Loan Procedures for Borrowers

Initiating a Loan Request

  • Initiate all loan requests at least one year prior to the start of the loan.
  • Submit all loan requests to the APS Registrar, Michael Miller, at [email protected].
  • The loan request email should include a formal letter of request, your current General Facility Report, and a draft loan agreement for incoming items, all in PDF format.
  • The formal letter of request must be on letterhead, addressed to the APS Registrar, and must contain the names of the requested item(s), reasoning for the request, exhibit dates, and requested loan period.
  • The loan agreement for incoming items will be revised and finalized through the steps described below, with a loan memo appended by the APS. 

Loan Request Review Process

Loan approval requires many steps before the loan agreement is signed. Loan review is not complete until all of the following steps have been completed successfully, and both the curator(s) for the materials and the Head of Conservation have approved the loan.

  • The Library Director or other designated administrators review the formal request letter for preliminary approval.
  • Conservation staff review the General Facility Report and ask for any needed clarification through the APS Registrar.
  • The condition of items requested for loan will be reviewed by the registrar, conservation staff, and APS Library & Museum curators, who will assess their availability during the loan period, physical and chemical stability, vulnerability to light exposure and handling, the duration of the loan, etc. 
  • Materials originating from Native American communities may require additional review and approval from the curator of Native American materials and the Indigenous communities from which the materials originated. Permit additional time for this process.
  • Materials appraised at $10,000 or more require additional approval from the APS Collections Committee.
  • APS collections staff will provide a loan agreement addendum stipulating the APS’s requirements for the loan, which may include any of the costs outlined below.

Requirements for Borrowers

Borrowers must cover all of the following costs associated with the loan:

  • Appraisal of the requested items for insurance purposes. (Items that are valued at $10,000 or higher must be approved for loan by the APS Collections Committee.)
  • The borrower must provide evidence of wall-to-wall insurance coverage for the requested item(s), in line with their appraised value. A certificate of insurance is required before the items requested for loan may leave the APS.
  • Any needed conservation treatment of the requested items, whether performed at the APS or by an outside vendor (typically the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, or CCAHA). An estimate for this work will be provided prior to treatment. Conservation treatment work done at the APS will be billed at $150/hour.
  • Any mounting and framing costs associated with preparing the item(s) for exhibition.
  • All transportation and courier costs associated with loan delivery/installation and de-installation/pickup.
  • The APS reserves the right to charge a loan fee of up to $250 per item.