An Indirect Path to Greater Efficiency
Key Points:
Definition of “Third Party”
Why third parties
Third party example
How third parties can succeed
The best way to efficiently, economically, and safely take care of your collection is to leave it in storage. Do not transport it. Do not loan it. Do not touch it. Let us admit, however, that we do the world a disservice by caging our collections as such.
As an alternative to invisible collections, however, I propose we look at our policies behind the movement of our collections. I believe that we can create more efficient, economical, and sustainable transportation ecosystems by organizing and engaging a collection of third parties. As a result, we can keep collections on exhibit, decrease costs, increase efficiency, and distribute risk through outsourcing care to third parties.
By “third party” I generally mean outsourcing work to other collections care professionals, but it could also mean another institution or entity. It is an intermediary tool for bridging a gap in care or service. I will go into greater detail about some key third party examples in upcoming articles; however, I believe that outsourcing work to third parties will make the future of the collections sector possible. The use of third parties simply allows fewer people to manage eternally growing collections. The pandemic has made this very clear.
To understand the concept in the most broad sense, the bookend courier is the most obvious example. Instead of sending a staff member to courier (an escort for an object) a loan to another institution, hire a "bookend courier," an appropriate local independent professional, to represent your needs away from your institution. Your staff “bookends” the transaction when it departs, and the bookend courier “bookends” the transaction when it arrives. They bridge the gap between institutions – the lender and borrower – and represent the needs of the lender on their behalf so that they do not give up their own time for the sake of the loan. In doing so, they also reduce the overall cost of the loan by eliminating airfare, hotels, and per diem requirements from lenders. It is a win-win situation if you can trust the bookend courier.
On some level, by employing a third party, you imply that you distrust the other party (you do not trust the borrower to care for your object the same as you), but we should not interpret that derogatorily. You, the lender, have not incentivized the "second party," the borrower in this case, to care for the objects in the same way because of liability demands. If the object has a problem, their insurance policy protects it, thus they do not want to discover anything wrong because they bear the liability.
I do understand, though, that the point of a borrower taking on the risk supposes that they will be more careful when handling it; however, during transit, they leave it in the hands of a transporter operating under the borrowing institution’s insurance. Though they, as the borrower, may take great care, they still take on the risk of someone else’s actions.
For third parties to succeed, they need to meet a high standard because one party gives up control. Thus, in order to establish trust with the relinquishing party and insurer, we must create a system to screen and employ quality third parties who must also take on the liability. Our subsequent policies should incentivize them, create a standard for quality, and displace the risk.
Let me know in the comments if you have ideas or practices that achieve these goals.
