Smoky Hill Museum Director Walks Arts Commission Through Collections and Deaccession Process

Susan Hawksworth, director of the Smoky Hill Museum, walked the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission through the museum's collections process during its October 21 meeting, prompted by a collections committee report included in the meeting packet.

Hawksworth explained that donated items go through a collections committee comprised of two collection staff members, curator of collections and research Jennifer Toelle and registrar Margaret Von Spreecken, along with two Friends members and a community member at large. Items are given a temporary receipt, and the museum does not own an item until the committee accepts it and a deed of gift is returned. She said that under the Kansas Museum Property Act, items can be designated museum property after seven years if the deed of gift is not returned, though the museum typically waits about 10 years.

She described the deaccession process for permanently removing items from the collection, noting the main reasons are items that do not meet the museum's scope — connection to Salina and Saline County — poor condition, or damage to other items. She said items cannot be transferred to employees, commissioners, Friends members, or their relatives, and cannot be sold. Instead, usable items may be transferred to other museums, nonprofits, educational institutions, or the museum's education collection.

Hawksworth said the museum holds around 38,000 artifacts, primarily physical, and that space and resources for proper care are becoming limited. She noted that some items being deaccessioned, including Asian artwork, are being considered for transfer to KU for possible conservation use. Staff said some older acquisitions came in from the Salina Public Library and a predecessor historical museum that did not follow the same standards, and that professional staff are reviewing their relevance.