Press Release from Heritage Preservation and the Institute of Museum and
Library Services
You may also read a Web version this press release at:
http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/HHIhome.HTM
For Immediate Release
Press Contacts:
Heritage Preservation
Kristen Overbeck Laise - 202-634-0033
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IMLS
Eileen Maxwell - 202-606-8339
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Heritage Health Index Developing Nationwide Survey
Washington, DC - Experts nationwide are participating in the Heritage Health
Index, a major initiative to measure the condition and needs of the nation's
collections. Heritage Preservation is coordinating the Heritage Health Index
in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and with
funding from the Getty Grant Program.
The Heritage Health Index survey will gather data on collection conditions
and preservation needs in the nation's archives, historical societies,
libraries, and museums. In addition to providing a national context in which
individual institutions may evaluate their progress, the results of the
Heritage Health Index will improve long-range planning within the fields of
preservation and conservation, inform decision makers and funders on the
need for additional resources, and educate the public about the critical
work collecting institutions do to preserve our nation's heritage.
Because a sample of collecting institutions across the nation will be asked
to complete the survey, involving institutions in its development is
essential. Heritage Preservation President Lawrence L. Reger explains, "A
survey like the Heritage Health Index is much needed and is long overdue,
but to ensure its success we must have the cooperation of as many
institutions as possible, and this begins with the survey development."
Even before officially launching the project in summer 2001, Heritage
Preservation sought input from leading preservation professionals on
planning the initiative. In October 2001, Heritage Preservation convened an
Institutional Advisory Group of national associations and federal agencies
that advocate for collecting institutions. The meeting of 50 participants
represented the diverse universe that the Heritage Health Index will include
and provided institutional perspectives on what the survey should capture.
From February to May 2002, Heritage Preservation will assemble nine Working
Groups to discuss specific preservation issues that the survey should
address. Each group will consist of professionals whose work includes
preservation activities, such as administrators, conservators, preservation
officers, archivists, curators, librarians, and registrars. Working Group
participants will also reflect the diversity of the type, size, and
geographical location of institutions to be surveyed. The Working Groups are
organized by similar materials and formats and include:
* archaeological and ethnographic objects
* books, manuscripts, records, maps, newspapers
* decorative arts, sculpture, mixed media
* electronic records and digital collections
* furniture, textiles, historical objects
* moving images and recorded sound
* natural science specimens
* paintings, prints, drawings
* photographic materials
Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library
Services, said, "The Heritage Health Index partnership is a formidable one.
The Getty, Heritage Preservation, and the Institute of Museum and Library
Services have each contributed a wealth of expertise to help museums achieve
the highest standards in conservation. Bringing in a wide group of
professionals will help the partnership develop the most comprehensive
survey of the nation's collections."
Heritage Preservation has selected Aeffect, Inc. to advise on statistical
validity and design of the survey. Based in Deerfield, Illinois, Aeffect,
Inc. provides research and consulting services to organizations in the
corporate, government, and non-profit sectors. The firm has worked with
cultural organizations serving both local and national audiences, including
the Norman Rockwell Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Lake County
Discovery Museum, and Shedd Aquarium. Aeffect has also consulted with the
Institute of Museum and Library Services to assess the prevalence of
museum-library partnerships in the United States and to evaluate the impact
of grant programs. Aeffect's research and consultation helps these and other
clients better understand and respond to their audiences, refine program
offerings, and guide institutional strategic planning.
About Heritage Preservation - Heritage Preservation is a non-profit
organization dedicated to preserving our nation's heritage. Its members
include libraries, museums, archives, historic preservation organizations,
historical societies, conservation organizations, and other professional
groups concerned with saving the past for the future. For information on the
Heritage Health Index, contact Kristen Overbeck Laise, Heritage
Preservation, 1730 K Street, NW, Suite 566, Washington, DC 20006,
202-634-0033, [log in to unmask], or
www.heritagepreservation.org <http://www.heritagepreservation.org>.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services - IMLS is an independent
Federal agency that fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of
learning by supporting the nation's museums and libraries. Created by the
Museum and Library Services Act of 1996, P.L. 104-208, IMLS administers the
Library Services and Technology Act and the Museum Services Act. The
Institute receives policy advice from two Presidentially appointed, Senate
confirmed entities: the National Commission for Libraries and Information
Science and the National Museum Services Board. For more information,
including grant applications, contact IMLS at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20506, 202-606-8536, or www.imls.gov.
About the Getty Grant Program - The Getty Grant Program is part of the J.
Paul Getty Trust, an international cultural and philanthropic institution
devoted to the visual arts located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The
Grant Program provides critical support to institutions and individuals
throughout the world in fields that are aligned most closely with the
Trust's strategic priorities. It therefore funds a diverse range of projects
that promote learning and scholarship about the history of the visual arts
and the conservation of cultural heritage, and it consistently searches for
collaborative efforts that set high standards and make significant
contributions. Since its inception in 1984, the Grant Program has supported
over 2,500 projects in more than 150 countries. Further information is
available from the Getty Grant Program, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 800,
Los Angeles, CA 90049, 310-440-7320, or www.getty.edu
<http://www.getty.edu>.
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