Loans
Loans
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOANS FROM THE MNK
INTRODUCTION (loans within Poland and abroad)
It is the policy of the National Museum in Krakow always to loan items if at all possible, i.e. wherever the object is in a physical condition permitting it to be transported and displayed, and when it is not earmarked for inclusion in our own exhibition plans. Loans are an important element of the wider mission to render the nation’s collections accessible to as wide a public as possible, and to allow them to be viewed in new settings. For this reason we always try to respond favourably to loan requests submitted to us. We frequently loan holdings to various institutions within Poland, as well as to museums and other culture venues abroad. The National Museum in Krakow has more than 400 items on long-term loan per year, and loans out some 3,500 pieces on a short-term basis. The decision to loan a given object out is conditioned by many different factors, which will be explained in the instruction guide below.
The purpose of this instruction guide is to provide support for a successful object loan application procedure. Once the application is provisionally approved, the loan applicant is expected to meet a number of conditions. The loan conditions, loans policy, and conditions that must be met by the venue for a loan are listed at the end of this instruction guide.
The National Museum in Krakow loans section, which coordinates loans from all departments of the museum’s collections, is part of the Chief Inventory Officer’s Department. Its contact information is displayed on our website, www.muzeum.krakow.pl , and is also listed at the end of this document.
Who can loan items? (within Poland and abroad)
The MNK considers loan applications from all museums, galleries and other institutions of culture. It is our policy not to loan items to private individuals; we loan our holdings out in order to facilitate their display to the public, enable specialist research, or have conservation work performed.
The loan decision is contingent upon a number of factors, including the following:
How to submit a loan application (loans within Poland and abroad)
All applications for exhibition loans must be submitted either in writing to the Director of the National Museum in Krakow or using our internet application form. Please provide the following information in your application:
Register, entry in the Register of Cultural Institutions, etc.
If you are not sure which objects you wish to borrow, or what objects the MNK has in its collections, your first step should be to contact the relevant curator, who is best placed to advise you on selecting the most appropriate objects. Your research into the holdings of the various departments should go through the Photographic Documentation and Scholarly Research Section, which may be contacted at bmaj@mnk.pl. Next, we recommend a visit to the museum to see the objects themselves before you submit your loan application. This type of visit may be arranged with the person in charge of the relevant collection, or via the Photographic Documentation and Scholarly Research Section.
Applications for research and conservation loans should be made via the Inventory Department to the Deputy Director for Conservation and Storage of Collections.
Please ensure that you allow yourself sufficient time for the search process described above, and also that once you have detailed information on the objects themselves you still have time to submit your application six months in advance. Every domestic loan application must be submitted at least six months in advance of the planned loan date. In the case of foreign loans we recommend a period of one year.
The decision-making process (both versions)
When a loan application addressed to the Director of the National Museum in Krakow is received, it is sent to the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings, which, on the basis of the opinions of the conservators and those in charge of the relevant collections, launches or refuses the loan procedure.
An application may be approved on condition that the loan applicant meets all the loan conditions specified. Next, the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings will check the exhibition venue in respect of security, situation and exhibition potential. In case of doubt it will arrange a site visit for conservators and security specialists. You will also receive a simple form to fill in addressing these issues. Should you have any questions or doubts, please contact the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings.
Preparing loans for dispatch (both versions)
Before the loan decision is confirmed by the Director, employees from the Conservation and Storage of Collections division draw up a detailed report on the state of preservation of the objects in question – as to whether they are in sufficiently good condition to be loaned out. On receiving an affirmative opinion statement from those in charge of the collections and the conservators, the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings will inform the applicant in writing which of the objects listed in the application letter are in good condition and qualify to be loaned out. If the objects are not in suitable condition to be loaned out, the application will also be notified as rapidly as possible, and if possible the possibility of alternative loans will be discussed. Next, the Conservation and Storage of Collections Division will recommend environmental conditions and packing requirements. It will also issue the object condition reports, which will always travel with the objects.
