A donation is a legal process. It involves a legal transfer of title from you to the Northfield History Center. You may drop an item off, but there are no guarantees it will be returned to you if it is not added to the collection. All donors must fill out a donation form.

The museum has two main functions in regard to the collection. First, it preserves its donated items for perpetuity. Safe storage methods are used to make sure that what is donated today can be seen decades into the future. Secondly, it makes items available for research. The museum may use the item in an exhibit for a short time, but the item is always available for anyone to study even if the general public doesn’t see the item exhibited.

Items in the collection cannot be on exhibit forever. Exhibiting items inherently damages them, so periods of rest and rotation are necessary to extend the lifetime of the item. Once removed from an exhibit, items are returned to storage and are preserved, awaiting the next time they are needed in an exhibit.

Additionally, items on exhibit are still available for loans to other museums and for use in our programs. The item’s life does not end when it is no longer on exhibit to the public.

We do not want the public to donate items that are still important family pieces or that a family member will continue to treasure. Museum staff can work with you to figure out the best preservation plan for your item while it is still in your possession. If and when the time comes that the item is no longer cared for or your family no longer wants to keep it, please contact us to inquire about donating it. Many families find relief and take pride in the fact that their family items enter the public domain and will be preserved in a museum where all family members and generations to come will be able to enjoy them.

At the time of donation, legal possession of the item is transferred to Northfield History Center, which holds its items in the public trust. ‘In the public trust’ means that the public has ownership of the item as a significant piece of community history. The item no longer belongs to one person but to the entire community.

The short answer to this questions is that no, we do not take items on long-term loan. Our organization makes loans renewable each year so that items may appear to be at the museum long-term, but really the lender or the museum has the option to discontinue the loan at any time. Renewing the loan each year allows the museum and the lender to remain in contact and to respect wishes regarding changes in the loan or ownership during the loan period.

We do not accept short-term loan items without a specific and immediate need for the item (usually as it relates to an exhibit). Unsolicited queries regarding items that an individual wishes to see displayed but is not willing to donate will be declined. If you have something that you think would be of interest to the museum, please contact the museum and describe your item. We will note the information and your contact information and keep it on file for a future exhibit that your item may fit.