| RETURN TO > | Home Page | Overview | About Us Index |
To preserve and operate a wide range of machines and processes relating to the craft and business of printing, so providing an ambience in which persons with knowledge and experience of traditional aspects of the craft and its related skills will be motivated to retain their skills and pass them on.
The Museum's policy is to accept most items relating to the craft and business of printing. When funds permit, the items may be purchased and/or if necessary, transported at the Museum's expense.
However in many cases they cannot be accepted unless donated and transported at the donor's expense. Priority in the use of scarce funds will be for items of a kind which would not otherwise be likely to be available, and which are an important link in the development of a relevant process. Items may also be purchased if they are of practical value in the Museum's operations.
Items may be acquired as a long-term loan, either from an independent owner or another museum.
Duplicate items may be acquired if they will be of use in maintaining operations, or if needed to recreate the atmosphere of their original usage in which many such items were used together. Duplicates may also be acquired if they will be able to be traded with other organisations for alternative items.
Items not related to printing may be acquired if they relate to the Museum's ancilliary collections or may be of use in the operation of the Museum's activities.
The ancilliary collections are those approved by the Director and at present include office equipment and communications equipment.
When an item is being accepted as a donation, the donor is given advice of the Museum's policies about disposal of items and use of duplicate items for obtaining parts to maintain other items.
When an item is being accepted as a long-term loan, the lender and the Museum must agree on conditions of storage and the fate of the item when either party no longer requires it.