Guidelines for Borrowing Materials for Exhibition

Mission Statement

Columbia University Libraries (CUL) recognizes the fundamental importance of original documents, artworks, historical artifacts, rare printed volumes, prints, and other primary sources to research and global intellectual exchange. A significant component of CUL’s continuing efforts to connect users with its important distinctive collections is by making works available as loans to exhibitions worldwide. In order for these cultural heritage holdings to be more widely disseminated among the broader academic community and interested public, it is the policy of CUL to lend material from its collections to exhibitions that demonstrate a commitment to an educational and scholarly mission.

General Guidance

CUL recognizes its fundamental role as caretaker of cultural artifacts in its collections, and will lend material only to institutions with facilities capable of exhibiting the items safely. A decision to lend will depend on several factors, including the condition and value of the object, its scholarly relevance to the exhibition and ongoing research, CUL’s ability to fulfill the request, and the facilities of the borrowing institution. CUL will enter into loan agreements only when the conditions set forth by the following guidelines are met satisfactorily.

In addition to the requirement to handle and exhibit the item(s) safely, the display of the object(s) on loan and any accompanying texts must not compromise the intellectual integrity of the objects. The loaned work(s) must be displayed in a manner that supports the educational and scholarly mission of CUL. The objects should be shown with accurate descriptive information that provides appropriate context for the intrinsic integrity of the objects and any associated cultural beliefs and practices of the objects and/or their makers. Please note that loans for personal or commercial reasons will generally not be approved.

Summary

  1. Initial inquiries for the loan of an item from CUL’s collection and describing the exhibition should be directed to the owning CUL repository and made well in advance of the beginning of the loan period, with enough time for the formal request letter to be submitted twelve (12) months in advance. Additional time may be required in the case of international loans, loans of significant numbers of objects, or loans of items requiring conservation treatment and/or special handling. Requests made with insufficient lead time for necessary loan processing may be declined.
  2. The owning CUL repository will provide you with a preliminary evaluation of the requested material and you will be notified of the timeline for submitting a formal request, and any special circumstances surrounding the request, such as anticipated conservation needs, complex mounting problems, unusual packing and shipping requirements, or restrictions on the loan of the requested item(s).
  3. Inquiries should be directed as follows:

Please note: If you intend to make a request from more than one Columbia University Libraries repository, please copy all of them on your inquiry to facilitate internal coordination.

To make a formal request to borrow an item or items for exhibition, please send a letter to the head of the relevant unit. The contacts listed above will provide you with the name and address of the appropriate person to whom to direct the formal request.

  1. The letter should be sent from the director (or highest officer) of the borrowing institution as early as possible, but at least twelve (12) months in advance of the loan period.
  2. The letter should include the most current information regarding the following:
    • title of exhibition
    • dates of exhibition
    • place of exhibition, including tour venues (if applicable)
    • complete identifying information [title or name and call number or accession number] of work(s) being requested; for bound materials, indicate page opening for display
    • description of intended display method (e.g.: vitrine, wall mounting, pedestal)
    • name(s) and contact details of exhibition curator(s)
    • description of the premise or purpose of the exhibition, including a statement of its educational or scholarly goals
    • information about catalog (general contents, name of publisher, etc.)
    • date work(s) needed for loan
    • assurance that all costs (loan fees, packing, shipping, insurance, etc.) will be paid by borrower
    • facilities report
  3. CUL issues its own loan agreement forms and does not sign other institutions’ loan agreement forms.  Please note that a signed loan agreement must be fully executed before the beginning of the loan period.
  4. Changes to the accepted checklist of loaned works will not be considered.
  1. A facilities report for the exhibition venue must be provided with the initial request; if the exhibit is to travel, include a separate report for each venue on the schedule.
  2. The American Association of Museums General Facilities Report is strongly preferred. The blank template for this document may be purchased through the AAM website.
  3. If a different facilities report format is used, it must provide detailed information on all topics listed under Appendix II, "AAM General Facility Report," in ACRL/RBMS Guidelines For Interlibrary And Exhibition Loan Of Special Collections Materials. (Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, Association of College and Research Libraries).
  4. An incomplete facilities report may delay the processing of a loan request, or cause the request to be declined.

