The focus of this problem for you, I believe, is ownership.  By “accessioned,” you obviously

mean that somewhere somehow the item was formally acquired, but you don’t have any

paperwork, index to old numbers, etc.    Our University acquired a former “museum” of a

local collector by gift of the collector.   Almost immediately people began contacting us

either asking us to check to see if the collector had a xxxx family Bible, and other items,

and alleging that these had been loaned to him and they wanted the items back.

 

Because the “collector” did not keep a good system of paperwork for the materials, our

attorneys took the position that it was up to a claimant to prove the item was a loan or how

it had come into the University’s possession.   That sounds harsh ethically, but clearly the

only way to prevent or halt multiple false claims.

 

I suspect you will have to keep a similar position.   In short, no, you can’t just assume that the

items are yours, that there may arrive claims to items.   I would carefully in the files and paperwork

document these….I use a phrase “found in backlog” to mean items that I’ve found from my

predecessor for which there are no documentation for how acquired.    The likelihood of anyone

ever claiming these is very very remote, but I’d rather err in the paperwork to leave a current

trail than just assume these are ours period.

 

Dean