Loan Requests

All outgoing loans from UNIM are made on a temporary basis, the term of which is not to exceed one year. The term will be predetermined by both parties and may be renewed yearly. Each loan request is judged on its own merits and the final decision to loan an item(s) is based on the following criteria:

• The condition of the item(s).
• Prior exhibit loan history.
• Number of items.
• The nature and length of the exhibition.
• The facilities of the borrowing institution.
• The anticipated need of the item(s) for the Museum’s own research or exhibition purposes.
• The complexity of installation and need for Museum staff to be present and able to travel.

All loans shall be subject to the following regulations, and no loans shall be made where these are not adhered to:

• Borrowers must arrange and pay for shipping/transport in both directions, by methods approved by the UNIM.
• Objects placed on public exhibition must be in locked or secured cases, or displayed in a way that provides maximum security for large objects that don’t fit in a case.
• Only adequately trained personnel shall be permitted to handle, move, or pack objects.
• The borrower shall exercise care at all times to ensure safe handling and keeping of objects. As much care must be taken in installing and dismantling exhibits in which objects appear.
• No objects may be cleaned, repaired, altered, embellished, modified, or dismantled in any way without written permission of the UNIM. No pins, nails, or other supports may be used that leave any marks or evidence of use on an object.
• The borrower shall protect the loan from all causes of degradation such as airborne dust and dirt, improper levels of light and ultraviolet radiation, harmful gases, improper levels of relative humidity and temperatures, damaging organisms (vermin, insects, bacteria, and mold), fire, theft, and vandalism. The borrower shall be responsible for any and all loss or damage to the property of the UNIM that is in the custody and control of the borrower.
• Any damages, whether in transit or on the borrower’s premises and regardless of who may be responsible, shall be reported immediately to the UNIM. The condition of objects will be recorded by the UNIM upon receiving and before returning borrowed objects.
• Borrowed objects may not be used for any commercial purpose without written permission from UNIM.
• No objects may be re-loaned by a borrower without permission of UNIM.
• If the UNIM chooses to terminate the loan agreement prior to the specified expiration, 15 days written notice to the borrower shall be given, and the borrower shall return the requested materials.
• Packing for return shipping must be in the same manner as, equivalent to, or better than the original packing
• UNIM may require that loans  be accompanied by an UNIM staff member both outgoing and incoming, and that unpacking, mounting, dismounting, and repacking be done under supervision of a staff member of the UNIM, at borrower’s expense.
• UNIM reserves the right to ask a per item loan fee commensurate with the cost of preparing and providing objects from its collection for the loan, as well as conserving objects loaned. In each such case, the fee shall be part of the loan agreement.
• Objects must use the following required credit line “On loan from the University of Northern Iowa Museum” OR “On loan from the Center for Rural Schools, UNI Museum”