The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can
be read on the agency's Web site at www.imls.gov/news/2007/090507.shtm.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2007

Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask]
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]

Museums, Libraries, and Archives Urged to Apply for Free IMLS Connecting
to Collections Bookshelf

Washington, DC-To help raise the conservation IQ of museums, libraries,
and archives, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in
cooperation with the American Association of State and Local History
(AASLH), is offering 2000 free copies of the Connecting to Collections
Bookshelf, a core set of books, DVDs, online resources, and an annotated
bibliography that are essential for the care of collections. A simple
electronic application for the IMLS Bookshelf is available at
www.aaslh.org/Bookshelf.

"The IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf is a set of 'power tools'
that will provide immediate answers to conservation issues faced by
museums, libraries, and archives," said IMLS Director Anne-Imelda
Radice, Ph.D. "We also hope that the IMLS Bookshelf will spark interest
among individuals who will study it and become their institutions' go-to
people for conservation matters."

The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or
history museums and in libraries' special collections, with an added
selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens, and nature
centers. It will address such topics as the philosophy and ethics of
collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness,
and culturally specific conservation issues. Recipients of the Bookshelf
will also receive a user's guide, including an annotated bibliography. A
guide to online resources on collections care is also being prepared by
Heritage Preservation (HP), a national non-profit organization working
to preserve America's collective heritage. Both documents will be
available online.

Two panels of experts,* convened by HP, made recommendations to IMLS on
the contents of the bookshelf. Among the publications selected were The
National Trust Manual of Housekeeping (published by the British National
Trust in 2005), the Field Guide to Emergency Response (published by
Heritage Preservation in 2006), and Essentials of Conservation Biology
(published by Primack in 2006).

The IMLS Bookshelf will be awarded free in two application periods:
September 1 - November 15, 2007, with recipients announced in February
2008; and March 1 - April 15, 2008, with recipients announced in July
2008. Instructions, qualifications, and the content of the IMLS
Bookshelf, along with the online application, can be found at
www.aaslh.org/Bookshelf.

Priority will be given to smaller institutions, but large museums and
libraries with special collections are also eligible to apply. Federally
operated institutions, for-profit institutions, and libraries that do
not hold special collections are not eligible to receive the Bookshelf.
For more information on the IMLS Bookshelf, email Terry Jackson at
[log in to unmask], or call 615-320-3203.

*Expert advisors for the non-living collection texts included: Ellen
Cunningham-Kruppa, director of the William and Margaret Kilgarlin Center
for Preservation of the Cultural Record, University of Texas, Austin;
Jeanne Drewes, chief of Binding and Collections Care of the Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.; Cathy Hawks, private conservator
specializing in object conservation; Melissa Heaver, registrar at the
Fire Museum of Maryland, Lutherville, MD; Wendy Jessup, private
conservator specializing in preventive conservation; and Debra Hess
Norris, Henry Francis du Pont Chair in Fine Arts and Chairperson of the
Department of Art Conservation at Winterthur/University of Delaware,
Winterthur, DE.

*Expert advisors for the living collections texts included Sylvan
Kaufman, conservation curator of the Adkins Arboretum, Ridgely, MD; Bill
Langbauer, director of Science and Conservation, Pittsburgh Zoo; Brandie
Smith, interim director of conservation and science, Association of Zoos
and Aquariums, Silver Spring, MD; and Dan Stark, executive director,
American Public Gardens Association, Wilmington, DE.

The IMLS Bookshelf has received support from the Getty Foundation and
the Henry Luce Foundation and is part of Connecting to Collections: A
Call to Action, a three-year initiative to help improve the care of our
nation's collections. IMLS began the initiative in response to A Public
Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of
America's Collections, a 2005 Heritage Preservation study supported by
IMLS, which documented the dire state of the nation's collections. See
www.imls.gov for more information.


The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of
federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that
connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the
national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to
sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and
innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about
the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

The American Association for State and Local History is a non-profit
membership organization comprising individuals, agencies, and
organizations acting in the public trust, engaged in the practice of
history, and representing a variety of disciplines and professions. It
provides leadership and support for its members who preserve and
interpret state and local history in order to make the past more
meaningful to all Americans. To learn more, visit www.aaslh.org.

The Getty Foundation provides support to institutions and individuals
throughout the world, funding a diverse range of projects that promote
the understanding and conservation of the visual arts. The Foundation is
part of the J. Paul Getty Trust which also includes the J. Paul Getty
Museum, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Conservation
Institute. To learn more, visit www.getty.edu/foundation.

The Henry Luce Foundation was established in 1936 by the late Henry R.
Luce, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc. With assets of
approximately $750 million, the Luce Foundation supports American art,
higher education, Asian affairs, theology, and women in science and
engineering. To learn more, visit www.hluce.org.

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