Doing the readings this week, I kept thinking back to what you're always saying about finding a way for institutions to close. Simon mentioned that decisions to deaccession are often framed as a solution in an existentialist crisis--deacession or we won't survive. If a museum has to deaccession part of its collection just to pay bills and barely survive for another year, perhaps it is time for it to close. Clearly they aren't using their collection well enough to attract many visitors or funders anyway. At least if they close there should be less pressure to capitalize the collection and an increased likelihood it might end up still within the public trust at other museums instead of in private hands.
RE: The Conflict Between Public Trust and Surviving