
Definition
Loans are the temporary transfer of Beneski Museum object(s) to a qualified institution for the purpose of research, exhibition or instruction. Loans do not indicate a transfer of ownership.
Institutional Lending
The Beneski Museum loans only to institutions (“borrower”), not to individuals. A permanently employed institutional representative (“responsible party”) who has authority to bind the institution named is responsible for the loan. Investigators (such as students, post-doctoral fellows, or emeritus faculty) who are not located at, or permanently affiliated with, an institution can make arrangements to have specimens sent to a nearby institution as long as a responsible member of that institution is willing to accept responsibility for the object(s), and provided that the object(s) remain on the premises of that institution. Loaned objects will be considered the direct responsibility of the institution and the responsible party.
Approvals
Request for loans of objects are considered on a case-by-case basis, but are typically based on the condition and value (scientific, historic or monetary) of the object, and the feasibility of its transport. Requests for loans are approved by the Beneski Museum Collections Curator, but loans of culturally-sensitive objects or items of special significance must be approved by the Beneski Museum Director. All requests for destructive sampling must be made in detail and be approved by the Director.
Types
Type specimens may not be loaned. Casts, molds or reproductions of type specimens may be loaned.
Duration
Maximum loan duration is one year. Loans to students or institutional associates (rather than permanent employees) may be made for a period of up to six months, subject to re-approval. Loans may be recalled at any time, with at least one month notice to be provided.
Purpose
Requesting parties must specify the purpose of the loan (traveling exhibition, in-house exhibition, research, teaching) and all procedures that they will employ (including photography, measurements, etc.). Objects may not be loaned for commercial purposes.
Safety
Requesting parties must agree to reasonable measures to ensure object safety and security. These measures should include storing the object in a secure facility (locked cabinet or room safe from theft, fire, light, pest and water damage), only allowing specified parties to access the object, and only allowing specified types of procedures (exhibit, photography, measurement, scanning, etc.) to be performed on the object.
Liability
The borrowing institution assumes liability for the object while it is in the responsible party’s care. In some cases, the Beneski Museum Collections Curator may request proof of insurance from the borrower. The borrowing institution must agree that any damage incurred during the duration of the loan is to be repaired at the borrower’s expense and to the satisfaction of the Beneski Museum.
Transference
Loaned objects may not be transferred from one institution to another. Loaned objects must be returned to the Beneski Museum before they can be loaned to another institution.
Transport
Outgoing loans will be packed by the Beneski Museum Collections Curator, or under the supervision of the Collections Curator. Returned objects should be packed in the same manner, using the same materials whenever possible. Depending on the condition and value of the specimen, loaned objects can be transported by a registered commercial courier or hand-carried. Insurance coverage during transport should be carried by the institution (either the Beneski Museum or the borrowing institution) that makes the transportation arrangements. All transportation fees are to be paid by the borrowing institution.
Damage
If object loss or damage occurs during the loan period, the Beneski Museum Collections Curator should be notified immediately.