> For Immediate Release, August 15, 2001
>
> Press Contacts
>
> Heritage Preservation:
> Kristen Overbeck - 202-634-0033
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Institute of Museum and Library Service:
> Eileen Maxwell - 202-606-8339 [log in to unmask]
>
> America's Heritage To Receive a Check-up
>
> Washington, DC - The Heritage Health Index, which will for the first time
> measure the condition of the nation's collections, is being launched by
> Heritage Preservation, Inc. This survey is being developed by Heritage
> Preservation in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library
> Services, and with major funding from the Getty Grant Program.
>
> Through the Heritage Health Index, the condition of collections in the
> nation's museums, libraries, archives, and historical societies will be
> measured every four years. At present, no national survey is conducted
> regularly to produce credible statistics regarding the condition of the
> nation's artistic, historical, and scientific collections.
>
> Heritage Preservation President Lawrence L. Reger explains, "Just as the
> quality of our nation's educational system, health care, and environment
> are routinely surveyed, we must have similar comprehensive data about the
> collections that comprise our national heritage. If we are to succeed in
> preserving our collective past, we must first understand the national
> picture."
>
> Prominent conservation professionals and national organizations have
> endorsed the Heritage Health Index project and will participate in its
> development and implementation. With their input, and that of survey
> specialists, a survey will be developed that will yield an accurate
> measurement of the condition of U.S. collections. This data is critical
> to:
>
> * Facilitate consensus-building and long-range planning within the fields
> of preservation and conservation and in collecting institutions;
> * Make a persuasive case for critically needed resources to policy-makers,
> trustees, and prospective donors;
> * Assist administrators in making wise allocations of resources;
> * Help those who manage funding programs determine what are the areas of
> greatest need;
> * Educate the public at large.
>
> The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is partnering with
> Heritage Preservation in this endeavor because "when museum and library
> collections are at risk our nation risks losing a precious resource that
> educates, inspires, entertains, and connects all Americans," says Dr.
> Robert S. Martin, Director of the IMLS. "Our first step in improving
> resource allocation for conservation is to document how museums and
> libraries already care for their collections and the support they need for
> the future." Over the last two decades, IMLS has made more than 4,600
> grants for conservation through their Conservation Project Support grant
> and Conservation Assessment Program.
>
> The Getty Grant Program of the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles has
> provided financial support for the development of the Heritage Health
> Index. 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
> 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.
>
> About Heritage Preservation - Heritage Preservation is a 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 additional
> information on the Heritage Health Index, contact Kristen Overbeck,
> Heritage Preservation, 1730 K Street, NW, Suite 566, Washington, DC 20006,
> 202-634-0033, [log in to unmask], or
> 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. IMLS has an annual budget of approximately $230 million. 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
> Getty Trust also includes the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research
> Institute, and the Getty Conservation Institute. Further information is
> available from the Getty Grant Program, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite
> 800, Los Angeles, California 90049, 310-440-7320, or www.getty.edu.
>
> ####
>
>
>
>
> Eileen Maxwell
> Public Affairs Specialist
> Institute of Museum and Library Services
> 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
> Suite 510
> Washington, DC  20506
> 202-606-8339
> 202-606-8591 (fax)
> [log in to unmask]
> Subscribe to Primary Source, the IMLS monthly e-mail newsletter, for
> important museum and library news
> http://www.imls.gov/utility/subscrbe.htm.
>
>

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