Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 16 - History, Humanities and Arts › Part 2 - Archives and Records Services Division › Chapter 7 - Policy for the Loan and Exhibit of Original Material › Rule 16-2-7.1

Current through June 25, 2024
A.
Purpose of the Policy:
The Archives and Records Services Division (the Division) of
				  the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) collects, preserves,
				  and provides access to the archival resources of the State. The Division
				  strongly supports and encourages exhibits related to the state's history. While
				  the Division recognizes the value of using original historical items in
				  exhibits, the Division must balance such use with its responsibilities to
				  provide research access to materials and to preserve original materials for
				  future generations.
This policy establishes environmental, reproduction, and
				  credit standards for the display of original materials, including books,
				  manuscripts, maps, ephemera, photographs, artwork, and artifacts. It is based
				  on well-accepted and documented professional standards and sources. Requests
				  for exemption from the policy, or any portion thereof, must be approved by the
				  Archives and Records Services Division director.
B.
Selecting and Requesting
				Items:
Ample time (at least six weeks is recommended) should be
				  allowed for consultation with Division staff, in order to select and appraise
				  items, stabilize or reformat fragile items, prepare items for transport, and
				  prepare the condition report and loan agreement. Requests for use of items,
				  submitted in writing to the Division director, should include the following
				  information: item(s) requested, name of borrowing institution, title of
				  exhibit, requested loan and exhibition dates, and a
Standard Facility
				  Report - United States
.
We prefer that the original not be used if the item is
				  unique, very rare, or highly fragile, and a digital surrogate is sufficient.
				  This will protect the original from damaging light or undue stress, ensure its
				  safety, and allow it to be available to researchers. High quality reproductions
				  are an optimal alternative to an original flat item such as a document or
				  photograph. For a copy of the Division's
Policy on the Reproduction of
				  Archival Materials
, go to
http://opac2.mdah.state.ms.us/ArchivalReproPolicy.html
.
A unique, original item may be exhibited for a limited
				  period of time under certain conditions. The duration of the exhibition of an
				  original item will be determined by the respective section head in negotiation
				  with the borrower. Established practice recommends that a light-sensitive item
				  is exhibited once in a two-year period, for a maximum exhibition period of
				  twelve weeks. (Examples of light-sensitive items include but are not limited to
				  those containing iron gall, colored or felt-tip inks, and watercolors; those
				  printed on colored paper or paper with a high ground wood content; and
				  photographs.) If original, unique items are to be exhibited for longer than
				  twelve weeks, the use of a case that mitigates light and temperature levels may
				  be required. If the item is not unique, a second copy may be exhibited for a
				  longer period of time or copies may be exhibited on rotation. In the case of a
				  bound volume, pages may be turned at intervals.
The Division director will approve the exhibition of
				  original items. The Division reserves the right to decline exhibition of any
				  original item.
C.
Loan
				Documentation and Reformatting:
The following conditions must be met:
1. The borrower must submit a
Standard Facility Report - United States
at the time of the
				initial written request.
2. If
				necessary, the borrower will pay for an appraisal by a professional of the
				Division's choosing.
3. If
				necessary, the borrower will pay for a digital (or other) surrogate to be
				produced to be maintained by the Division.
4. A Division representative must prepare a
				condition report for the item.
5. A
				Division representative must tender a loan agreement and the borrower must
				agree to the terms set forth thereon and sign the loan agreement. If the loan
				includes items from several different curatorial areas (i.e., photographs,
				manuscripts), a separate loan agreement from each section may be necessary.