[BCMA] Looking for advice: private library collection donations

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

Hi Michael,

Ouf, I empathize with your situation.

It sounds like your peers think the entire collection tells a story that
should be kept together. However, I get the impression that the
collection's provenance is questionable.

Some things I am wondering about the collection: Do you know much about the
donor? Was it donated by a prominent community member? (Ie. someone with
specialist knowledge who utilized these books in their work.) Does removing
some titles negatively impact the context? Is the context known or just
assumed? Is the donor still alive and can they review it with you to
contextualize the seemingly irrelevant titles?

It's a complex issue, but I think you are right to turn to your collections
policy. Every item we accept into our collections requires time, space, and
materials - precious resources that ultimately cost money. If the material
does not fit the criteria laid out in your policy, is it a responsible
decision to retain it?

Best of luck,
Petra

On Wed, May 6, 2026 at 11:58 AM Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv <
listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca> wrote:

> Good morning BCMA colleagues,
>
> Sidney Museum has for a while now been tasked with processing a large
> collection of books, donated several years ago by a single donor that was
> evidently their personal library collection.
>
> We now need to decide how we want to approach dealing with this
> collection,which consists of at least ten bankers' boxes filled with books
> ranging from Canadian history to old Sears' sales catalogues. We don't have
> an abundance of available storage space, either in our museum or
> archives collections rooms. What's more, many of the books have no direct
> connection with our collecting mandate in and around the Saanich Peninsula.
> So, as per our Collections Policy, we don't have a concrete justification
> to accession them even if we did have ample room.
>
> There are some misgivings among our collections personnel on breaking up
> the collection (i.e. accessioning those that are relevant, and transferring
> the rest) vs. accessioning it all and then reviewing later.
>
> If anyone has run into a similar challenge and found a workable solution,
> I would love to hear from you!
>
> Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Best,
> Michael Goodchild
>
> --
> Michael Goodchild, BA, MMST.
> Executive Director,
> Sidney Museum & Archives
> He/His
>
> *Address*: 2423 Beacon Ave L-3, Sidney, BC V8L 1X5
> <https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sidney+Museum/@48.6487465,-123.3993606,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xb4d51ead688151b7?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjdsI_Wmav4AhUtD0QIHRhkAVYQ_BJ6BAhCEAU>
> *Tel*: 250-655-6355
> *Mobile*: 1-403-585-7938
> *Email*: director at sidneymuseum.ca
> *Web*: https://sidneymuseum.ca/
>
> *We respectfully acknowledge the Sidney Museum & Archives has been shaped
> by the colonial history of Canada, and is located in Sidney/SETINES on the
> traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ People, including the **BOḰEĆEN
> (Pauquachin), SȾÁ,UTW̱ (Tsawout), MÁLEXEŁ (Malahat), W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip)
> and W̱SÍḴEM (Tseycum) Firs*t Nations.* We understand that territory
> acknowledgment is just one part of Reconciliation, and the museum continues
> to work towards other ways that we can participate in Reconciliation
> alongside Indigenous communities.*
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-- 
Petra Höller (*They/She)*
Curator
Summerland Museum and Archives
(250) 494-9395
*curator@*summerlandmuseum.org <archives at summerlandmuseum.org>
The Summerland Museum and Archives respectfully acknowledges
that we are situated on the unceded and ancestral territory of the Syilx
Peoples.
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