One of the outrageous problems that persists with such organizations is the behind-the-scenes cherry-picking and occasional outright theft of donated collections. I have personal experience in seeing this happen on more than one instance where a colleciton arrives, and it gathers quick interest in those people who place themselves nearby. As the collections are sorted and 'inventoried', some key items seem to disappear. There is very little ability to keep this from happening, as those in charge of such matters are often the perpetrators themselves. It's easy to get away with stealing negatives and slides because of their size, and if the collection is more than a few boxes, who's to know?

Lending your collection, however few shots, should ALWAYS be done with a prior written agreement and handled with insurance and tracking numbers/paper trail if you place any value at all of your credits or ownership. As far as so-called historical societies are concerned, most are merely arm-chair enthusiasts of like-minded fantasy and while they may be the finest purveyor of such subjects, they are still only people. Few of these societies are actually chartered, board of directors driven and with responsible department heads. Even fewer still have the resources to produce quality publications in a timely manner to a widespread audience.

With that in mind, consider yourself lucky and validated if your shots are chosen by a legitimate group. And, should that occour, do everyone a big favor and prepare your slides and negatives in a coherent, well-captioned manner AND put your name and address on everything(!). Ensure you have included post-paid return packaging that will withstand the abuse and neglect of the chosen carrier...and keep track of the paper trail!