The applicable library director or head of collection will evaluate the formal request. The work will be examined by a conservator to determine whether it can travel and be exhibited safely.  CUL will respond to the formal request within approximately sixty (60) days and if applicable the response will include any special terms that will apply to the loan (i.e. conservation, courier, etc.).

Administrative fee: $250 per item**
Additional venue fee: $250 additional per item per venue
Late request fee: Up to additional $250 per item
Cancellation fee: A flat cancellation fee of $250 per item plus reimbursement for all costs incurred by CUL at the time of cancellation
Mount fee: Based on the requirements of the item
Conservation fee: $150 per hour
Appraisal fee: Based on the requirements for the appraisal
Framing: Based on the requirements of the items, may include delivery charges

**Normally, CUL will not lend more than ten (10) items per exhibition.  In cases where it agrees to do so, a different fee structure may apply.

Please note that CUL does not maintain framing services.  If it is determined that a loaned work requires a frame, CUL will specify a frame from an art framing service of its choice and obtain an estimate for framing at the borrower’s expense.

The borrower is also responsible for the following fees and expenses:

  • All transportation costs, including packing and crating, freight, customs charges, and brokers' fees, as well as courier expenses, if applicable.
  • Any conservation treatment, framing, matting, or fabrication of custom mounts that may be necessary for the safe travel and exhibition of the item(s).  Framing and mount making will be carried out by CUL or their designate.
  • nsurance coverage of the loan material; a copy of the certificate of insurance must be provided prior to the loan.
  • Unless the requested item or items have been recently appraised, CUL will require an appraisal by an expert of CUL’s choosing, at the borrower’s expense.
  • Any photography necessary for the loan, including reproduction for publication, will be done by CUL before the loan at a per image fee. Additional information about reprographic services and fees. No photography by the borrower is permitted for publication, exhibition surrogates, publicity or commercial uses associated with the exhibition.

If CUL has agreed that the loan will proceed, the borrower must also submit, no later than 60 days before the opening of the exhibition, proposed exhibition design details, and any special installation needs, for all loaned works from CUL. These details must include, but are not limited to: arrangements of works on walls or in the gallery space, temporary walls. These must be approved by CUL before being considered final.

  1. Assumption of care:
    CUL expects the borrowing institution to adhere to its loan conditions and accepted professional standards at all stages of the exhibition process, including such matters as security, installation methods, and maintenance of proper environmental controls at all times. If the conditions outlined below cannot be maintained throughout the exhibition, the borrower must notify CUL promptly to discuss appropriate next steps.

  2. Insurance:
    CUL requires that the Borrower maintain commercial general liability, fine arts and (if applicable, automobile, workers compensation, employers liability) insurance policies with reputable insurers as stated in the Insurance section of the CUL Loan Agreement during the period of the loan.

    Borrower must insure objects loaned for exhibition during the period of the loan for the total value of the loaned work in U.S. dollars without any deductible stated on the face of the CUL Loan Agreement under an all risk fine arts including terrorism, wall to wall insurance policy, which may contain certain standard exclusions of loss or damage due to such causes as wear and tear, gradual deterioration, insects, inherent vice, war, hostilities, insurrection, nuclear reaction or radiation and for damage resulting from any authorized repairing, restoration or retouching process.

    All of Borrower’s insurance policies required in the CUL Loan Agreement, except workers compensation, must include The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, its trustees, officers, agents and employees as additional Insured and loss payee and shall include a waiver of subrogation by the Borrower’s insurer in favor of CUL and the above referenced additional insured parties.

