Thank you for your interest in preserving your artifact or group of artifacts for others to enjoy.

As you consider donating your items, please consider the following.

There are many, many, many wonderful items in the Museum. The count is 15,047 as of December 2008. And we know you have many special old treasures you received from your daddy and mommy that you want preserved forever.

ONLY COUNTY RELATED ARTIFACTS CAN BE ACCEPTED: The Museum only collects items that have a direct connection to Cherokee County history. Items we accept for our Museum collections may have been manufactured or used in Cherokee County or belonged to Cherokee County residents.

The Museum also accepts County related objects like written or printed materials, including diaries, letters, manuscripts, pamphlets, programs, objects and photographs.

Do you want to give the item to the Museum or just loan it for Museum use?

• If you give it, the Museum owns it and can decide to place it in storage, display it, or remove it from the Museum collection.
• If you loan it, you may request its return at any time or the Museum may ask you to pick it up. You will have 30 days pick up the item. The Museum will make it available for your pick up within 30 days. If more than 30 days elapses and you have not made arrangements to pick up the item, the Museum assumes ownership and will determine the use of the item.
• The fact that you loaned to the Museum does not automatically mean it will be displayed immediately. The decision of when to display your donation is made by the Museum.

Is the condition of the item appropriate for the public to enjoy? or...
Is it a duplicate or very similar to item(s) already held in the Museum collection?

• If the Museum determines that the condition of the artifact is not appropriate for Museum display or preservation, or the artifact is a duplicate or remarkably similar to other item(s) in the Museum collection, the Museum may not accept the artifact.
• Please be assured that we are grateful for your offer to donate an item to the Museum and we hope that you will continue to consider offering other historically significant artifacts that you own to the Museum for preservation for our future generations.