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Loans and Images

As a research institution, the Indian Arts Research Center works cooperatively with museums, organizations, and individual researchers throughout the world. We wish to share the resources of our collections widely and have established policies and procedures to provide safe and reasonable access to the collection.

Loans

The IARC loans many pieces from the collections to other venues for exhibiting purposes. The following steps are required to process a loan request.

  1. A formal written request should be submitted to the IARC Director at least six months (for fewer than 10 items) or 12 months (for a more extensive loan) in advance of proposed exhibit installation. (This should be preceded by an informal telephone call to ascertain if the items are available for loan and to discuss related issues.) The request should specify the items desired for loan, where they are to be exhibited, a description of the planned exhibit, and any details concerning how the items will be displayed.
  2. An American Association of Museums Standard Facilities report should accompany the request for review and approval by the IARC Collections Manager.
  3. Once the formal request is received, the IARC will request a conditions report for each item by a professional external Conservator. Should stabilization be required, the borrowing institution will be notified of the required work and provided with an estimate of the costs. Since the borrowing institution bears all costs, it can choose to have the item treated or select another item if appropriate. If it is determined that the item cannot be safely transported or exhibited, the IARC staff reserves the right to refuse a loan request, and will work with the borrowing institution to identify a suitable alternative.
  4. An appraisal of the items will be completed by a professional appraiser to ensure that values are current. The cost of appraisal will be added to the loan invoice.
  5. Once the loan is approved by the IARC Loan Review Committee, contracts will be prepared using the fees outlined on Page 2 of the Service Fee Schedule.
  6. The borrowing institution is responsible for obtaining and providing proof of insurance for the loaned items. All costs associated with crating and delivery to and from the borrowing institution are the responsibility of the borrower.
  7. Use of images of the items is considered a separate activity with fees above and beyond those associated with the loan. See Rights and Reproductions.

Rights and Reproductions

The IARC welcomes requests for use of images of its collection items. Requests must be submitted one month in advance of the intended use via the IARC Image Reproduction Request Form. It is important to allow adequate time to research any copyright and other reproduction issues that may apply to an image and/or item. It is the responsibility of the requestor to conduct such research and to obtain all permissions.

Processing

From the time of the form’s submission it will take 4 to 6 weeks to process an image request. Due to a variety of factors, it may not be possible to accommodate all requests. Requests for rush processing may be considered. The price for rush processing is double the regular fee, or a minimum of $50.00 if the doubled fee is less than this amount.

For all image use requests, the Image Reproduction Request Form must be completed (including signature) and submitted to the IARC Registrar. Upon receipt of a request form, the IARC Image Use Review Committee will evaluate the proposed use and other considerations. Allow 4 to 6 weeks to process the request. Requests for rush processing may also be considered. The cost for rush processing is double the regular fee, or a minimum of $50.00 if the doubled fee is less than this amount.

Once a request is approved, the IARC Registrar will inform the requestor via phone call or email and will provide additional information concerning next steps in the process. Upon receipt of payment, a high resolution digital file for the requested image(s) will be burned to a CD and sent to the requestor via the United States Postal Service (unless another mode of delivery is requested and paid for by the requestor).

Copyright Information

The Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) does not hold copyright for many items in its collection. Image reproduction permission will be granted only in cases where either the IARC is the holder of the copyright of an image, or where proof of permission from the copyright holder can be provided. In cases where IARC does not own the copyright of an image, it is the responsibility of the requestor to obtain permission for its use from the copyright holder and to provide written proof of said approval to the IARC Registrar. A letter of permission is also required from the photographer in cases where the IARC does not own the copyright in a photograph itself.

IARC staff will provide the requestor with any available information that may be useful in advancing their research into copyright ownership. However, IARC staff will not provide a third party with an individual’s confidential contact information without the individual’s authorization to do so.

Additional Considerations

The reproduction of certain items in the IARC collection may require permission from the associated Native American tribe. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the requestor to contact the associated tribe and obtain permission (from the governing body or designated tribal office) to utilize the image(s) of said items. An official letter of authorization from the tribe should be mailed directly to the IARC Registrar before reproduction permission can be granted.

Out of respect for descendant communities, the IARC does not authorize reproduction of photographic images of human skeletal remains and associated funerary objects. This applies to images that are the property of SAR as well as those taken by other similar collections that were curated at SAR.