Dorset County Museum

Dorset County Museum is fully and actively committed to giving access to its collections to as wide an audience as possible. Lending items for public exhibition and display as well as specific projects or research is one of the ways the Museum aims to achieve this.

Loan requests will be welcomed from:

• museums and galleries
• educational institutions
• public and charitable bodies, for use in specific buildings and sites where public access can be guaranteed
• commercial organisations, where and when appropriate, where public access can be guaranteed.

Loans are not made to private individuals.

All loans will be for a fixed period, preferably stated clearly by a prospective borrower in their initial request. The maximum period for any loan is 3 years. Loans may however be re-requested for an additional period subject to review.

Loan requests, particularly those for touring exhibitions or for large numbers of items, should be received as far in advance as possible, and no less than 9 months before the proposed commencement date of the loan. Requests should provide full details about the purpose of a loan or exhibition theme, explaining clearly how requested items fit into a proposed venue, display context or exhibition concept. Prospective borrowers should make as strong a case as possible for the loan of items.

Dorset County Museum charges £500 per venue, to cover the costs of materials used in the preparation of items for loan. This charge will normally be waived for UK institutions which themselves meet the preparation costs of items being loaned from their own collections. However a borrower will be asked to meet the costs of:

• transport of the loan
• packing materials
• the insurance of the loan
• courier costs, where required

Prospective borrowers are advised to download and consult a copy of our (Loans Policy) which outlines the criteria used in the approval process for the loan of objects and to discuss their request with the Museum prior to its submission.

For further details on borrowing from the collections at Dorset County Museum please contact:

Jon Murden
Executive Director
Dorset County Museum
High West Street
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 1XA

Tel: 01305 262735

Fax: 01305 257180

E-mail: jon@dorsetcountymuseum.org