This week I got the opportunity to visit Harrisburg with my supervisor to transfer deaccessioned items and to transfer an artifact to another museum.
We went together first to drop off deaccessioned items. They were tools that were deemed no longer necessary in the collection and were being taken back by the state. We got to see storage facilities of deaccessioned items, items that needed to be transferred, and items from no longer active historical sites.
We then were able to make a stop at the Harris House, a historical site of the former home of the Harris family. There, we dropped off an item that they would be moving into their collection. We also got a tour of the home and learned about the families that had lived there, along with the history of settlers in the area.
It was very helpful to see how other sites are managed and what the official process is for transferring items from one location to another.
I also enjoyed learning about the local history of Harrisburg through our visit to the Harris house, and it was reminiscent of what role the Anthracite Heritge Museum fills for people in our area.