Collections Law & Ethics, Federation Press, September 2025

Collections Law & Ethics addresses the key legal and ethical issues that arise in public museums, galleries, libraries and archives in Australia and New Zealand. How a collection meets these issues affects the reputation of both the organisation and everyone associated with it.

The authors, Shane Simpson and Ian McDonald, both pre-eminent cultural property lawyers, have decades of experience advising collecting and other cultural organisations throughout Australia and New Zealand and this book distils that expertise into a comprehensive, practical text.

They discuss all the main legal and ethical issues that commonly arise in public collections. Topics include:

• key areas of law, including contract, copyright, bailment, limits to freedom of speech;
• ethical issues and frameworks, including in relation to First Nations peoples and materials;
• core collection activities such as acquisitions, loans, touring, deaccessioning and disposal of collection material, with specific chapters also on import and export, repatriation and restitution of cultural material;
• legal and ethical issues arising from technological advances, including NFTs and AI, and how to handle “new media” collection materials such as digital and AV works;
• merchandising, sponsorships, philanthropy and consultancies; and
• the duties to visitors, volunteers, and the responsibilities of staff and board.

Written in plain English, Collections Law & Ethics includes extensive references to legislation and case law, and provides real-life examples, checklists and practical advice. An invaluable book for anyone working in, or advising, a public collecting organisation (and a first-of-its-kind when it comes to New Zealand).