[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Columbia
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted as Ch. 2.58 of the 1997 Code]
Except where the context indicates otherwise, the terms used
in this article are defined as follows:
All parts, boards, departments, bureaus and commissions of
the City.
Any elected or appointed official of the City.
Any book, paper, map, photograph or other official documentary
material, regardless of physical form or character, made, produced,
executed or received by any agency or officer pursuant to law or in
connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or
appropriate for preservation by such agency or officer, or any successor
thereof, as evidence of the organization, function, policies, decision,
procedures or other activities thereof, or because of the informational
data contained therein. "Public record" shall also mean any reports
and records of the obligations, receipt and use of public funds of
any agency of the City.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Public records shall be available for inspection by the public
in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Law (5 ILCS
140/1 et seq.).
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person authorized to inspect public records in accordance with § 96-1.2 may obtain a copy of the record so inspected at a cost or expense established in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Law (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.).
No records shall, under any circumstances, be removed from the
custody of the person in charge of such records for the purpose of
reproduction or for any other purpose.
[Adopted 6-17-2013 by Ord. No. 3045 (Ch. 2.59 of the 1997 Code)]
A.
The purpose of the City of Columbia, as a Certified Local Government,
in operating its library, archives and museums is to collect, preserve,
study, interpret, and exhibit significant historical materials relating
to Columbia and its citizens, and to provide related educational services
for the purpose of increasing and enriching public knowledge. The
acts of acquisition, accession and deaccession shall reflect this
stated purpose.
B.
The City of Columbia's collection policy will govern prehistoric
and historic materials held by the City of Columbia and in the possession
of the Columbia Public Library, the Columbia Heritage Center (archival
center), the Shoemaker School Museum, the Miller-Fiege Home, and such
other locations as the City Council may determine are desirable and
appropriate for preservation, care and/or exhibition of historical
materials.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The process of accepting items into the permanent collection
of the City of Columbia.
The discovery, preliminary evaluation, assumption of physical
and legal custody, and registration of materials, documents, and objects.
The aggregation of all historic and prehistoric materials,
documents, and objects maintained by the City in its library, archives
and museums.
The process of permanently removing accessioned library materials,
archival documents and/or museum objects from the collection.
Signed documents that voluntarily transfer ownership of real,
personal, or intellectual property, such as a gift of historical materials,
from one person or institution to another.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The collecting objectives of the library, archives and museum
shall be as follows:
A.
Library. To maintain existing and further collect books, magazines
and other published items pertinent to the interests of the community,
thereby advancing the City's commitment to promote the study of local
history and encourage original research, including published works
which reveal the history of Columbian life and culture, such as selected
commemorative newspapers, newsletter and bulletins.
B.
Archives. To maintain existing and further collect manuscripts, photographs
and other documents pertinent to the historic record of the community,
thereby advancing the City's commitment to promote the study of local
history and encourage original research, including:
(1)
Manuscripts pertaining to all aspects of the history of Columbia,
with emphasis upon the social, educational, business and economic
activities of people as expressed in personal and institutional documents;
(2)
Historic photographs of people, places and events that are significant
to the understanding of Columbia's history or that help to illuminate
periods in Columbia's past;
(3)
Records, organizational minutes, ledgers or other historical documents
that provide insight into the City's history and the lives of its
citizens over the years.
C.
Museums. To build upon the strengths of the present collection of
objects, especially:
(1)
Domestic arts, particularly of Monroe County, with particular emphasis
upon furniture, furnishings, clothing, utensils, toys and personal
effects (especially in the Miller-Fiege Home);
(2)
Educational items, including books used in or with contents about
country schools (especially in the Shoemaker School);
(3)
Business items, including objects used in commerce such as advertising,
calendars, and ledgers;
(4)
Government items used in operation of local governments or which
were produced under the auspices of local governments;
(5)
Military objects, such as weapons, uniforms and accessories, with
particular emphasis given to regional involvement in conflicts;
(6)
Farming, agricultural and industrial implements, machinery, tools
and memorabilia.
Library materials and museum objects must meet all of the following
tests of acquisition before being acquired by the City:
A.
