Inter-Institutional Loans Seminar

This free Zoom seminar is aimed squarely at all the historical societies which are members of the RHSV. It is a very important seminar for those societies interested in building their capacity and adopting best practice in relation to their collection.

We have put together a stellar panel of experts who have been involved in both lending and borrowing items from their collections to other institutions.

• Annie Muir, Heritage Victoria. Annie is a Heritage Curator for Heritage Victoria’s Artefact and Research Centre. They look after all the objects found in archaeological digs and shipwrecks in Victoria. In recent years the RHSV has mounted two exhibitions with Annie’s help – one on the wreck of the Fiji and the other about objects related to childhood found in archaeological digs in Melbourne. 
• Sarah Haselton is the Senior Registrar Exhibitions and Loans, Collection Care at the State Library of Victoria. Through Sarah, the SLV recently borrowed material from the RHSV’s MacRobertson collection.
• Amanda Wild is the Exhibitions & Loans Conservator, Collections Care at the State Library of Victoria.
• Helen Stitt, Royal Historical Society of Victoria, will talk about her experience with collections like the large collection at RACV as well as what the RHSV looks for when we are asked to lend material to another institution.

The panellists will talk about exactly what their institution looks for when they are asked to lend items from their collection. They will also cover issues like how to approach an institution, the time-lines involved, permissions needed, paperwork to be signed off, transport of objects, conservation (incl climate control and lighting), security, insurance and potential costs. All institutions are different but there are lot of consistencies in the way they handle loans. It also works the other way – if your society is approached to lend an object from your collection, what should you be asking of the borrower?

Even if your society has no immediate plans to borrow or lend, this is an important seminar designed to show historical societies what they should be aiming for in terms of climate control, security, lighting etc