In order to finalise the loan, once it has been conditionally confirmed, the National Museum in Krakow must establish the terms of the loan with the Borrower and, before supplying the objects, sign the loan agreement. All the terms and conditions of the loan agreement must be met. The terms and conditions for loan of museum holdings by the museum are listed at the end of this document.
Costs (domestic loans)
The borrower shall be responsible for all costs in connection with the loan. The MNK does not charge for its loans, i.e. for the administrative costs, general packing costs, or the cost of conservation where such is scheduled in the conservation plans for a given year. We will only charge you with the costs of preparing the objects for loan, including the costs of necessary conservation procedures and the costs of transport, and where necessary of production of specialist crates for transport. In justified cases (for especially precious or sensitive items) there will also be the costs of sending an accompanying courier from the MNK.
If a photograph is required, e.g. for an exhibition catalogue, orders must be sent to the Reproduction of Collections and Sales Section via Anna Studnicka (astudnicka@mnk.pl). Such applications should also be sent a minimum of three months in advance. The National Museum will inform you of the approximate costs if such are incurred.
Please remember that the most expensive element of the loan process is usually transport. We ask that you take account of these costs in your loan budget. The MNK is always willing to negotiate transport requirements for loans on an individual basis.
Costs (foreign loans)
In the case of foreign loans, please remember that it is you, the borrower, who is responsible for all the costs generated by the loan of an object. Borrowers are responsible for all insurance premiums, transport costs, shipping fees, the journey and daily expenses of an accompanying courier and installer/dismantler of the objects, the packaging, other elements of the display, catalogue photographs, and any other special conservation and preparation work necessary to render the items suitable for loan. The National Museum in Krakow charges a fee for preparing objects for loan, in the region of €500 – 1,000 depending on the number of objects and type of work performed on them. In the case of particularly precious works, this fee may be set on an individual basis. As far as possible you will be informed of the approximate costs in advance.
All our loans must be covered by insurance or a Government Indemnity. If a Government Indemnity cannot be obtained, commercial insurance must be taken out. The costs of this insurance accrue to the borrower.
If a photograph is required, e.g. for an exhibition catalogue, orders must be sent to the Reproduction of Collections and Sales Section via Anna Studnicka (astudnicka@mnk.pl). Such applications should also be sent as far in advance as possible. The National Museum will inform you of the approximate costs if such are incurred.
The MNK is always willing to negotiate transport requirements for loans on an individual basis.
Summary of the loan procedure:
Long-term loans (within Poland only)
Long-term loans are subject to control and renewal on a three-yearly basis. Every three years the museum will draw up a new loan agreement. The environmental conditions and state of preservation of the objects will be inspected by a conservator from our museum, who will visit the borrowing institution. We may also request photographs of the objects that are our property. The borrowing institution covers all the costs connected with the inspection and extension of the loans.
In case of changes in circumstances in the loan or exhibition venue that affect the loaned objects, you must inform the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings in writing at once, and request approval of such changes.
Obligations of the borrower (for loans both within Poland and abroad)
When the Borrower receives the loans, it becomes bound by the terms set down in our loan agreement, which incorporate the Ordinance of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MKiDN) regarding protection of museum collections from fire, theft and other potential causes of damage to or loss of collections, and ways to prepare collections for evacuation in case of threat. Borrowers are under obligation to inform the museum immediately of all changes that could affect the loans. Loans may not be moved around without the consent of the National Museum in Krakow. All labels and captions should include information as to the owner of the item: “property of the National Museum in Krakow".
INTRODUCTION (loans within Poland and abroad)
It is the policy of the National Museum in Krakow always to loan items if at all possible, i.e. wherever the object is in a physical condition permitting it to be transported and displayed, and when it is not earmarked for inclusion in our own exhibition plans. Loans are an important element of the wider mission to render the nation’s collections accessible to as wide a public as possible, and to allow them to be viewed in new settings. For this reason we always try to respond favourably to loan requests submitted to us. We frequently loan holdings to various institutions within Poland, as well as to museums and other culture venues abroad. The National Museum in Krakow has more than 400 items on long-term loan per year, and loans out some 3,500 pieces on a short-term basis. The decision to loan a given object out is conditioned by many different factors, which will be explained in the instruction guide below.
