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Staff
The Galt Museum & Archives have an extensive collection of hundreds of thousands of archival materials and collections items. Our collections are open to residents and researchers. You can search our collections database at https://collections.galtmuseum.com.
Our previous database offered researchers separate search sites for archives, collections and our library. Our new database has combined them all into one database and search function.
The process of capturing and preserving our history is never complete, nor is the history itself written in stone. We are always grateful to you for pointing out any errors you may notice. Too often the years go by and the opportunity to make corrections slips away.
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Archives
The Galt Museum & Archives collects and preserves information of permanent value to the study of the human history of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta. We collect archival resources, like photographs, minutes, oral histories, and other documents, from both public and private sources and it is available to all researchers.
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Collections
The mandate of the Galt’s collections is to actively collect human-made artifacts and intellectual property that illuminate the founding and development of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta from the late nineteenth century to the present. In addition, we acquire materials that highlight the region’s Indigenous history, focusing on the culture of the Blackfoot Confederacy. All objects will be used for the exclusive purposes of preservation, research and presentation to the public.
Donations
The Galt Museum & Archives actively collects and solicits new artifacts on a year round basis. The Galt, however, will not accept a donation if conditions are attached to the offer.
Donations are reviewed by community-based Acquisitions Committee four times a year to determine the artifacts’ suitability relative to the mandate of the Galt Museum & Archives.
The committee also reviews the condition of the item and examines the existing collection to see if there are examples of similar items which already have been collected. If the item meets the Museum's criteria, the item is accepted into the collection.
This review process commonly takes from four to six months. If an artifact(s) is wanted for the Museum’s collection the donor will be informed and requested to sign a Certificate of Gift.
Endorsement of the Certificate transfers legal ownership of the artifact(s) to the Museum and to the City of Lethbridge.
Loans
The Galt Museum & Archives makes available for loan artifacts from its permanent collection and from its hands-on teaching collection on a temporary, conditional basis.
The Galt reserves the right to refuse loan requests for reasons including conservation and applicant unsuitability.
Candidates must adhere to all loan contract conditions. These conditions include, but are not limited to, maintenance of a proper display/ storage environment, adherence to all security requests and proof of insurance should the artifact become lost, stolen or damaged.
Conditions relative to the loan of artifacts are more stringent than those which apply to objects of the teaching collection.
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Attribution
Please label your photo or other archival information obtained from the Galt with "Courtesy the Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa" and include the UID number. Browsing through our database is free, but permission to use items from the database usually comes with an associated cost. Review our fee schedule if you have specific requests.