Deaccessioning Deep Dive - (December 2025) - Virtual Workshop
Includes a Live Web Event on 12/02/2025 at 1:00 PM (EST)
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Register
- Nonmember - $150
- Academic Program - $100
- Academic Faculty - $100
- Academic Student - $100
- Partner Institution - $100
- Partner Institution Staff - $100
- Premier Partner Institution - $100
- Premier Institution Staff - $100
- Platinum Partner Institution - $100
- Platinum Institution Staff - $100
- Complimentary - $100
- Individual Membership - $100
- Subscription Services - $100
- Institutional Budget - $100
- Institutional Staff - $100
- Individual Student - $100
- Institutional Member - $100
- Individual Student Renew - $100
Workshop Description
Your cabinets are full. History isn’t getting any shorter. Your museum is ready to refine its collection, getting rid of items that don't fit the mission that are draining your site's time, space, and funds. But where to start? The Valentine Museum in Richmond, Virginia, has spent the last six years undertaking a full-collection refinement project that has freed up shelf space, found better homes for artifacts, increased knowledge of what they do have and can commit to keeping, and created a plan for regular reassessments and refinements in the future. This virtual workshop will provide an in-depth review of the process from start to finish: inventorying, deaccessioning, documenting, processing, and final object transfers. The workshop will offer guidance and troubleshooting for organizations of all sizes and budgets, and deaccessioning projects on a variety of timeslines. Whether you need to downsize asap or you have years to plan storage for your new museum building, this workshop can help. We will also have plenty of time for questions and sharing of lessons learned along the way.
In this virtual workshop, we’ll learn about:
- Evaluating artifacts and collections for potential deaccessioning
- Policies and forms involved in deaccessioning, title claims, and abandoned loans
- Tracking the process in a collections management system and planning for transfers of artifacts to other institutions or auction
- Various disposition options (donation to other institutions, sale, moving to education collection, destruction, etc.)
- Physical processing of objects leaving the collection, including accession number removal, packing for transport, and object tracking
- Data collection and reporting on the process, including managing public perception and understanding of why we can't just "keep it all"
AASLH workshops include presentations from the facilitator and in-depth discussions with other participants from around the country who are facing similar issues and opportunities in their work. This workshop is not recorded, so do plan to take notes.
Details
SESSION DATES: December 2, 2025 - from 1-4 pm ET
COST: $100 AASLH Members / $150 Nonmembers /10% discount for STEPS participants with promo code found in the online STEPS Community
OPEN REGISTRATION: 30 participant limit.
Workshop Logistics
FORMAT: Online via Zoom
LENGTH: One 3-hour day
MATERIALS: All workshop materials are provided.
TECHNOLOGY: We recommend downloading the Zoom mobile or desktop app for this course. Participants will need access to internet and a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet to participate in this course. We recommend having access to a camera and a headset, earphones, or other audio and microphone device. Automatic captioning is available in the Zoom discussions.
Having issues registering? Please contact learn@aaslh.org
Please note AASLH's Notetaking Tools Policy: During webinars and online courses, the use of any AI notetaking tools such as meeting assistants is prohibited to ensure the confidentiality and security of the discussion. Most sessions are automatically recorded and all are transcribed for participants. AI tools will be removed from events by AASLH staff if they appear. Please contact us at learn@aaslh.org if you need to use AI tools for accessibility reasons.
Christina Keyser Vida
Elise H. Wright Curator of General Collections
Valentine Museum
As the Elise H. Wright Curator of General Collections at the Valentine Museum, Christina Vida is responsible for the museum’s objects collection as well as the early Federal period Wickham House and the Edward Valentine Sculpture Studio. Vida received her BA in History from the College of William and Mary and a MA from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware. Vida has previous work experience in curatorial and education roles at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Windsor Historical Society (CT), and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (Virginia Historical Society).
Meg Hughes
Deputy Director of Collections
Valentine Museum
Meg Hughes is Deputy Director of Collections at the Valentine where she leads the museum’s Collections team and curates its archival holdings, develops exhibitions, and manages research services and digitization projects. Hughes has an AB in History from Princeton University and an MSI in Information (Archives & Records Management) and Certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Michigan. Following work experiences at Princeton, Yale and the University of Michigan, Hughes joined the Valentine in 2004.
Nichol Gabor
Nathalie L. Klaus Curator of Costume and Textiles
Valentine Museum
Nichol Gabor is the Nathalie L. Klaus Curator of Costume and Textiles at the Valentine responsible for maintaining, interpreting, and managing the museum’s fashion and flat textile collection. She holds a MA from The George Washington University in Museum Studies and Fashion History. Previously, she has had work experience at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the National Museum for Women in the Arts.
Rachel Asbury Cole
Collections Project Manager and Registrar
Valentine Museum
Rachel Asbury Cole serves as the Collections Project Manager and Registrar for the Valentine maintaining intellectual and physical control over all collection holdings. She received a BA in Art History from the College of William and Mary and a MA from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture through the University of Delaware. Prior to joining the Valentine in 2020, she held collections support positions with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the National Women’s History Museum.
Webinars, Online Courses, and Online Workshops (Excludes HLI Programs)
Cancellations for online professional development must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the start date for the online course or the day of the webinar will be given a full refund. No refund will be given on/after the start date for the online course or on/after the day of the webinar. Registrants may transfer their registration to another person. Registrations cannot be transferred between courses or course sessions. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.
If you have any questions, please contact AASLH Professional Development staff at learn@aaslh.org or 615-320-3203.
