How do I donate artifacts or documents to the New Sharon Historical Committee?

Due to the volume of offers the New Sharon Historical Committee receives, it cannot accept donated materials unless you first submit a completed donation form online or send one by fax or regular mail. If you have artifacts or documents that you believe would add to the New Sharon Historical Committee’s collection please use this donation form to transmit a description of your proposed donation.
 

If you are unable to complete the online form, please call the New Sharon Historical Committee (New Sharon Town Office) at 207-778-4046 and request that a copy of the donation form be mailed to you. Please try to include a photograph and measurements of the object or document with your form. You may mail back your completed form to the address below or send it via fax.
 

Collection Donations
New Sharon Historical Committee
11 School Street, PO Box 7
New Sharon, ME 04955

207-778-4046
 

Once the form is received, your proposed donation will be assigned to a committee member who will evaluate it as a new addition to the collection and contact you within four weeks. You may also be contacted by volunteer members for additional information about your donation. If the committee chooses to accept your donation, the donated material will be recommended to the Board of Selectmen for consideration a regularly scheduled meeting. Following the meeting, a curator will contact you regarding next steps. If you have questions, concerns, or issues or you wish to check on the status of your proposed donation, please contact us.
 

Fill out our donation form online here.
 

Can I mail or drop off a donation?

The NSHC cannot accept unsolicited donations through the mail or in person without your submission of an Object Donation Form and follow-up communication from the NSHC staff.
 

How are potential donations reviewed?

Donation offers are reviewed first by the curatorial staff that makes recommendations to the NSHC’s Collection Steering Committee. The committee is made up of staff knowledgeable in both the scope of the NSHC’s collection as well as the conservation issues associated with artifact and document care.
 

The committee uses the criteria specified in the NSHC collecting scope, as well as its current collecting goals, to guide its decisions. It also takes into consideration the condition of the object and the availability of the NSHC resources required to store and care properly for the artifact or document as well as cataloging the material to make it accessible. The sensitive nature of materials or ownership of copyrights may also factor into acquisitions decisions.
 

How long does it take for the NSHC to review proposed donations?

Typically, the process takes about three months. If a curator accepts your donation, it will be submitted to the Collection Steering Committee, which meets monthly, to review donations proposed during the previous month. However, regular reviews may be postponed when staff time is otherwise committed to the development of exhibitions or special programs. If your proposed donation is accepted by the Collections Committee, you will be contacted by the curator to arrange to have the donated materials shipped, picked up, or dropped off at the NSHC. The final step is issuing a Deed of Gift for the donation, which legally transfers the property to the NSHC.
 

Will the NSHC appraise my donation for its monetary value?

The NSHC does not provide appraisals of the monetary value of materials proposed for donation or for any other reason because the Internal Revenue Service regards museums and libraries as interested parties. Monetary appraisals prepared for donors by such institutions are subject to question or disqualification.
 

However, professional appraisers will perform this service for a fee. To find a licensed appraiser in your area, contact one of the following organizations for a referral.
 

American Society of Appraisers
http://www.appraisers.org
 

International Society of Appraisers
http://www.isa-appraisers.org
 

Appraisers Association of America
http://www.appraisersassoc.org
 

Can I take a tax deduction for my donation?

The NSHC is recognized as a qualified charitable organization, thus the fair market value of your donated materials is generally tax deductible. To take advantage of your deduction, you must file tax form 1040 and, depending on the value of your donation, tax form 8283.
 

To ensure that you receive the maximum tax benefit, it is recommended that you consult with your own accountant, attorney, and/or the Internal Revenue Service. You may also consult Internal Revenue Service Publication No. 526, Charitable Contributions, and Publication No. 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property.
 

Will the NSHC exhibit the artifacts or documents in my donation?

The NSHC cannot guarantee that any objects or documents donated to its collection will be exhibited unless expressly collected for that purpose. Only a small fraction of the collection is on view at any given time. Documents are typically made accessible for research purposes in the ______________________________.
 

However, the NSHC does allocate a significant portion of its annual budget to maintaining optimal conditions in its storage areas and galleries to ensure the long-term preservation of all collection materials.
 

Objects from the collection may be loaned to other institutions for temporary exhibitions, and many artifacts and documents in the collection are made available for research purposes.
 

If I donate artifacts or documents to the NSHC, will they be returned to me at my request?

The NSHC cannot return accessioned collection materials to the donor. Once the Board of Selectmen approve and accept your donation as advised by the New Sharon Historical Committee, you will be asked to sign a Deed of Gift, which legally transfers ownership of the materials to the NSHC.
 

Can artifacts and documents be removed from the NSHC collection?

The NSHC may, with approval from the Board of Selectmen, remove objects and documents from the collection through a process called deaccessioning. Artifacts or documents that are damaged beyond repair, have a condition that puts other parts of the collection at risk, are duplicative of other items in the collection, or are outside the scope of the collection may be considered for deaccessioning. Deaccessioned material may be donated to another museum or cultural or educational organization, destroyed, or sold. Any proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned material are placed in a restricted collection acquisition fund.
 

Does the NSHC accept long-term loans?

The NSHC does not accept long-term loans. While it does accept loan materials on a short-term basis in conjunction with exhibitions and other programs, the NSHC prefers to commit its resources to the storage and preservation of materials in the collection.
 

How do researchers access artifacts and documents in the NSHC’s collection?

The NSHC makes most of the prints, photographs, archives, manuscripts, architectural drawings, published materials, paintings, sculpture, works-on-paper, costumes, textiles, and household and industrial objects in its collection available to the public for research through _____________________________.