The objects must be relevant to and consistent with the purposes
and activities of the City, as defined in the purpose statement above.
B.
The City can provide for the storage, protection and preservation
of the objects under conditions that ensure their availability for
museum purposes and in keeping with professionally accepted standards.
C.
All acquisitions shall be appropriate for research, comparison and
exhibit, and shall be of high quality as determined by the Library
Director, the Director of Community Development, other designated
City staff or consultants, if necessary.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
D.
Items will have permanency in the collections as long as they retain
their physical integrity, their identity, and their authenticity,
and/or as long as they remain useful for the purposes of the City
defined in the purpose statement above.
E.
The materials or objects must, as much as possible, be documented
as to origin or source and have a clear connection to Columbia or
Monroe County (even if only as a representative item).
F.
All moral, legal, and ethical implications of the acquisition must
have been considered.
G.
Acquisitions by purchase shall be made after proper financing has
been arranged.
H.
Deeds of gift shall be promptly registered upon receipt of all acquisitions.
I.
A separate file arranged by donors' surnames or other sources of
acquisition will be maintained under supervision of the Director of
Community Development (or his or her designee) and shall contain deeds
of gift.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
J.
All donations of materials are considered outright and unconditional
gifts to be used at the discretion of the City, and title to all objects
acquired shall be free and clear, without restriction to use or future
disposition.
K.
No appraisals shall be done by trustees, staff members, volunteers
or any other person closely associated with either, but staff may
render impartial assistance to donors seeking independent, qualified
appraisers.
L.
Documents, materials and objects relevant to Columbia and its citizens
may be acquired by purchase, commission, bequest, gift, exchange,
field collection, and/or abandonment. No materials or objects shall
be knowingly or willfully accepted or acquired which are known to
have been illegally collected in the United States contrary to federal
or state law, regulation, treaty, and/or convention.
M.
The City shall refuse to acquire documents, materials and objects
where there is cause to believe that the circumstances of their collection
involved needless destruction of historic sites, buildings, structures,
habitats, districts, and objects.
A.
Library. Authority to acquire library materials rests with the Library
Director within the confines of the collection policy. For the purpose
of purchase, authorization to acquire materials with a value of less
than $1,000 is delegated to the Director within annual budgets approved
by the library's Board of Directors. The purchase of materials having
an estimated market value of $1,000 or more shall be approved formally
by that Board of Directors prior to acceptance or purchase.
B.
Archives. Authority to acquire archival documents rests with the
Director of Community Development or his/her designee within the confines
of the collection policy. For the purpose of purchase, authorization
to acquire documents with a value of less than $1,000 is delegated
to the Director of Community Development or his/her designee within
annual budgets approved by the City Council. The purchase of materials
having an estimated market value of $1,000 or more shall be approved
formally by the City Administrator prior to acceptance or purchase.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
C.
Museums. Authority to acquire museum objects is delegated to the
Director of Community Development or his/her designee within the confines
of the collection policy. For the purpose of purchase, authorization
to acquire objects with a value less than $1,000 is delegated to the
Director of Community Development or his/her designee within annual
budgets approved by the City Council. The purchase of objects having
a value of $1,000 or more shall be approved formally by the City Administrator
prior to acceptance or purchase.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
D.
Under no circumstances will the Library Director, Director of Community
Development, or other City staff be authorized to:
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
(1)
Obligate the City to the acceptance of any material or object inconsistent
with the intent or spirit of the acquisitions policy;
(2)
Offer appraisals as to the monetary value of library materials, archival
documents or museum objects to donors or reveal the City's insurance
value for the purpose of establishing a fair market value of gifts
offered to the collection;
(3)
Appraise or otherwise place a monetary value on materials, documents
or objects casually brought to the library, archival center or museums
for examination.
E.
Donors desiring to take an income tax gift deduction must obtain
an independent appraisal from an authorized appraiser.
All materials and objects shall be processed under the following
procedures and policies:
A.
All museum objects shall be assigned accession numbers and shall
be indexed by category, date of acquisition, and by name, with suitable
cross referencing.