    CUL agrees to U.S. Government indemnity, if applicable to the loan, at U.S. dollar value as of the date of this loan agreement

    Prior to commencement of the Loan Agreement, the Borrower must deliver certificates of insurance to CUL providing evidence of the coverage required in the CUL Loan Agreement.  Each certificate of insurance shall provide for a 30-day written notice of cancellation or material change and, with the exception of Workers’ Compensation and Employers Liability Insurance, shall name The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, its trustees, officers, agents and employees as additional insured under its fine arts, CGL and automobile insurance policies and name CUL as loss payee under Borrower’s fine arts insurance as stated above. Certificates of insurance are to be sent to the Director of Service Agreements, Columbia University, Purchasing Office, 615 West 131st Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10027.

    Check the following on the certificates of insurance CUL: Additional Insured/Loss Payee status, coverage, policy limits, deductible and exclusions with the insurance section of the CUL Loan Agreement to make certain it meets the insurance required.

    Any lapses in coverage or any failure to secure insurance and/or any inactions by CUL regarding notice will not release the Borrower from liability for loss or damage.

  3. Packing and transportation:
    CUL will specify packing requirements for each item, and will require that all items be repacked for return in exactly the same manner as when they were sent to the borrowing institution. For most items, packing will need to be done by a fine arts handler engaged by the borrower at the borrower’s expense. Any changes in repacking should be discussed in advance between the Borrower and CUL and must be expressly approved by CUL.

    CUL will specify how the material is to be transported and will ask the borrower to make appropriate transportation arrangements. An approved fine art mover is required for transport of CUL’s property. Full details of transportation should be discussed as early in the procedure as possible. In some instances, CUL may require that items be accompanied to and from the loan site by a courier. The courier’s presence will be required at all times during the transport, unpacking, installation, de-installation, and repacking of the borrowed material.

  4. International loans:
    Loans to countries outside the United States will require the assistance of a reputable customs broker who should be contacted well in advance of the loan arrival date. Customs formalities and the provision of export licenses to and from the exhibition site are the responsibility of the borrower. Objects should not be unpacked in transit for customs inspection, but passed through in bond to the exhibition site. It is the international borrower’s responsibility to meet any courier upon arrival, to have a customs broker on hand, and to escort the courier and the loaned works to and from the exhibition site. Overseas loans must be transported by air.

  5. Condition checks:
    When the material is received, the borrower should inspect it upon unpacking, compare it with the condition report provided by CUL, and record its condition. Any damage or discrepancies must be reported immediately by telephone and subsequently in writing to CUL. Unless specific advance permission has been obtained from CUL, the borrower must not alter, clean, or repair items, frames, or mounts in any way. The inspection and condition reporting process should be repeated at each venue for traveling exhibitions.

  6. Exhibition environment and lighting:
    CUL reserves the right to specify the conditions for any individual item, and to verify that the required conditions can be maintained at the loan venue.  The loan period for light-sensitive items may be restricted to a short period, or CUL may require that items or pages be rotated at set intervals during the exhibition.

    For most paper-based materials, CUL requires that the temperature in exhibition, packing, and storage areas be maintained at 70 degrees F, with fluctuations of no more than 3 degrees F in any 24-hour period. The relative humidity in the exhibition, packing, and storage areas should be kept at 50% with fluctuations of no more than 5% in any 24-hour period. For some loans, dated records from a hygrothermograph or datalogger may be required before the loan is approved; the borrower may be required to send environmental reports periodically throughout the loan period.

    Lighting in the exhibition area should adhere to the following general guidelines:

    • All ultraviolet (UV) radiation must be excluded and CUL materials may not be exposed to natural light sources. Artificial lighting that excludes UV is preferred; if fluorescent light is used, all bulbs must be fitted with ultraviolet filters.
    • Any sources of natural light in the galleries where the loaned work is installed are subject to prior approval by CUL. In most cases, natural light sources shall be completely covered with opaque materials to totally exclude light from those sources, or shall be at a sufficient distance that the light level on the objects is not affected by changes in outdoor conditions.

      CUL reserves the right to establish light level requirements specific to each loaned work. The following levels are provided for general guidance.

