Identify what the restriction covers

Give the items separate references or label them as a numbered set. “Blue notebook, Item 1” is easier to find later than “the book included in the box.” An envelope of photographs can also contain captions on loose paper. If both need the same restriction, record both.

Check whether the person is donating the objects or lending them for a limited purpose. Ask which group or archive is receiving them. Keep the description precise enough that a later volunteer can identify the object without reproducing a private inscription or name in a shared inventory.

Here is a useful test before filing the agreement. Give another volunteer the item number and ask them to tell you whether they could show the object, photograph it, or lend it. If they have to guess which sentence controls, make the wording more specific with the donor and archive while everyone is still available.

Name the uses separately

Ask about storage, viewing, photographing, displaying, and posting online. A donor may feel comfortable with one room viewing a coin while expecting its inscription to stay off a public website. A sentence such as “May be displayed at local events. Contact the archive chair before publishing photographs” is more useful than “private.”

Check the archive’s form and ask who can agree to its terms. A donation record can document the agreement. If the material includes other people’s names, portraits or correspondence, let the archive decide whether it needs more permission or a different way to provide access.

Leave a record someone can follow

Write the date the decision was made, the keeper of the signed record, and who can approve a review. If a restriction expires, record the exact date or event that triggers the review. Put a short flag on the inventory entry so the next person knows to look for the agreement before retrieving the item for display.

If you consult an object while researching AA chip history, keep the source citation separate from permission to reproduce a photograph. A historical fact and an image have different handling needs. The archive can tell you whether a public description or image is available for a talk.

For material offered to a local or regional collection, ask where the signed original and working copy belong. Keep both the restriction and its review date with the item’s internal record. The AA Archives overview gives background on the fellowship’s archival work. Use the receiving archive’s own forms and authority for the actual transfer.

Medallions to consider

Contemporary medallions can illustrate current design choices alongside historical objects if your display labels clearly date and identify each example.

Both catalog photos show one-year samples. Confirm your choice in the Sobriety Time selector.

Tricolor Enchanted Crimson Topaz Sparkle

Elite crimson design with a stone-set triangle. The selector lists 18 months and annual milestones from 1 to 65 years.

Tricolor Glittering Aqua

Deluxe aqua design with a white triangle. The selector lists 24 hours, 18 months and annual milestones from 1 to 50 years.

Common questions

Should a restricted item go in the public inventory?

Ask the archive. An internal reference may be enough where even the title reveals private information.

Can a volunteer loosen a restriction later?

Follow the archive’s recorded terms and process for review. Document any approved change.