Recollecting and Reallocation: Collection Assessment, Ethical Deaccessioning and Multiple Stakeholders

This publication by the Wereldmuseum,Tropenmuseum, Museum Volkenkunde, and Afrika Museum draws attention to material reckonings in contemporary museal practice, which inform many of the contributions by a diverse range of cultural heritage professionals. The chapters address the issue of how museums should approach deaccessioning their objects and explore the possible futures awaiting these objects once they have been deaccessioned. In removing objects from its collections, a museum must decide their fate. And, as any museum professional will attest, the decision to deaccession objects is never taken lightly or recklessly.