National Lending Service
The National Lending Service was established to make the collections of the National Gallery of Art accessible to museums throughout the United States. This is accomplished through the circulation of traveling exhibitions of works from the Gallery's collection and through extended loans of individual objects for display with qualifying museums' permanent collections.

Sample Art Loan form

Art Loans
Professor Norman Palmer Rowe & Maw Professor of Commercial Law, Faculty of Laws, University College London, UK It is over twenty years since the General Conference of UNESCO called on the nations of the world to adopt more effective legal initiatives for promoting all forms of exchange of cultural objects including loans and exhibitions. The aim of this unique new work is to examine how those nations have responded to the challenge and to give a detailed analysis of the legal and practical mechanics of art lending. Drawing on four yearsí research and an unrivalled knowledge of the common law of personal property, the author explores the pitfalls which lurk within every art loan, charts the modern trend towards uniformisation and seeks to assess the place of the modern art loan as a medium of cultural exchange. Both domestic and international art lending are covered and full treatment is given to international touring exhibitions.

The Denney Story and what went wrong with a multi million art loan

Loan Records (Incoming loans)

What form should incoming loan records take?

• Many loans (for example, of low-value items for relatively short periods of time) will be fairly straightforward and may only need entry and exit records. Others may require more detailed records, especially if insurance and transport, etc have to be arranged. Whatever form, or forms, of records your museum adopts, the procedure for incoming loans should:

  • Enable at least the same care of the borrowed object as if it were part of the permanent collections
  • Include written agreements signed by both borrower and lender before the loan commences
  • Ensure that all loans are for fixed periods
  • Ensure a written record of the loan is retained
  • Enable effective control of the loan process
  • Enable the provision of information about the borrower and the loan as requested by the lender
  • Provide insurance cover for the loan period
  • Ensure that up-to-date information about the location, security and physical well-being of borrowed objects is maintained
  
  

• All correspondence and additional information about the loan should be maintained on a related file, accessible at least by lender name.

What policy decisions are needed?

• The reasons why your museum might want to borrow objects
• The conditions your museum will observe
• The minimum and maximum length of a loan period
• The way in which loans should be authorised
• Steps for dealing with loaned objects for which the original lender cannot be contacted or who has died

Before the loan begins

• Loan requests must be in writing and should be submitted as far in advance of the loan as possible. Include the following information:

  • Date of proposed loan
  • Venue(s) for proposed loan
  • Purpose of proposed loan
  • Borrower's name (and contact name)
  • Object number of requested object(s)
  • Brief descriptions of requested object(s)
  • A statement of insurance arrangements which would be made
  
  

• A loan must be for a finite period and should not be 'permanent', although there may be an option for renewal at the end of a loan period.

• If the lender agrees to consider the loan, provide information about the venue facilities as required.

• When the lender has agreed in principle to the loan, request further details of the objects and record them on the related file. Include the following for each object:

  • Name and address of owner
  • Object valuation
  • Condition
  • Display recommendations
  • Environmental recommendations
  • Handling recommendations
  • Dimensions
  • Photographs for research
  • Additional descriptive and historical information as required
  
  

• Finalise the conditions of loan and record all decisions on the related file. Include the following as appropriate:

  • Insurance requirements
  • Terms of reproduction
  • Packing requirements, transport, courier and other shipping requirements
  • Additional terms and conditions as agreed with the lender, including costs and the method of acknowledgement for labels, etc.
  
  

• When the loan is confirmed, appropriate agreement(s) must be signed by lender and borrower. The agreement(s) should refer to all conditions for the loan. If both lender and borrower are happy to do so, one agreement may be signed by both parties. However, each party may have their own standard agreement for signature by the other party, in which case care should be taken to ensure that the two agreements are not contradictory. Refer to your institution's normal source of legal advice if you are in doubt about the content of any loan agreement.

• Provide the lender with documentary evidence of insurance or indemnity once the exact period of loan has been agreed, including transit. Ensure also that the appropriate licences have been obtained, e.g. for working objects.

Receipt of the loan

• Complete entry documentation on arrival.

• Unpack object and make a condition report. Include a photograph where possible.

• Send a receipt to confirm safe arrival of the object and retain a copy.

• Assign a unique number, normally the Entry number, to each object or group of objects. Record the number assigned in the loan documentation.

• Record and maintain location information.

• Ensure that insurance cover is active at the time of receipt if required.

Monitoring the loan

• Monitor the loan and its condition and environment, providing access to the lender if requested. Provide condition reports as required. Report any changed circumstances, (e.g. damage) even if objects on loan are not directly affected (e.g. attempted theft of other loaned objects)

Extending the loan

• In the case of a loan which is to be renewed, apply as required for an extension of the loan period. Revise the insurance cover and status of the loan as required under the terms of the loan agreement and the terms of insurance.

Return and closure

• Arrange for the return of the loan, and confirm packing, transport and receipt arrangements as agreed. If the loan dates are being changed, ensure that the lender is consulted as early as possible before renewal or early return of the loan.

• If the owner has died since the object was received contact the executor. If current legal ownership of the object is in any doubt, and/or authorised signatures are not obtainable, seek professional legal advice.

• Complete a final condition report, taking photographs if required.

• Ensure that the removal of the object has been authorised and check the details of the receiving shipper before despatch. Prepare receipts for signature by the lender and their agent. Despatch the object.

• Update insurance/indemnity and inventory information.

• Obtain confirmation from shippers that all objects have been returned.

• Obtain and retain written confirmation from lenders that objects have been received in a satisfactory state. Follow up any action that may be required, e.g. insurance or indemnity claims.

• Ensure that all costs have been paid.

• Maintain documentation of the loan as a permanent record.

Sources of advice and help

• This is adapted from SPECTRUM: The UK Museum Documentation Standard (Procedure 2, 'Loans in'). Cambridge: MDA, 1994.

• SPECTRUM also contains guidelines for documenting outgoing loans (Procedure 17, 'Loans out').

• MDA Outreach is grant-funded to provide a range of impartial advice and training on all aspects of museum documentation.