PHILADELPHIA, PA.- At its quarterly meeting on October 26, 2010, the Board of Trustees of the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia voted unanimously to deaccession thirteen paintings by the British artist Walter Greaves (1846-1930). Deaccessioning is the term museums use to describe the permanent removal, by sale or by gift, of items from their collections. There are two essential parts of deaccessioning: making the decision in the first place, and then allocating the proceeds. The following text – prepared by Derick Dreher, Director, Rosenbach Museum & Library – will address the best standards and practices for both issues, and explain in detail the entire process the Rosenbach followed. When a museum’s governing body engages in a thoughtful process, making the decision based on curatorial arguments, deaccessioning can be an important tool for proactive