From: "Seymour, Janet I - WHS" <Janet.Seymour@wisconsinhistory.org> Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:00:37 -0500 Subject: FW: Museum artifact insurance Message-ID: <488E289A5C909049B0E55F6B651B5B35023402E8DA3F@MEWMAD0PC01G02.accounts.wistate.us>
Thanks for your comments and opinions on the insurance issue - the thread c
ertainly demonstrates the differing opinions that exist on this topic in th
e museum field.
Paul Bourcier, Chief Curator of the Wisconsin Historical Museum has an exce
llent recommendation for those who would like to learn more about legal iss
ues:
An excellent resource is Chapter XV of Marie Malaro's book," A Legal Primer
on Managing Museum Collections." This chapter discusses a museum's obliga
tion to insure, the role of insurance, and pointers in selecting a policy.
Malaro's book is a must-have for guidance on all kinds of legal issues fac
ing museums (although even the latest edition may not be totally up-to-date
).
Paul also reminds us, that while insurance is important, it's just one part
of risk management, and it's no substitute for loss prevention. Inventory
control, security measures, environmental controls, and proper collections
management procedures are essential. As always, a well-balanced and compre
hensive approach is important.
Thanks again,
Janet Seymour