The mission of The Salvation Army Museum of the West at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont is to collect, describe, preserve, and interpret historical materials that document the mission of The Salvation Army in the Western Territory and to make these resources accessible for scholarship, Salvation Army programming, and education of the public. Among the most significant ways in which the Museum of the West fulfills this mission is by collecting, receiving, and preserving letters, documents, photographs, art work, books, records, artifacts, memorabilia, and printed material of visual value pertaining to the purposes of the Museum of the West; by maintaining storage facilities for the better preservation of its collection; by creating and maintaining a research center for the use of Salvationists, scholars, and others of the general public under such rules and regulations for use of the collection; and by providing outreach to Salvationists, scholars, and the general public through research assistance, historical exhibits, and publications.

The Salvation Army Museum of the West actively seeks artifacts, published material, and original material which will enhance the present collection and strengthen collection weaknesses. Acquisitions will also be based on the Museum of the West's ability to properly care for the items.

Acquisitions will be limited to those collections that have a primary emphasis on The Salvation Army in the Western United States. However, this will not preclude acquisition of materials dealing with religious or Western history or The Salvation Army in general, especially if those materials describe conditions or events influencing The Salvation Army and its development in the Western United States.

The Museum of the West recognizes that other institutions collect in the same or overlapping areas, and that in some cases, there may be a more appropriate repository for materials offered to the Museum of the West. In the spirit of cooperation, opportunities to acquire such materials, as well as those not covered by the Acquisition and Collection Policy of the Museum of the West, will be referred to an appropriate repository. In the event that the legitimate collecting interests of the Museum of the West and another repository directly conflict, the Museum of the West will use the best interest of both The Salvation Army and the research community as the primary criterion in pursuing a resolution.

The Salvation Army Museum of the West prefers not to collect material with perpetual access restrictions, but collections that can be opened within a reasonable period of time will be considered. The Museum of the West also prefers to collect donated materials rather than items loaned to the repository on an indefinite basis; however, agreements of this kind will be considered.

In the event that the Museum of the West determines a previously accessioned item to be unsuitable, it may be deaccessioned.

Click Here to download a printable version of this document.