Donations
Thank you for your interest in donating your historical materials to the Hibbing Historical Society Museum! Every year, new materials are added to the collection through the generosity of individuals and corporations. These donations help the museum fulfill its mission to share Hibbing stories.
Donating FAQ’s
What objects, images, or documents is Hibbing Historical Society looking for?
Due to the volume of offers that the Hibbing Historical Society receives and our limited amount of space, we cannot accept every item for donation.
In evaluating donation offers, the museum seeks objects, images, and documents that have strong potential for meaningful future use in exhibitions, programs, and for research; that fill gaps in our existing holdings; and that present opportunities to reveal or expand upon a compelling and significant story or theme of Hibbing’s history.
Contextual information (e.g., history of the material’s creation/creator, subject matter, and use) is especially important to Museum staff in their evaluation of the interpretive and research potential of objects, images, and documents. We also evaluate donation offers in regard to their condition, the amount of time and other resources needed to process and store them, whether there is another repository that would be a better home for them, the material’s copyright status, and a variety of other criteria.
In general, HHS prefers to acquire original objects, images, and documents over reproductions.
The museum rarely accepts newspapers (as the Hibbing Daily Tribune archives are available at the Hibbing Public Library or online), wedding dresses, or unidentified photographs.
The museum would be happy to recommend a more appropriate institution for your items, if they are not accepted here.
How do I donate objects, images, or documents to the Hibbing Historical Society?
If you have material that you believe would add to our collection, please email hibbinghistory@mchsi.com with a description of your proposed donation. You may also call the museum at (218) 263-8522. Please try to include a photograph and measurements of the objects, images, or documents.
Can I mail or drop off a donation?
We generally do not accept donations through the mail or in person unless prior arrangements have been made with the curator.
Will the Hibbing Historical Society appraise my donation for its monetary value?
The museum does not provide appraisals of the monetary value of proposed donations or for any other reason because the Internal Revenue Service regards museums and libraries as interested parties. Monetary appraisals prepared for donors by such institutions are subject to question or disqualification.
Professional appraisers, however, will perform this service for a fee. To find a licensed appraiser in your area, contact one of the following organizations for a referral: the American Society of Appraisers, the International Society of Appraisers, or the Appraisers Association of America.
Can I take a tax deduction for my donation?
The Hibbing Historical Society is recognized as a qualified charitable organization; thus your donation of historical materials to the Museum’s collection is generally tax deductible. To take advantage of your deduction, you must file tax form 1040 and, depending on the total value of your non-cash charitable donations for the year, you may also be required to submit tax form 8283.
To ensure that you receive the maximum tax benefit, it is recommended that you consult with your own accountant, attorney, and/or the Internal Revenue Service. You may also consult Internal Revenue Service Publication No. 526, Charitable Contributions, and Publication No. 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property.
Will the Hibbing Historical Society exhibit the materials in my donation?
The Museum cannot guarantee that any historical materials donated to the collection will be exhibited unless expressly collected for that purpose. Only a small fraction of the collection is on view at any given time.
Objects, images, and documents from the collection are occasionally loaned to other institutions for temporary exhibitions, and many historical materials in the collection are made available for research purposes.
Can donated materials be removed from the Hibbing Historical Society collection?
The Museum may remove historical materials from the collection through a process called deaccessioning. Objects, images, or documents that conform to our deaccessioning criteria (i.e. historical materials that are determined to be outside the scope of the Museum’s collections; inauthentic, misidentified, or misattributed; pose a risk to other objects in the collection; or have deteriorated beyond reasonable repair) may be considered for deaccessioning. Deaccessioned historical material may be donated to another museum or cultural or educational organization, sold, or disposed in another manner that the Museum deems fit.
