Loans Between National and Non-National Museums
Standards for National Museums and Galleries
These standards should be read in conjunction
with the guidelines set out in Loans Between
National and Non-national Museums:
New Standards and Practical Guidelines.
(download document - PDF 377KB)
National Museum Directors’ Conference members undertake to meet the following standards, subject to the resources available.
National Museums and Galleries will:
1. Provide a straightforward means of access to information about their collections and where possible Internet access to collections data
2. Clearly identify points of contact for the administration of each loan on the museum Website and in all related printed material
3. Have a written loans policy, available on the museum Website and on request
4. Require a minimum notice period of no more than six months for loans to UK organisations, subject to availability and condition of the item
5. Acknowledge receipt of loan applications within three weeks, letting the borrower know when they will hear whether the application has been approved
6. Make every effort to lend, other than where issues concerning the availability, condition, or security of the object, or ethical considerations, preclude it within the resources available
7. Provide reasonable access to curators to enable applicants to conduct research and determine suitability of loan objects
8. Provide advice on display conditions and installation procedures necessary to maintain the safety of the object
9. Be pragmatic about lending where environmental conditions are not ideal and offer help in finding potential solutions to any problems with environmental and display conditions at the borrowing institution.
10. Only use couriers where circumstances demand and share them wherever possible
11. Not charge administration fees for loans to UK borrowers
12. Keep all costs to the borrower to a minimum and communicate their likely level to the borrower as early as possible
13. Minimise the cost to the borrower of any conservation treatment that is required to enable the object to travel and be fit for display
14. Be transparent in handling loan requests, including providing an explanation of any difficulties or delays and full reasons behind any refusal to lend
If the lending museum cannot meet a particular standard for any reason, it will explain this to the borrower as soon as possible.
Download whole document (PDF 377KB)