Artifact Donation - Museum of Danish America Skip to content Artifact Donation Donations to the Collection The Museum of Danish America invites individuals to contribute to its mission of preserving Danish-American heritage through artifact donations. Donated items are evaluated monthly by the Collections Review Committee, considering their relevance to the museum’s mission, historical documentation, and uniqueness within the existing collection. Accepted donations become unconditional and unrestricted gifts, enriching the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs. Any unsolicited material may be returned at the sender’s expense. Artifacts Archives Library If you wish to donate an artifact or a collection of artifacts, please email the museum’s registrar , who is responsible for the museum’s collections. We request that you include pictures of the artifact(s), any history of the objects, and history of the family the artifacts are related. The information will then be taken by the registrar to the monthly Collections Review Committee which will review information given. The Collections Review Committee will then consider the new donation offer. The Committee evaluates them based on their connection to our mission, whether there is significant documentation and history for the artifact, and whether the piece is a duplicate of something we already have in our collections. Other criteria specific to each donation are also considered. If the Committee decides to go forward with the donation, the registrar will contact the donor and give them a Temporary Artifact Receipt which must be filled out and sent with the donation when it is brought to or mailed to the museum. This does not transfer ownership to the museum but gives us permission to consider the gift for the collection. Once the donation and the filled-out receipt arrive at the museum, the Collections Review Committee will review the donation at the following meeting and make the final decision on whether to bring the donation into the museum’s collection. If accepted, the registrar will send the donor a Deed of Gift to sign, thereby transferring ownership to the museum and completing the donation. All donations are unconditional and unrestricted gifts to the museum. For more information about our procedures, you may: Read the museum’s current Collections Management Policy for the requirements and guidelines the museum follows in relation to its artifact collections. This policy is approved by the Board of Directors. Email the Registrar or call the museum and ask to speak with staff about our collections. Donations to the museum’s artifact collections follow a very specific process which is in accordance with standards and guidelines supported by the American Alliance of Museums. The museum accepts archival donations that align with our mission to document, preserve, and interpret Danish-American history and culture. Donations may include, but are not limited to, photographs, letters, documents, manuscripts, personal papers, and other related materials. The primary collecting goal of the museum is to build our artifact collection. Archival materials are accepted occasionally when they can be added to an existing collection or enhance the ability to tell the story of an artifact. For offers of archival material to the collections, please send an email to the Archives Manager with photos attached. To expedite the process, please include detailed provenance (anecdotal or historic information) about how these items were used by yourself or your ancestors. The Genealogy Center functions as the Museum of Danish America’s research library. Our library collection includes a wide variety of books and print material pertaining to Danish immigrants, their families and descendants, Danish-American communities, churches and institutions, as well as background information on immigration and Danish local and national history and culture. Most of the Genealogy Center collection has been donated to the museum. Although we cannot accept everything offered, we do appreciate offers of books and other print materials. Please with a list of potential donations prior to sending us any materials. When unsolicited material is received that duplicates or falls outside the Center’s collection policy, an effort is made to find an appropriate home for it elsewhere. Other institutions with substantial holdings of Danish materials include The Danish American Archive & Library in Blair, Nebraska, and The Danish Immigrant Archive at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. If you have questions about books, genealogical or other print materials you would like to donate, please contact the Genealogy Center Manager . For pre-arranged donations, the Genealogy Center Donation Form may be printed for inclusion with the materials.