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 http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/040208.shtm.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2008

Press Contacts
Jill Collins (703) 716-0925 [log in to unmask] 
Giuliana Bullard (703) 532-1477 [log in to unmask]

IMLS Will Sponsor Second Conservation Forum for Collecting Institutions

"Collaboration in the Digital Age" Set for June 24-25 in Denver, Colorado

WASHINGTON, DC--It is clear that Americans are increasingly using the Internet to connect to museum and library resources. A recent IMLS study reports that in 2006, 310 million of the 1.2 billion adult visits to museums were made online and 560 million of the 1.3 billion adult visits to libraries were made online. Yet the Health Heritage Index found that 60% of collecting institutions do not include digital preservation in their mission.*

Digitizing special library and museum collections has many advantages - better collection management, less wear and tear on objects, and greater public access - to name a few. But the challenges are also formidable, and include cost, prioritization, and, of course, preserving digital collections. Where to begin? To answer some of these questions, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is sponsoring the forum, "Collaboration in the Digital Age."

This program - organized in cooperation with Heritage Preservation, the Denver Public Library, the Colorado Historical Society, and the Denver Art Museum- is part of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, an IMLS initiative to save endangered collections in the nation's museums and libraries. Scheduled for June 24 and 25 in Denver this is the second in a series of four national conservation forums that are part of the Connecting to Collections initiative.

"Collaboration in the Digital Age" responds to the needs of museums and libraries by helping them think strategically and collaboratively about digitization and digital preservation. Speakers will review the fundamentals of digital content creation and preservation, emphasizing practical approaches to planning digital projects, increasing access to collections, enabling digital resources to serve multiple purposes, and protecting digital investments. 

Francie Alexander, Senior Vice President of Scholastic Education and Chief Academic Officer of Scholastic Inc. will be the first of many speakers, including leaders in the digital collections field and other distinguished professionals from across the nation. Elizabeth Broun, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, will deliver the keynote address.

The forum is open and free of charge to staff and board members of museums, libraries, and archives, as well as to conservation professionals, representatives of government, funders, and the media. Advance online registration is required. Program and logistical information and online registration are available at www.imls.gov/collections/tour.

IMLS's Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action is a multi-year, multi-faceted program. It includes a series of four national forums in 2008 and 2009 sponsored by IMLS and planned in cooperation with Heritage Preservation. The meetings of the Connecting to Collections National Tour are designed to raise awareness among leaders of small and mid-sized museums and libraries about the importance of collections care and to give them practical information, tools, and resources to inspire action nationwide. The National Tour was launched in Atlanta in January 2008 with a forum on preserving America's diverse cultural collections.

"Collaboration in the Digital Age" will be held at the three sponsoring institutions, all located just south of Civic Center Park in downtown Denver. There will be no on-site registration. Online registration is required by May 23, 2008.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services 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.

About Heritage Preservation
Heritage Preservation is the national 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 more information, please visit www.heritagepreservation.org.

*Interconnections: Museums, Libraries and the Internet was sponsored by IMLS through a cooperative agreement with a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill research team led by José-Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King, recognized leaders in information research (www.interconnectionsreport.org). The Heritage Health Index was conducted by Heritage Preservation in partnership with the IMLS (www.heritagepreservation.org/hhi/).

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