Museums and galleries - loans, donations and bequests
A guide to offering objects to the Museum Service
What are we looking for?
We collect objects connected to all aspects of people’s lives –
community, work, home and personal life. We may consider local
objects found in the ground.
We are particularly interested in objects which have a strong
connection with the borough of Rochdale.
We no longer collect rocks, fossils, items from ancient Egypt
and natural history, such as stuffed animals, butterflies or
eggs.
We are also keen to fill in ‘gaps’ in our collection such as
objects that show the contribution made by different communities
who have made the borough their home.
How do we decide what to collect?
- Is the object local?
- Is it in good condition?
- Can you tell us about its history?
- Does the object fit in with our Collecting Policy?
- Have we got a similar example already?
Our Collecting Policy is a plan that restricts what we collect
to a manageable level and makes sure that we don’t have objects
which would be better off in another museum
What’s the first step if you have an item you think we may
want?
If possible, to save you a journey, please phone in advance to
discuss your objects with us.
When you bring us an item we’ll fill in a receipt or entry form
to make sure we have correctly noted all your details and the
object’s history. This helps the curators to decide if your object
is right for the collections. The entry form also gives us
permission to look after the object until this decision is
made.
Please note that objects left at the desk are not automatically
accepted into the collections.
If the answer’s yes..
If your object is what we need, we’ll accept it for our
permanent collections. The object will be kept safe for future
generations.
Sometimes we may ask to put the object in our handling
collection. This means it will be used for work with schools or
reminiscence sessions for senior citizens. These objects will be
handled and enjoyed by lots of people. However, eventually wear and
tear may well mean we have to dispose of your object.
If the answer’s no..
It may be for a variety of reasons we are unable to accept your
object. In which case we will contact you to return it. Please
don’t be offended.
We may already have similar items. This is often the case with
women’s clothes, for example. Your object may be too big, or it may
be a type that we don’t collect. The curator will be able to tell
you if another museum might like to have it.
What happens next?
If your object is accepted we will send you a letter or, if
necessary, a form to sign. If you declared the object a gift this
means that you or your family will not be able to claim the object
back.
Please do not be disappointed if you don’t see your object on
display straight away. The curators have to care for around 70,000
museum objects, and exhibitions have to be carefully planned well
in advance. In the meantime your object will be carefully stored
and available for research and education purposes.
What if your object seems interesting, but you don’t want to
give it to us?
If you would like to know more about any of your objects, we
offer an identification service. This normally involves bringing
your object into the museum and leaving it with us to research.
If you have objects which have been dug up out of the ground
locally that you think may be of archaeological importance please
let us know. Even if you don’t want to give them to the museum
collections it is very important to record where items came from as
evidence of the past. We do not need to collect everything that is
found.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to
discuss a possible gift or any further information.