(a) Purpose. The State Preservation Board sets as its
purpose to collect, preserve, protect, interpret, and maintain information
on original or period objects of historical significance to the Capitol
or the State of Texas, or appropriate to the early period of the Capitol's
history (circa 1880-1920). The board will encourage study of its collections
including publications concerning the objects, and will maintain the
highest ethical standards in its interpretation of the collection.
(b) Types of collections.
(1) It is recognized the Capitol is primarily a functioning
building and not a museum. As a historic structure it is appropriately
the repository for a limited number of original or period objects
of the highest quality and significance to the history of the building
or the State of Texas, or appropriate to the early period of the Capitol's
history (circa 1880-1920).
(2) Unlike museums, however, that are equipped and
designed to maintain secondary research or exchange collections, the
board will only maintain a primary Capitol collection including paintings,
furnishings, sculpture, decorative arts, and other related artifacts.
The board will acquire only artifacts that are appropriate to the
purpose of the Capitol collections policy. Objects that do not meet
the standards noted in paragraph (1) of this subsection may be referred
to other state or appropriate depositories.
(c) Methods of acquisition.
(1) The board shall acquire its collections through
purchase, gift, bequest, or any other transaction consistent with
applicable state or federal requirements by which title to objects
is transferred to the board.
(2) To the extent practicable, the board shall use
gifts of property made to the board for the purpose specified by the
grantor. The board may refuse a gift if in the board's judgment the
purpose specified by the grantor conflicts with the goal of preserving
the historic character of the buildings under the board's control.
The office of the State Preservation Board will report to the board
on new acquisitions and request the board's formal approval of the
acquisitions at each meeting of the board.
(3) The board may accept loans from individuals, institutions,
organizations, or foundations only if they enhance the purposes and
activities of the board. Loans will only be accepted for display or
use in buildings or on grounds which are under the jurisdiction of
the board. As a general rule, the board shall not approve the loan
of items from the Capitol collection.
(4) In addition, the board maintains the right to deaccession
items from the collection. Only material that is no longer considered
relevant or useful to the purposes of the board will be considered
for deaccessioning.
(5) To deviate from any of the policies will require
the approval of the executive director of the State Preservation Board,
curator of the Capitol, and the board.
(d) Care and documentation of collections.
(1) The curator of the Capitol is responsible for the
care of the collections. Appropriate maintenance, security, and conservation
procedures shall be developed and followed.
(2) Proper records on collected material, permanent
or loan, shall be maintained by the curator of the Capitol, and a
report to the board on the status of the collections will be made
as requested.
(e) Capitol collections management manual.
(1) A Capitol collections management manual in §111.18
of this title (relating to Capitol Collections Management Manual)
shall be developed by the curator of the Capitol to effectively carry
out the guidelines contained in the Capitol collections policy.
(2) The collections management manual shall expand
the contents of the collections policy by detailing specific procedures
for acquisitions, deaccessions, and loans. Complete accessioning,
cataloguing, care, and conservation procedures shall be outlined in
the manual.
(f) Standards of conduct, other Capitol collections
and related materials, revisions to the policy.
(1) As a general policy, all parties shall adhere to
the ethical guidelines recommended by the American Association of
Museums. No member of the board, the office of the State Preservation
Board, or any other individuals specified by the board shall personally
receive, directly or indirectly, any favor, promise, or thing of value
which could or appear to induce, discourage, or influence a recommendation,
decision, or action affecting accessions, deaccessions, loans, exhibitions,
or activities related to the Capitol collection. All parties shall
demonstrate a good faith effort to avoid even the appearance of a
conflict of interest.
(2) While the board does not have complete location
control over certain historical artifacts used in legislative members'
offices in the historic Capitol, all other aspects of the collections
policy and collections management manual apply to all such artifacts.
(3) Any revisions to the policy must be approved by
the office of the State Preservation Board, and the board.
(4) Upon recommendation of the curator of the Capitol
and the executive director of the State Preservation Board, the board
may approve exceptions to this policy.
(g) Items in the Capitol collection, unless on loan
or in storage as provided under this chapter, shall be located in
the Capitol, except that portraits originally identified with the
supreme court or the court of criminal appeals initially displayed
in the Capitol after 1915 shall be located, at the particular court's
discretion, in the present quarters of the court to which the item
is identified. An item located at the direction of a court remains
part of the Capitol collection and is subject to preservation and
protection by the board.
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