One day you’re cleaning out your attic or your garage, and you find an antique. You want to make sure that it goes to a good home, so, you think, why not give it to a museum? Before you drop it off at the front desk of your local museum, however, make sure it’s the right museum for your object. Museums vary wildly in mission and scope, and both play a significant role in what objects a museum will accept into its collections.
A museum’s mission is a broad statement that guides all its actions. This statement informs a museum’s programs, exhibits, interpretation, and potentially whether a museum has collections at all. The scope is usually more collections-specific; it details the types of collections a museum already holds and its current collecting priorities. The scope can outline object types, i.e. textiles, furniture, or ceramics, or it can outline categories of collections, i.e. North Carolina history, 20th century art, or geological samples.
The best way to find out if your object fits is to do a little research. Look at the museum’s website – their mission statement, and sometimes scope, can be found there. If you cannot find that information on the website or if you want more information, then make a phone call, or send an email. Even if the person answering the phone can’t help you, they will probably be able to direct you to a staff member who can. Our missions and scopes mean that, unfortunately, we can’t accept every object that is offered to us. That doesn’t mean, however, that we won’t try to help you find the right home for your object. Museums exist to serve the public. We can’t do that without your input and contributions.
By Kayla Leonard, Registrar of Collections, Tryon Palace
Tryon Palace • 529 South Front Street • New Bern, NC 28562 • 252-639-3500 • www.tryonpalace.org