The purpose of this instruction guide is to provide support for a successful object loan application procedure. Once the application is provisionally approved, the loan applicant is expected to meet a number of conditions. The loan conditions, loans policy, and conditions that must be met by the venue for a loan are listed at the end of this instruction guide.
The National Museum in Krakow loans section, which coordinates loans from all departments of the museum’s collections, is part of the Chief Inventory Officer’s Department. Its contact information is displayed on our website, www.muzeum.krakow.pl , and is also listed at the end of this document.
Who can loan items? (within Poland and abroad)
The MNK considers loan applications from all museums, galleries and other institutions of culture. It is our policy not to loan items to private individuals; we loan our holdings out in order to facilitate their display to the public, enable specialist research, or have conservation work performed.
The loan decision is contingent upon a number of factors, including the following:
- Are the objects in question not earmarked for inclusion in the museum’s own exhibition plans, or reserved for loan by another institution?
- Do the storage and exhibition conditions to which they will be exposed meet the MNK’s standards?
- Are the security measures in place at the proposed exhibition venue appropriate, and do they meet the requirements set down in the Ordinance on the conditions, means and procedure for moving museum-pieces, dated 15 May 2008?
- Will the objects be on display to the public?
- Is their state of conservation suitable to permit travel?
- Is the exhibition plan or scenario concordant with the Mission Statement of the National Museum in Krakow, and is it appropriate to the status of the objects to which the loan application pertains?
- When was the object last loaned out or exhibited (of significance in the case of requests for the loan of particularly sensitive objects, such as papers or fabrics)?
How to submit a loan application (loans within Poland and abroad)
All applications for exhibition loans must be submitted either in writing to the Director of the National Museum in Krakow or using our internet application form. Please provide the following information in your application:
- List of objects with MNK inventory numbers
- Dates and title of exhibition or project
- Scope and substantive outline of the exhibition or project
- Contact information for the organiser and/or venue/venues of the exhibition/entry in the National Court
Register, entry in the Register of Cultural Institutions, etc.
If you are not sure which objects you wish to borrow, or what objects the MNK has in its collections, your first step should be to contact the relevant curator, who is best placed to advise you on selecting the most appropriate objects. Your research into the holdings of the various departments should go through the Photographic Documentation and Scholarly Research Section, which may be contacted at bmaj@mnk.pl. Next, we recommend a visit to the museum to see the objects themselves before you submit your loan application. This type of visit may be arranged with the person in charge of the relevant collection, or via the Photographic Documentation and Scholarly Research Section.
Applications for research and conservation loans should be made via the Inventory Department to the Deputy Director for Conservation and Storage of Collections.
Please ensure that you allow yourself sufficient time for the search process described above, and also that once you have detailed information on the objects themselves you still have time to submit your application six months in advance. Every domestic loan application must be submitted at least six months in advance of the planned loan date. In the case of foreign loans we recommend a period of one year.
The decision-making process (both versions)
When a loan application addressed to the Director of the National Museum in Krakow is received, it is sent to the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings, which, on the basis of the opinions of the conservators and those in charge of the relevant collections, launches or refuses the loan procedure.
An application may be approved on condition that the loan applicant meets all the loan conditions specified. Next, the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings will check the exhibition venue in respect of security, situation and exhibition potential. In case of doubt it will arrange a site visit for conservators and security specialists. You will also receive a simple form to fill in addressing these issues. Should you have any questions or doubts, please contact the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings.
Preparing loans for dispatch (both versions)
Before the loan decision is confirmed by the Director, employees from the Conservation and Storage of Collections division draw up a detailed report on the state of preservation of the objects in question – as to whether they are in sufficiently good condition to be loaned out. On receiving an affirmative opinion statement from those in charge of the collections and the conservators, the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings will inform the applicant in writing which of the objects listed in the application letter are in good condition and qualify to be loaned out. If the objects are not in suitable condition to be loaned out, the application will also be notified as rapidly as possible, and if possible the possibility of alternative loans will be discussed. Next, the Conservation and Storage of Collections Division will recommend environmental conditions and packing requirements. It will also issue the object condition reports, which will always travel with the objects.
