Exhibition Loans

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections welcomes applications from institutions to borrow items from its collections for exhibitions. Institutions wishing to request items are advised to read the following guidelines in advance of making a request and to contact Special Collections a minimum of two months before the planned installation date of the exhibition. Borrowers requesting a larger number of items should make initial contact with the library no less than twelve months prior to the installation date.

Each loan request is judged on its own merits, and the final decision to loan an item is based on the following criteria:

• The condition of the item(s).
• The nature and length of the exhibition.
• The facilities of the borrowing institution.
• The anticipated need of the item(s) for our own research or exhibition purposes.

Some objects in the Special Collections are not available for loan, including those judged too fragile or too environmentally sensitive to travel.

For exhibition loans we require the following:

• A facilities report for the premises where proposed loan item(s) is to be exhibited (traveling exhibitions must provide full details for all venues in the tour). We strongly encourage you to use the General Facility Report template from the American Alliance of Museums;
• And a signed Exhibition Loan Agreement that details borrower information, exhibition venue and dates, and robust description of item(s) borrowed.

Make a Request

Use our Ask an Archivist service to initiate requests for exhibitions loans from our holdings.