      Sensitivity Material Types Visible Light Levels
      Highly Sensitive Watercolors, pastels, colored inks and papers, textiles, ethnographic items, ivory, plastics, and non-silver-gelatin photographs Max 50 lux / 5 foot-candles
      Sensitive Other paper-based items, silver-gelatin photographs, leather, wood, oil paintings Max 100 lux / 10 foot-candles
      Less Sensitive Paintings and painted surfaces (ceramics, glass, metal and stone) Max 150 lux / 15 foot-candles
      Least Sensitive Unpainted ceramics, glass, metal and stone Max 250 lux / 25 foot-candles
  7. Installation requirements:
    CUL will require that all items travel framed and ready to hang, or with a mount prepared before the object travels.  Requests to prepare mounts or frame items from special collections on the borrower’s premises will not normally be granted.

    The following special requirements relate to specific types of loaned works from CUL:

    • Bound materials: The page/folio opening must be specified at the time of requesting the loan.  The CUL Conservation Department will determine the opening angle and mount requirements. The mounted book must be displayed in a vitrine of adequate dimensions and strapped according to CUL’s requirements. Position of the book within the mount may not be modified.
    • Unbound works on paper or parchment will be either framed at the borrower’s expense, displayed mounted to rigid supports, or shown matted and unframed in a vitrine.
    • Photographs: will be displayed overmatted, unless otherwise agreed by CUL.
    • Framed works: Most framed works will be outfitted with two D-rings. The framed work must be hung from these D-rings utilizing picture hooks sufficient in size to accommodate the weight of the work.  Small framed works must be similarly installed and further fitted with security plates or other appropriate security measures to ensure preservation and safety of the framed work while on view.
    • Three-dimensional works: Three-dimensional objects may require special installation arrangements.  All proposed designs must be approved by CUL.  In most cases three-dimensional objects should be installed in locked cases with archival-grade mounting clips and Plexiglas vitrines, which must have UV-filtering for light-sensitive objects.

To ensure safe and accurate reproduction of CUL’s holdings, CUL requires the use of its reprographic services. Digital files representing objects held by CUL and included in the exhibition will be provided by CUL in all cases. In the event that digital files do not already exist, the borrowing institution will pay for their creation unless otherwise agreed to in advance. No photography by the borrower is permitted for publication, exhibition surrogates, publicity or commercial uses associated with the exhibition.

  1. CUL will specify whether the borrowed material may be reproduced in any way for publicity or other purposes while under the care of the borrower.
  2. As owner of unique and valuable cultural artifacts, CUL requires that surrogates of these objects – in print, media, digital, and other formats – reproduce the qualities of the original items as accurately as possible. Reproductions of items may not be altered by cropping, colorizing, reversing, bleeding, overprinting, digital editing, or any other method without prior permission.
  3. Items must appear as an illustration to text. Any decorative use of the image – as background, endpapers, or other uses – requires the express written consent of CUL.
  4. CUL will specify the credit line for all reproductions.
  5. Photography by visitors to the exhibition is permitted for personal use only.

To ensure safe and accurate reproduction of CUL’s holdings, CUL requires the use of its reprographic services. Digital files representing objects held by CUL and included in the exhibition will be provided by CUL in all cases. In the event that digital files do not already exist, the borrowing institution will pay for their creation unless otherwise agreed to in advance. No photography by the borrower is permitted for publication, exhibition surrogates, publicity or commercial uses associated with the exhibition.

  1. CUL will specify whether the borrowed material may be reproduced in any way for publicity or other purposes while under the care of the borrower.
  2. As owner of unique and valuable cultural artifacts, CUL requires that surrogates of these objects – in print, media, digital, and other formats – reproduce the qualities of the original items as accurately as possible. Reproductions of items may not be altered by cropping, colorizing, reversing, bleeding, overprinting, digital editing, or any other method without prior permission.
  3. Items must appear as an illustration to text. Any decorative use of the image – as background, endpapers, or other uses – requires the express written consent of CUL.
  4. CUL will specify the credit line for all reproductions.
  5. Photography by visitors to the exhibition is permitted for personal use only.

CUL reserves the right to recall an item at any time if the terms of the loan are not met for the duration of the loan period.