In order to finalise the loan, once it has been conditionally confirmed, the National Museum in Krakow must establish the terms of the loan with the Borrower and, before supplying the objects, sign the loan agreement. All the terms and conditions of the loan agreement must be met. The terms and conditions for loan of museum holdings by the museum are listed at the end of this document.
Costs (domestic loans)
The borrower shall be responsible for all costs in connection with the loan. The MNK does not charge for its loans, i.e. for the administrative costs, general packing costs, or the cost of conservation where such is scheduled in the conservation plans for a given year. We will only charge you with the costs of preparing the objects for loan, including the costs of necessary conservation procedures and the costs of transport, and where necessary of production of specialist crates for transport. In justified cases (for especially precious or sensitive items) there will also be the costs of sending an accompanying courier from the MNK.
If a photograph is required, e.g. for an exhibition catalogue, orders must be sent to the Reproduction of Collections and Sales Section via Anna Studnicka (astudnicka@mnk.pl). Such applications should also be sent a minimum of three months in advance. The National Museum will inform you of the approximate costs if such are incurred.
Please remember that the most expensive element of the loan process is usually transport. We ask that you take account of these costs in your loan budget. The MNK is always willing to negotiate transport requirements for loans on an individual basis.
Costs (foreign loans)
In the case of foreign loans, please remember that it is you, the borrower, who is responsible for all the costs generated by the loan of an object. Borrowers are responsible for all insurance premiums, transport costs, shipping fees, the journey and daily expenses of an accompanying courier and installer/dismantler of the objects, the packaging, other elements of the display, catalogue photographs, and any other special conservation and preparation work necessary to render the items suitable for loan. The National Museum in Krakow charges a fee for preparing objects for loan, in the region of €500 – 1,000 depending on the number of objects and type of work performed on them. In the case of particularly precious works, this fee may be set on an individual basis. As far as possible you will be informed of the approximate costs in advance.
All our loans must be covered by insurance or a Government Indemnity. If a Government Indemnity cannot be obtained, commercial insurance must be taken out. The costs of this insurance accrue to the borrower.
If a photograph is required, e.g. for an exhibition catalogue, orders must be sent to the Reproduction of Collections and Sales Section via Anna Studnicka (astudnicka@mnk.pl). Such applications should also be sent as far in advance as possible. The National Museum will inform you of the approximate costs if such are incurred.
The MNK is always willing to negotiate transport requirements for loans on an individual basis.
Summary of the loan procedure:
- Select objects
- Submit a formal application to the Director of the National Museum in Krakow containing the objects, dates, title and overall profile of the exhibition
- Meet loan conditions
- Cover the costs
Long-term loans (within Poland only)
Long-term loans are subject to control and renewal on a three-yearly basis. Every three years the museum will draw up a new loan agreement. The environmental conditions and state of preservation of the objects will be inspected by a conservator from our museum, who will visit the borrowing institution. We may also request photographs of the objects that are our property. The borrowing institution covers all the costs connected with the inspection and extension of the loans.
In case of changes in circumstances in the loan or exhibition venue that affect the loaned objects, you must inform the Section for Movement of Museum Holdings in writing at once, and request approval of such changes.
Obligations of the borrower (for loans both within Poland and abroad)
When the Borrower receives the loans, it becomes bound by the terms set down in our loan agreement, which incorporate the Ordinance of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MKiDN) regarding protection of museum collections from fire, theft and other potential causes of damage to or loss of collections, and ways to prepare collections for evacuation in case of threat. Borrowers are under obligation to inform the museum immediately of all changes that could affect the loans. Loans may not be moved around without the consent of the National Museum in Krakow. All labels and captions should include information as to the owner of the item: “property of the National Museum in Krakow".