We’re excited that you’re considering donating to the Knox County Museum of Education! Your contributions help us preserve the rich educational history of Knox County, ensuring that future generations can explore and learn from the past.

We welcome a variety of items that reflect the history of education in Knox County, including:

• Yearbooks: Cherished memories from school days past.

• Photographs: Capturing moments from classrooms, events, and school life.

• School Newspapers: Preserving the voices and stories of students.

• Textbooks and Classroom Materials: Teaching tools that shaped generations of learners.

• Memorabilia: Items like school uniforms, sports jerseys, awards, and other artifacts connected to local schools.

1. Start the Conversation

   Before you bring in or mail any items, please reach out to us. We’d love to discuss your potential donation and ensure it’s a great fit for our collection. This also gives us a chance to talk about the best way to care for your items. You can contact us at (865)569-8264 ext.5 or museum@knoxschools.org, or if you prefer, you can email me to make an appointment to meet with the director — director@kcme.website. I’m always happy to connect and chat about your contribution!

2. The Acquisition Process

   Once we’ve talked, and you’ve decided to move forward with your donation, the next step is to fill out a simple Acquisition Form. This form is essential because it verifies that you own the item and that you’re legally transferring it to the museum. But it’s more than just paperwork—there’s a section where you can share the story behind your item. We want to hear about its context, its connection to Knox County education, and why it’s special to you. These stories are invaluable, especially when we create placards to accompany the items in our exhibits. They help us show off what makes your donation truly unique.

3. What Happens Next: Acquisition vs. Accession

   • Acquisition: When we acquire an item, it means we’ve accepted it into the museum. We carefully consider each item, especially since our storage space is limited. Acquisition is the first step, but it does not mean the item automatically becomes part of our permanent collection.

   • Accession: If your item is a great fit for our collection, we might decide to accession it, meaning it officially joins our permanent collection. At this stage, we take on full responsibility for its care. This includes cataloging the item, which means we document its details and assign it a unique identification number. This process helps us keep track of the item and ensures it’s properly cared for over time.

4. What If You Drop Off or Mail Items Without Notice?

   We understand that sometimes you might find something special and want to donate it immediately. However, if an item arrives without an Acquisition Form or without you contacting us first, we’ll hold onto it temporarily. We’ll reach out to you to complete the necessary paperwork. If an item lacks identification, paperwork, or isn’t suitable for our collection, we may need to return it to you or, in some cases, ethically discard it. Our goal is to ensure that each item in our collection has the proper context and documentation.

5. About Donation Receipts

   Because many of the items we receive are sentimental or culturally significant, we don’t provide receipts that list a dollar value. However, we’re happy to give you a general acknowledgment of your donation. If you need an appraisal for tax purposes, that’s something you’ll need to arrange on your own. The IRS has guidelines on charitable contributions that can help with this.

6. Will My Item Be Displayed?

   Items accepted into our collection might be featured in our exhibits, and if they are, we’re happy to acknowledge your generosity on a museum placard. The stories you share with us about your donation make these displays even more special. Keep in mind that we rotate items in and out of storage to keep them safe and in good condition. Decisions about display are made based on what’s best for the item’s long-term preservation.

7. Important Considerations

   • Legal Ownership: Your donation needs to be free of any legal restrictions, and you must fully transfer ownership to the museum.

   • Deed of Gift: Once we accept your donation, we’ll issue a Deed of Gift, which officially transfers ownership of the item(s) to the museum.

   • Care and Preservation: While we don’t have a professional conservator on staff, our dedicated team—including myself as director, our board, and volunteers—takes responsibility for caring for your item(s) to the best of our ability. Given our limited storage space, we carefully consider what we can accept and how we can preserve it.

   We truly appreciate your support and are excited to work with you to preserve the educational history of Knox County. If you have any questions, want to start the donation process, or would like to make an appointment with the director, please don’t hesitate to contact us!