Deaccessioning & Disposal

The Deaccession module manages the formal, legal removal of an object from your museum’s permanently accessioned collection.

Note: The ability to Deaccession items is heavily restricted. Only users with the deaccessions_create and deaccessions_approve permissions (typically Administrators or Senior Curators) can perform these actions.

Proposing a Deaccession

1. Navigate to Collections > Deaccessions in the sidebar.
2. Click New Deaccession.
3. Complete the form details:
   • Reference Number: A unique tracking number for this disposal action (e.g., D-2024-001).
   • Deaccession Date: The date the action is taking effect.
   • Disposal Method: How the items are leaving the collection (e.g., Return to Donor, Transfer to another institution, Destruction, Sale).
   • Reason: Detailed justification for the removal (e.g., Deteriorated beyond repair, Does not fit collection policy).
   • Authorized By: The governing body or individual who authorized the removal (e.g., Board of Trustees).
   • Status: Set to Proposed.
4. Click Create Deaccession.

Linking Items for Deaccession

Similar to Accessions, a Deaccession record groups multiple objects together.

1. Navigate to the Catalogue and find the item you wish to deaccession.
2. Click Edit Record.
3. In the administrative section, locate the Deaccession Link field.
4. Search for and select the Proposed Deaccession record you created.
5. Save the item.
6. The item will now display a permanent “Deaccessioned” status banner across the platform to warn staff.

Finalizing the Disposal

Once the physical objects have left the building (or been destroyed), update the Deaccession record:

1. Navigate to the Deaccession record.
2. Click Edit.
3. Change the Status to Disposed or Approved.
4. Add any final notes regarding the physical transfer or destruction.
5. Click Save Changes.

Items linked to a finalized Deaccession remain in the database for historical auditing and provenance tracking, but are visually flagged to indicate they are no longer part of the active, physical collection.