SFA Home / Policies

Stone Fort Museum Collections (F-25)

Original Implementation: April, 1982
Last Revision: July 10, 2007

The Stone Fort Museum selectively collects artifacts which the museum's curator determines are useful in interpreting the prehistory and history of East Texas prior to 1900 with special emphasis on the Spanish and Mexican periods beginning in 1690 with the establishment of the Spanish Mission Tejas and ending with the overthrow of the Mexican government in 1836 by Texas revolutionists.

Permanent Acquisition Policies

  1. The museum may add objects to the collection by means of gifts, bequests, purchases, exchanges or any other transactions by which title to the objects passes to the museum. Criterions for acceptance to the permanent collection are the following:
    1. Consistency with the museum's focus
    2. A clear title available from the source of acquisition
    3. Adequacy of documentation
    4. Acceptable condition
    5. Ability of the museum to care properly for and use the acquisition
    6. Research potential
    7. Educational, interpretive, and exhibit potential
    8. Intrinsic value possessing associations with important events or individuals, age, or typicality
  2. Donations of artifacts that meet the museum's collecting purposes are sought and encouraged. Potential donors must present evidence of clear, legal title to any gift, and must complete a "Gift Agreement" form for each donation. Items of questionable provenance or obtained through illicit trade shall not be acquired.
  3. In accepting all collections, regardless of the mode of acquisition, the museum seeks to acquire, in addition to property rights, any copyright, patent, and trademark that may legally restrict the museum's full use of the acquisition.
  4. All donations are tax deductible; however, the museum assumes no responsibility for evaluating donations.
  5. All donations become state property and therefore, must be outright and unconditional gifts to be used at the discretion of the museum under state laws regulating the use of state property.
    1. The museum must accept each gift without any condition that it be kept intact, that it be exhibited, either temporarily or permanently, or that the museum keep the gift permanently.
    2. The museum reserves the right to restore, reconstruct, refurbish or repair any part of any gift.
  6. The museum does not accept any gift it cannot use, but will assist prospective donors in finding an appropriate home for the object.
  7. In the event that a gift is tendered but not accepted by the museum, it must be removed from the Stone Fort Museum within thirty days of notification. All items not removed by this deadline shall automatically become the property of the museum and shall be subject to disposal.
  8. All gifts must be reported to the office of the vice president for development by completing a "Report of Gifts Received" form. (See Gift policy.)

Incoming Loan Policies

  1. Because of the expense involved in housing, handling, maintaining, insuring and exhibiting collections, the museum does not accept artifacts on loan for extended periods. Temporary loans are considered for special exhibits or programming, but only for assigned time periods. An "Incoming Loan Agreement" form must be completed prior to the loan of objects.
  2. All material loaned to the museum will be treated with care and will be subject to collections care procedures governing permanent collections.
  3. All loan items must be removed from the Stone Fort Museum on the date stated on the "Incoming Loan Agreement" form. All items not removed by thirty days from this deadline shall automatically become the property of the Stone Fort Museum and shall be subject to museum policies. Texas Property Code, Chapter 80, establishes the ownership for loaned cultural property that has been abandoned by the lender, establishes uniform procedures for the termination of loans of property to museums, allows museums to conserve loaned property under certain conditions, and limits actions to recover loaned property. Property on loan to a museum for 15 years or more and to which no person has made claim according to the records of the museum, is considered to be abandoned and becomes the property of the museum if the museum has given the lender notification and unless there is an unexpired loan agreement to the contrary.

Outgoing Loan Policies

  1. The museum loans collection material solely for educational or research purposes. Borrowed items remain the property of the museum and may not be claimed, mortgaged, loaned, assigned, used as collateral, or otherwise encumbered by the borrower. The borrower must complete an "Outgoing Loan Agreement" form.
  2. The borrower is prohibited from photographing or digitally recording objects on loan without written consent of the Stone Fort Museum, and any prints or digital recordings of the loaned material may not be published for any purposes beyond educational use without written consent of the Stone Fort Museum.
  3. Any and all use of the loan material will be credited to the Stone Fort Museum, Stephen F. Austin State University.
  4. The borrower will exercise all reasonable precautions to protect the loan from damage, loss, destruction, or alteration. The borrower may not glue, pin, punch, drill, tape, nail, tack, or otherwise violate the integrity of the loan, nor may the borrower clean, repair, retouch, or otherwise alter the loan.
  5. In the event of damage, loss, alteration, or any other change in the condition of the loan, the borrower must immediately notify the Stone Fort Museum in writing. Damage or loss in shipment must also be reported to the museum immediately.

Cross Reference: Texas Property Code, sec. 80.001 et seq.

Responsible for Implementation: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Contact For Revision: Curator of the Stone Fort Museum

Forms: Gift Agreement, Incoming Loan Agreement, Outgoing Loan Agreement (available in the Stone Fort Museum), Report of Gifts Received (available in the Office of Development)