Exhibition & Other Loans

Exhibition loans are coordinated and conducted through MCZ Collections Operations. The following are the requirements and standard procedure for consideration of an exhibit proposal.

1. Written Proposal
   1. Overview of exhibition, goals and objectives
   2. Target audience, visitation estimate
   3. Specimens requested, general or specific
   4. Dates and exhibition timeline
2. Specific Gallery conditions
   1. Cases (locks, alarms, mounting, construction materials, etc)
   2. Lighting capabilities
   3. Temperature and Humidity
   4. Security (gallery and museum)
3. Facility Report (museum and gallery)
   1. Standard format
4. Collaborative Planning
   1. MCZ exhibition requirements and conditions
   2. Transportation (including packing)
   3. Installation
   4. Insurance
   5. Photos, Copyright
5. MCZ Exhibition Loan

A standard, best-practice set of conditions are required by the Museum of Comparative Zoology and will be part of the Exhibition Loan agreement.

Transportation

The Museum of Comparative Zoology will determine the appropriate means of transportation of the loan material and will approve in writing all transportation arrangements. The Borrowing Institution agrees to cover all shipping costs, including courier fee, courier travel, and courier per diem to and from the Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Packing

The Museum of Comparative Zoology will determine the appropriate means of packing the loan material and will approve in writing all crating and packing arrangements. The Borrowing Institution agrees to cover all crating and packing costs.

Insurance

If insurance is arranged by the Borrowing Institution, coverage will be under an All Risk fine arts "wall to wall" policy from the time that the loan object(s) leaves the Museum of Comparative Zoology, until the object(s) is returned to the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the final condition reports are completed. Coverage will include all risk of physical damage or loss including, but not limited to, loss or damage from earthquakes, floods, strikes, riots, or civil commotion. The loan object(s) will be insured at the value(s) assigned by the Museum of Comparative Zoology on the other side of this agreement. The Borrowing Institution's policy will name "President and Fellows of Harvard College" as additional insured and will waive subrogation rights against Harvard University. A Certificate of Insurance evidencing such coverage must be delivered to the Museum of Comparative Zoology before shipment to the Borrowing Institution occurs. The Borrowing Institution agrees to cover any deductible under its policy.

If the Museum of Comparative Zoology carries insurance under its policy, the Borrowing Institution will be responsible for the cost of the premium while the loan object(s) is in transit and on location.

Withdrawal of Objects

The Museum of Comparative Zoology reserves the right to withdraw any items whose condition has deteriorated or may deteriorate due to continued travel, or whose security appears to be threatened, or when other urgent reasons necessitate withdrawal.

Procedure in Event of Mishap

In the event that a loan item is damaged, destroyed, lost or stolen, the Borrowing Institution shall give the Departmental contact at the Museum of Comparative Zoology immediate telephone notice, followed by written confirmation. The report of damage or loss should provide a description of the extent and circumstances surrounding the mishap. No repairs or other actions may be taken on the object(s) by the Borrowing Institution without instruction in writing from the Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Publicity & Credits

The credit line as shown on the front of this form will be used in all printed material (including web) related to the loan object(s). Loans for exhibition require that one copy of any catalog or publicity material be sent directly to the Departmental contact at the Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Photography

All photographs of Museum of Comparative Zoology items to be used in exhibition catalog, brochures, publicity releases, and the like, either will be taken by the Museum of Comparative Zoology or, if taken by another photographer, must be approved in writing by the Museum. Copyright to any photograph of Museum of Comparative Zoology object(s), regardless of the photographer and the intended use, is retained by the President and Fellows of Harvard College, and a copy of any photograph must be sent directly to the MCZ Departmental contact if not taken by the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Use of the photograph in any publication (including web) requires prior permission by the Museum of Comparative Zoology. All permissions are for one time only.

General Care & Handling

The Borrowing Institution will exercise the same care and handling to the loan item(s) as it does in the safekeeping of comparable property of its own. Each object shall remain in the same condition in which it was received. The Borrowing Institution agrees to follow all special handling, installation, and packing instructions provided on the front of this document, and detailed in the correspondence and the Departmental Loan document from the Museum of Comparative Zoology to the Borrowing Institution.

Upon arrival, all travel containers must be equilibrated to the environment for 24-48 hours before unpacked.

No restoration, repair, cleaning, or fumigation of loan objects may be performed by the borrower without instruction in writing from the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Other organic objects stored or exhibited with those from the Museum of Comparative Zoology must be free of infestation.

Condition Report

The Museum of Comparative Zoology will provide a detailed condition report of the loan item(s). The Borrowing Institution will review this condition report against the loan item(s) at the time of its arrival and departure.

Exhibition Design & Installation

The Borrowing Institution agrees to comply with all requirements detailed on the front of this document, as well as those described in correspondence and the Departmental Loan document from the Museum of Comparative Zoology to the Borrowing Institution.

Mounting fixtures must be padded at contact points with the loan item(s).

Loan Fees

The Borrowing Institution agrees to pay administrative loan fees, conservation, mount fabrication costs, courier fee, courier travel, and courier per diem as detailed in correspondence and the Departmental Loan document from the Museum of Comparative Zoology to the Borrowing Institution.

Governing Law

This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Non-Assignability & Binding Effect

Neither party's rights nor obligation hereunder may be assigned except with the other's written consent. Subject to the foregoing, this agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and assigns.

Specific Collection Conditions

Specialized requirements set by the relevant MCZ collection(s), which insure the protection and well-being of their specific holdings, may be included as part of the conditions for the Museum of Comparative Zoology loan agreement.Requests to borrow MCZ specimens for exhibit purposes are coordinated through MCZ Collections Operations for the Exhibition Loan and include pertinent departmental documents.