Museums’ ethical guidelines released

Museums have new ethical guidelines for accepting contributions to ensure the institutions maintain their integrity and donors don’t unfairly benefit by giving.

The guidelines, released this week by the American Assn. of Museums, say it is essential for museums to carefully examine and control what they put into programs, exhibitions and other activities.

“A museum’s governing authority and staff must ensure that no individual benefits at the expense of the museum’s mission, reputation or the community it serves,” the guidelines say.

Edward H. Able, president of the association, which has about 3,000 members, said no specific incident prompted the guidelines.