[Nhcoll-l] Effect of Global Database Inclusion on Loan Requests

[Janet Waddington]

At the ROM we used only to require the loan return to be paid by the borrower, but with increasing shiping costs, increased loans, and decreasing budgets, we have started asking the borrower to pay shipping costs both ways on most loans of invertebrate fossils. We will request a courier account to charge, or may invoice the borrower for the cost of sending the loan, especially if we get preferential rates for courier. Another cost that needs to be considered is brokerage for any shipments entering Canada. This can add up to a considerable sum, which is charged to the receiver, not the sender. 

I'd be interested in hearing from any Canadian members whether they have figured out a way to avoid brokerage on incoming internatiopnal shipments that are not dutiable and so should not need to be brokered. In a large institution we might not even see the broker's bill for months when it finally filters through to the right account.




Janet Waddington
Departmental Associate
Department of Natural History - Palaeobiology
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park
Toronto, ON
Canada M5S 2C6
Phone  (416) 586-5593  Fax  (416) 586-5553
Email  janetw at rom.on.ca
>>> "Sarah K. Huber" 01/25/13 10:55 AM >>>
I had posted a query several weeks ago regarding the impact of global database inclusion on loan requests, and was asked to summarize responses for the list. My main motivation for requesting these data is so that I can budget for costs associated with a possible increase in loan requests (we have a very tight budget). So thank you to everyone who responded. Below are some of the key points from these responses.

1) Not many collections have these data, and there are quite a lot of people who would like to have them! A few collections are formally collecting these kind of data (loans before and after global database inclusion) and have plans to publish this kind of information soon. However, if your collection is contemplating inclusion into a global database, then formal records on loans before and after would be tremendously helpful to the museum community.

2) Informal estimates for loan increases ranged from 0-20%. The degree of increase did not seem to be related to the size of the collection or the time when the collection went "on-line".

3) Those respondents who saw increases in loan requests reported a disproportionate increase in requests from foreign institutions. 

My take-home message from the replies I got was that inclusion into a global database will increase the visibility of your collection and will increase loan requests. In my opinion these are great things! However, that also means that collections should budget additional funds for processing loans and especially for international postage.

Best,
Sarah

Sarah K. Huber, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor of Biology and Marine Science
Collection Manager, VIMS Ichthyology Collection
804.684.7285
skhuber at vims.edu | www.vims.edu
PO Box 1346 | Rt. 1208 Greate Rd., Gloucester Pt., VA 23062

 
 
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