Standards to determine when a repository possesses the capability to provide adequate long-term curatorial services.
36 C.F.R. § 79.9
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01The Federal Agency Official shall determine that a repository has the capability to provide adequate long-term curatorial services when the repository is able to:
(a) Accession, label, catalog, store, maintain, inventory and conserve the particular collection on a long-term basis using professional museum and archival practices; and
(b) Comply with the following, as appropriate to the nature and consent of the collection;
(1) Maintain complete and accurate records of the collection, including:
(i) Records on acquisitions;
(ii) Catalog and artifact inventory lists;
(iii) Descriptive information, including field notes, site forms and reports;
(iv) Photographs, negatives and slides;
(v) Locational information, including maps;
(vi) Information on the condition of the collection, including any completed conservation treatments;
(vii) Approved loans and other uses;
(viii) Inventory and inspection records, including any environmental monitoring records;
(ix) Records on lost, deteriorated, damaged or destroyed Government property; and
(x) Records on any deaccessions and subsequent transfers, repatriations or discards, as approved by the Federal Agency Official;
(2) Dedicate the requisite facilities, equipment and space in the physical plant to properly store, study and conserve the collection. Space used for storage, study, conservation and, if exhibited, any exhibition must not be used for non-curatorial purposes that would endanger or damage the collection;
(3) Keep the collection under physically secure conditions within storage, laboratory, study and any exhibition areas by:
(i) Having the physical plant meet local electrical, fire, building, health and safety codes;
(ii) Having an appropriate and operational fire detection and suppression system;
(iii) Having an appropriate and operational intrusion detection and deterrent system;
(iv) Having an adequate emergency management plan that establishes procedures for responding to fires, floods, natural disasters, civil unrest, acts of violence, structural failures and failures of mechanical systems within the physical plant;
(v) Providing fragile or valuable items in a collection with additional security such as locking the items in a safe, vault or museum specimen cabinet, as appropriate;
(vi) Limiting and controlling access to keys, the collection and the physical plant; and
(vii) Inspecting the physical plant in accordance with § 79.11 of this part for possible security weaknesses and environmental control problems, and taking necessary actions to maintain the integrity of the collection;
(4) Require staff and any consultants who are responsible for managing and preserving the collection to be qualified museum professionals;
(5) Handle, store, clean, conserve and, if exhibited, exhibit the collection in a manner that:
(i) Is appropriate to the nature of the material remains and associated records;
(ii) Protects them from breakage and possible deterioration from adverse temperature and relative humidity, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, dust, soot, gases, mold, fungus, insects, rodents and general neglect; and
(iii) Preserves data that may be studied in future laboratory analyses. When material remains in a collection are to be treated with chemical solutions or preservatives that will permanently alter the remains, when possible, retain untreated representative samples of each affected artifact type, environmental specimen or other category of material remains to be treated. Untreated samples should not be stabilized or conserved beyond dry brushing;
(6) Store site forms, field notes, artifacts inventory lists, computer disks and tapes, catalog forms and a copy of the final report in a manner that will protect them from theft and fire such as:
(i) Storing the records in an appropriate insulated, fire resistant, locking cabinet, safe, vault or other container, or in a location with a fire suppression system;
(ii) Storing a duplicate set of records in a separate location; or
(iii) Ensuring that records are maintained and accessible through another party. For example, copies of final reports and site forms frequently are maintained by the State Historic Preservation Officer, the State Archeologist or the State museum or university. The Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Indian tribal museum ordinarily maintain records on collections recovered from sites located on Indian lands. The National Technical Information Service and the Defense Technical Information Service maintain copies of final reports that have been deposited by Federal agencies. The National Archeological Database maintains summary information on archeological reports and projects, including information on the location of those reports.
(7) Inspect the collection in accordance with § 79.11 of this part for possible deterioration and damage, and perform only those actions as are absolutely necessary to stabilize the collection and rid it of any agents of deterioration;
(8) Conduct inventories in accordance with § 79.11 of this part to verify the location of the material remains, associated records and any other Federal personal property that is furnished to the repository; and
(9) Provide access to the collection in accordance with § 79.10 of this part.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-36.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026