Hefner Museum of Natural History Loan Policy

The Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University maintains diverse collections used for teaching, research, exhibition, and outreach.  Broad access to the Hefner Museum’s collections is integral to its mission of engaging all disciplines, but must be balanced with the institution’s stewardship responsibilities to safeguard these irreplaceable records of biodiversity and ecology.

A. Access to Collections Facilities

Access to the museum’s collection is offered by appointment for research and study.  Access may also be provided in the form of group tours.  Requests for tours will be considered on a case-by-case-basis and are dependent on staff availability.

B. Safety

Biological materials are subject to degradation and damage.  As such, a wide range of preservation methods have been used over time, many of which include chemicals of relative toxicity.  Though we have surveyed for and removed or isolated specimens with acute toxins (e.g. arsenic), the potential presence of historic toxins is inherent to such collections.  Similarly, some specimens may include protective substances (e.g. urticating hairs, spines, venom) that pose some degree of risk.  Other specimens are simply heavy.

In all cases, anyone accessing the collections, specimens, or other museum objects is instructed to refrain for touching specimens unless invited by staff.  Researchers will discuss specimen interaction methods and risks, hazard mitigation and personal protective equipment prior to accessing specimens

C. Sensitive Content

Many of the Hefner Museum’s specimens were collected throughout the 1900s by a wide range of people.  Inherent to historic materials are remnants of historic practices, ideas, and terms that do not reflect current practices.  Anyone using the collections should be aware of the potential for sensitive content, such as historic concepts, explicit content, and sensitive terms and names.

The presence of these sociological artifacts is a good reminder that the study of natural history is not removed from social prejudices throughout history. This also presents the opportunity for discussions, held in context and when people are prepared to address such issues. The Hefner Museum is committed to working with staff, communities, and peer institutions to assess and update descriptions that are harmful and to establish standards and policies to prevent future harmful language in Museum-generated content.

D. Collections Data Licensing

Raw data pertaining to objects in the collection are largely of a factual nature, which are not copyrightable, including taxonomy or nomenclature, collecting/creation locality and date information, sex, preparation methods, and collector or creator. As such, factual data should be published under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to facilitate broad use whenever feasible. 

Collections data should be managed following the F.A.I.R. principles of findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability. Data should be standardized so as to be readily incorporated into research. It should be as complete, discoverable, and accessible as possible and appropriate. In an effort to protect sensitive species, excavation and heritage sites, or to protect the privacy of individuals, the Hefner Museum reserves the right to keep confidential some types of information held in its records.

We request that all works benefitting from use of specimens or their data held by the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University acknowledge the institution and that copies of the final publication or product are provided to the Museum.  Such acknowledgment is critical to us and all collecting institutions to demonstrate the value of maintaining museum collections

E. Denial of Access

Staff have the right to deny access to parties who are found using or planning to use the collection in a manner that does not conform to Hefner Museum policies. Such reasons include but are not limited to:

• Excessive costs to the Hefner Museum, including staff time;
• Compromised security of the collections and/ or facility;
• Unauthorized destructive sampling;
• Mishandling, misusing or otherwise damaging the integrity of a specimen specimens;
• Falsification of credentials, project goals, disruptive conduct, or criminal activity.

F. Loans

Many materials from the collection may be loaned, especially for teaching, research, exhibition, and outreach.  Not all specimens are available to loan and not all loanable specimens are available for all purposes.

All outgoing loans are subject to the following terms:

