If you have an object(s) you would like the Region of Waterloo Museums to consider for donation to our collection, please contact Kathleen Squissato, Collections Curator and Registrar. The Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum library and archives is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To ensure access to the library, it is always best to call ahead and make an appointment.
What do we collect?
Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum
The Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum's collection reflects the development of Waterloo Region through time, showcasing community prosperity, ingenuity and our connectedness to the world at large.
Schneider Haus National Historic Site
The Schneider Haus' collection reflects the unique identity and folk traditions of Waterloo Region, with a focus on local Germanic folk art.
Criteria for collection
All objects proposed for acquisition will be assessed against the following criteria:
Condition
The physical condition of artifacts will be examined and the extent and cost of treatment needed established. Objects in poor condition will not be accepted unless they are rare or unique.
Documentation
Consideration will be given to contextual information, provenance, and details on fabrication and function of an object. Such information is essential for future collections management activities.
Relevance
Objects will only be acquired if they support the mission of the Region of Waterloo Museums. If we are unable to accept your donation, we will attempt to refer you to another museum or archive whose mission is more closely related to your objects.
Appraisals
In conformity with national and international museum standards, the Region of Waterloo Museums do not offer financial appraisals or evaluations of objects to the general public, nor do we assist in the disposal of private property, nor express opinions regarding the merits of appraisal firms.
A perceived conflict of interest might arise should the museum place a high value on an object offered for donation; or the museum could be charged with inflating an object's value (and therefore the donor's tax deduction) in order to secure the donation. Another reason is that most museum staff are unable to keep abreast of fluctuating market values for the wide variety of objects that are offered to the museum.
Many resources exist online to assist you in obtaining a financial appraisal. We suggest that you contact a member of the Art Dealers Association of Canada or the Canadian Antique Dealers Association to find an appropriate private art gallery or dealer, art consultant, auctioneer and/or appraiser. Or check the Yellow Pages for antique dealers in your community.
Library
The Region of Waterloo Museums maintains a library of books, journals and magazines at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum which focus on the history of Waterloo Region, life in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and antiques and collectibles of all sorts.
Archival collections include personal and organizational collections, correspondence, memoranda, notebooks and diaries, maps and plans, photographs and other visual and audio-visual media, paintings and documentary art, and a wide range of ephemeral materials. Books or other published works are considered archival if acquired as part of an archival collection.
Individual books and other published works of historical value are part of the collecting mandate of the Region of Waterloo Museums and are housed with the archival collection. Contemporary trade publications that are not considered to be rare are in the public reference library. These publications include books, periodicals, pamphlets, videotapes and others.
As well, the archives at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum is the repository for the permanently retained organizational records of the Ontario Pioneer Community Foundation, Doon Pioneer Village, Doon Heritage Crossroads, Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum and associated predecessor and successor organizations, consistent with Records Retention Schedules developed with Corporate Records/Archives, Corporate Resources Department of the Region of Waterloo. These include the following:
- records documenting ownership of the collection
- records documenting the history of objects in the collection
- records pertaining to programs and activities in the living history site
- records relating to building histories and building restorations