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/2006/112006.shtm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2006
Press Contacts
202-653-4628
Kevin O'Connell, [log in to unmask]
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]
IMLS Launches New Conservation Initiative
Washington, DC--Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS), today launched Connecting to
Collections: The IMLS Conservation Initiative. In her keynote address to
the annual meeting of Heritage Preservation, Dr. Radice described key
components of the initiative, which will be the centerpiece of the
Institute's tenth anniversary year.
"Our nation's collections are an essential part of the American story,
and I feel a profound responsibility to make care of collections as much
a part of the nation's consciousness as the care of our natural
environment," said Dr. Radice. "With this new initiative, we will raise
public awareness about the value of these collections and provide
momentum that can be leveraged in leadership activities by other federal
agencies, state and local officials, and private funders. If we work
together, the next time we take the temperature of our heritage's health
we will find the patient much improved."
The launch of Connecting to Collections follows the release earlier this
year of "A Public Trust at Risk: A Report of the Heritage Health Index,"
a study conducted by Heritage Preservation in partnership with IMLS that
identified severe inadequacies in current collections care practices and
outlined steps to help remedy the problem.
Dr. Radice outlined three components of the new IMLS initiative:
* A national conservation summit to be held in Washington, DC June
2007 followed by regional summits which will begin in the fall of 2007
and continue through the fall of 2008.
* A "conservation bookshelf" that will comprise core texts in
collections care and be made available to all summit participants and,
through a streamlined competitive process, be distributed annually.
* $500,000 in grants to create statewide plans to address the issues
raised in the Heritage Health Index.
View the full text of Dr. Radice's keynote address at
www.imls.gov/news/speeches/111506.shtm.
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
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