B.
Collection records, including source, location and subject, as well
as accession files and accession book shall be kept in accordance
with accepted professional standards. Duplicate copies of records
will be kept in a safe place off-site.
C.
Materials shall be stored in a manner to provide optimum security,
accessibility and preservation.
D.
Restoration shall be performed only by qualified professionals.
E.
Deeds of gift shall be made for all property received. A letter of
thanks to the donor with a copy of the deed of gift will serve as
the official receipt for the donor's purpose. Deeds of gift will set
forth an adequate description of the objects involved and the conditions
of transfer.
The deaccession process shall be cautious, deliberate, and scrupulous
in meeting the following criteria:
A.
The material, document or object is outside the scope of the purpose
of the collection and this collection policy.
B.
The material, document or object is irrelevant to the purpose of the collection, as defined in § 96-2.2, above.
C.
The material, document or object lacks physical integrity.
D.
The material, document or object has failed to retain its identity
or authenticity, or has been lost or stolen and remains lost for more
than two years.
E.
The material, document or object is duplicate and without intrinsic
value.
F.
The City is unable to preserve the material, document or object properly.
G.
The material, document or object has deteriorated beyond usefulness.
H.
The material, document or object has doubtful potential use in the
foreseeable future.
No accessioned materials, documents and/or objects shall be
removed from the City's collection and physically disposed of except
by strict conformity to the following rules:
A.
When the Library Director, Director of Community Development, or
their designee(s) deems it advisable to deaccession any object or
collection owned by or deposited with the museum and has determined
that the item proposed for deaccession is duplicative, superfluous,
deteriorated, incompatible or otherwise found to be disposable, a
deaccession recommendation shall be prepared.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
B.
Upon the approval of a simple majority of the City Council present
at a regular or special meeting, the items may be deaccessioned and
the minutes shall reflect that decision.
C.
If the deaccessioned material was donated to the City, consideration
may first be given to return to the donor; second consideration will
be given to placing the object, through gift, exchange, or sale, in
another tax-exempt educational institution, and deaccessioned objects
not disposed of in either of these manners will only be sold in a
manner that will protect the interests, objectives and legal status
of the City.
D.
The City does not sanction the sale or gift of deaccessioned objects
to its employees, officers or trustees.
E.
In compliance with the U.S. Tax Reform Act of 1984 and IRS regulations,
no donated object shall be deaccessioned for any reason for two years
after the date of its acquisition.
F.
Funds received from the sale of deaccessioned objects from the collection
will be used only to benefit the collection; proceeds may not be used
for general operating expenses.
A.
The City of Columbia will accept loaned items usually for a period
of no more than six months. Special arrangements may be made for longer
term loans with written consent of the owner(s), who will carry sufficient
insurance on the term(s). Such loans will be renewed in writing annually.
If an item is left for more than 10 years without written renewal
from the owner(s) or successors or request for return of the item,
the City will consider the item(s) abandoned and will accession the
item(s) into the collection.
B.
The City believes that prehistoric and historic materials, documents
and/or objects should be used to advance knowledge and therefore should
be accessible to serious students and scholars for research purposes.
Access to an item(s) within the City's collection is secondary to
preservation of the collection; therefore, the primary concern in
making an item(s) available for examination and use will be the condition
of the item(s) and availability of other sources, copies or information.
C.
Excepting any item(s) in the Columbia Public Library, the following
procedures will govern access to the City's collection in storage:
(1)
The requesting student or scholar must submit a written request stating
the purpose of the research, the requestor's academic qualifications,
and anticipated use(s) of the research results.
(2)
The request will be approved or denied within 30 days by the Director
of Community Development or his/her designee; denial may be appealed
to the City Council.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
(3)
Requests to use historical documents and/or objects for profit-making
endeavors must negotiate a licensing agreement with the City Council
and adhere to all state and federal requirements for such endeavors,
including (but not limited to) recognition of copyrights.
(4)
No items from the collection may be removed from the premises without
express permission of the Director of Community Development or his/her
designee, and in accordance with this policy.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
