COLLECTIONS POLICY To request an official
copy of this policy, contact: Phone: 416-978-6576 Preamble In its role as a public teaching and research
university, the For the purposes of this Policy, the following
definitions apply: “Accessioning” and to “Accession”
means the decision to assemble a Collection. “Administrator” means the head of the academic division that has or
is proposed to have care and control of a Collection, or his or her
delegate. In the case of a Collection
held or proposed to be held by the University’s central administration,
the responsible Vice-President, or his or her delegate, shall normally be the
Administrator. “Collections” means sets of objects or materials, living or
non-living, and associated documentation that the University has decided to assemble,
safeguard and share for scholarly purposes, but does not include any:
“De-Accessioning” and to “De-Accession”
means the decision to disassemble a Collection, in whole or in part. “Monitor” means an administrative staff member or faculty
member appointed by the Administrator to oversee a Collection. In the case of a Collection held by an
academic division, the Monitor shall normally be the chair of the department
in which the Collection is held. “Use” means any use of a Collection or any part thereof,
including for research, teaching, display, access, and commercial purposes. 2. Principles Before Accessioning, the University shall make
reasonable efforts to satisfy itself that it has the
legal authority to Accession and to Use the items that will form the
Collection. It shall also satisfy
itself that it has, and will continue to have in the foreseeable future, the
financial, space and personnel resources to maintain the Collection and Use
it in a safe, lawful and appropriate manner and, at the relevant time if
appropriate, to De-Accession. Accessioning and De-Accessioning decisions of the
University shall be made by the Administrator and shall be recorded in
writing. The contents of each Collection, as it is
Accessioned, shall be identified in an inventory which shall be maintained
and updated as required. Each Collection shall be maintained and Used in a
manner that fulfils the requirements of the University’s relevant
policies and procedures, any applicable legal or contractual requirements,
and any applicable requirements of donors or sponsors of research. Each Collection shall be maintained and Used in a
manner that facilitates access consistent with academic freedom, subject to
such considerations as preservation, cultural sensitivity, and any of the
requirements referred to in the preceding paragraph. 3. Monitoring To ensure that, to the best of its ability,
Collections are Accessioned, Used and De-Accessioned in accordance with the
foregoing principles, the University shall appoint
such Monitors as it sees fit, such appointment being made by the Administrator. Each Collection shall be overseen by a
Monitor, who may be appointed with respect to multiple Collections. 4. Pre-Existing
Collections Items may exist that otherwise would meet the
definition of a Collection but have not been the subject of a formal decision
to Accession. Such items shall
nonetheless be maintained and used in accordance with the University’s
relevant policies and procedures, any applicable legal or contractual
requirements, and any applicable requirements of donors or sponsors of
research. The individual who has
collected the items may propose to the Administrator that they be treated as
a Collection by the University. If the
Administrator decides to Accession the items, the provisions of this Policy
shall apply. 5. Procedures The Vice-President and Provost and the
Vice-President, Research, or their delegates, are authorized to issue
procedures under this Policy to provide practical guidance with respect to
Collections, and to encourage best practices and compliance with applicable
regulatory frameworks. Notwithstanding
anything in this Policy or any procedures issued hereunder, any guidelines or
procedures established prior to the date fixed for implementation of this
Policy shall remain in effect. |