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Riley County Historical Museum to end collections moratorium May 1; intake process and criteria tightened
Summary
The Riley County Historical Museum said its collections moratorium — in place since May 8 — will end May 1; staff will require appointments for new donations, update intake forms and propose deaccession of items that do not meet collection criteria.
The Riley County Historical Museum told the commission April 10 that its collections moratorium (initiated May 8 of the previous year) will end May 1 and described a new, stricter intake process aimed at reducing a persistent backlog.
Museum Director Catherine Hensler said the museum will no longer accept unscheduled drop-offs. Donors must contact the museum first and staff will vet potential donations against published collection criteria; only items that meet the criteria will be scheduled for appointment-based drop-off. Hensler said the change is intended to prevent future backlogs and ensure staff can properly document and care for new accessions.
Hensler also said staff are reviewing roughly 3,200 books in the museum library and have identified approximately 906 volumes that likely do not meet the museum’s collections criteria; those items will be presented to the collections committee for possible deaccessioning. The museum will offer deaccessioned items to other institutions and, if no other institution accepts them, proceed with standard disposal or surplus procedures per policy.
The museum also plans to update donation, licensing and reproduction forms (some of which date to the 1990s) and will route revised forms through county counsel as part of the institutional review. Hensler said volunteer hours dipped in March and that field-trip season begins later in April, which will increase volunteer needs.