• Requests for loans must be made in writing with sufficient advance notice (minimum 10 days) for Collections staff to assess and process the loan request before the requested start date.
• Loan requests must outline the intended use and care of the objects, including elements such as responsible party, specimen protection and storage measures, shipping methods, intended audience, and other information.
• Collections staff will evaluate each loan request to ascertain the availability, suitability, and condition of the requested materials as well as the intended display and security of the materials while on loan.
• The loan period may not exceed one year from the date of transfer. Loans can be extended or renewed beyond the initial year deadline, but requests made must be made in writing, updated loan forms must be signed, and the condition of the loaned materials reviewed
• The object may not be altered in any way, even temporarily, without the approval of Collections staff. This includes but is not limited to: removal of specimens or artifacts from original mounts or bases; removal of specimen tags; destructive analysis; cleaning, retouching, repairs, or conservation.
• The Borrower assumes liability for loss, theft, or damage that occurs to the specimen during the period of the loan. For these purposes, all specimens have an assigned minimum value of $1,000 each.  Preparation method, rarity, and other factors will increase this value significantly.
• Objects on loan shall be given special care at all times to insure against loss, theft, damage, deterioration, and unnecessary touching. The Borrower shall exercise reasonable efforts to protect objects on loan from fire, smoke, and water damage; extreme temperature and humidity and excessive light; pests, dirt, food, and other pollutants. Objects must be handled only by experienced personnel and be secured from physical damage and theft. If damage or a condition change occurs to an object while on loan, Collections staff are to be notified immediately.
• Loaned objects are not transferable to another party or institution.
• Shipping methods are to be approved by Collections staff. All shipping and associated costs (e.g. insurance, packing materials, staff time for packing, etc.) are the responsibility of the Borrower, will be paid prior to transfer, and are non-refundable.
• Loaned materials are to be returned in their original shipping containers.
• Institutional credit for collections or their data should be given to The Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University. Relevant identifiers, such as catalog numbers, titles, names, etc., should be included, as appropriate to facilitate future reference.  Copies of the final publication or product should be provided to the Museum. 
• Loans of rare specimens or endangered or threatened species, such as those identified by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, IUCN Red List, CITIES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), or other agencies, are made only in accordance with the relevant legislation and at the discretion of Collections staff.
• “Type” specimens and other unique specimens and objects are not available for loan but may be accessed through on-site visits or digital reproductions.
• Museum Discovery Trunks require a refundable $40 deposit in cash or check. Other non-institutional loans may require a deposit.
• Commercial loans will be charged an appropriate service fee.

 G. Destructive Sampling

The Hefner Museum’s legal, professional, and ethical obligation to maintain its collections for the public good extends even to destructive analysis. Specialized uses of museum materials for destructive analysis include genetic and geochemical analyses, and anatomical and histological studies. When destructive analysis is appropriate, every effort should be made to limit destruction to less than the entire specimen. Any remains should be returned so that they will continue to be available for research and education, as well as serve as a voucher of the specimen sampled.

In addition to the loan terms above, all destructive sampling requests are subject to the following terms:

• Requests for tissue samples from specimens for the purposes of destructive analysis are approved at the discretion of the Hefner Museum staff for use in scientific studies only. It is the policy of the Hefner Museum not to grant destructive analysis requests to individuals without an affiliation with a recognized institution. Both the institution and the individual working with the samples are charged with adherence to terms set by the Hefner Museum. Violation of these terms may result in the permanent loss of borrowing privileges.
• Requests must be submitted in writing and are reviewed and require approval by the Museum Director. Requests must include a “Description of Research” that includes a summary of the research project and reasons as to why physical samples of museum specimens for destructive analysis are needed. The request must include the preferred method by which a sample is obtained. In most cases, the researcher, with participation from Museum Collections staff, will collect samples unless other arrangements have been approved.
• Samples may not be given, transferred, or lent to a third party, including other researchers, without prior written approval of the Museum Director.
• Samples will be used only for the purposes stated in the “Description of Research.” The description may not be amended nor may the material be used for other purposes without the express written consent of the Museum Director
• No commercial use will be made of, nor license or patent applied for on the samples or any information or data derived from them, without written consent from the Hefner Museum. In many cases, commercial or restrictive use of the samples would violate terms of the permits under which they were collected.
• Specimens in the Hefner Museum’s collection are held in the public trust. Data resulting from the use of these specimens should be contributed to a publicly accessible genetics database, such as GenBank. Relevant identification numbers must be reported to the Museum. This data will be appended to the original specimen’s permanent data record.
• Unused portions of samples are to be returned to the Hefner Museum.

Please address loan requests to Steve Sullivan, Hefner Museum Director, at 513-529-4617 or sulliv55@miamioh.edu