Meetings on collections care

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has chosen
Heritage Preservation as the cooperator for Connecting to
Collections: The National Tour, which is a central part of the
Institute's multi-year initiative on conservation, Connecting to
Collections: A Call to Action. The goal of the National Tour is 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.

"Our nation's collections are at risk and we must act now to protect
them," said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, PhD, IMLS Director. "With
Heritage Preservation's help, the National Tour will take this
important call to action on the road."

"Heritage Preservation is pleased to cooperate with IMLS on
Collecting to Connections: The National Tour," said Larry Reger,
Executive Director of Heritage Preservation. "The National Tour and
other parts of the Connecting to Collections initiative will help
ensure that demonstrable progress is made on the care of collections
as advocated by the Heritage Health Index (HHI)." The HHI, supported
by IMLS and Heritage Preservation, was the first major survey of the
state of the nation's collections. It concluded that immediate
conservation treatment is needed to prevent the loss of 190 million
artifacts <URL:http://www.heritagepreservation.org/hhi>.

The four meetings of the National Tour will focus on such issues as
collections care expertise, technology and collections care,
connecting to the public, and fundraising. Each meeting will also
explore a particular conservation/preservation issue facing museums
and libraries today. The schedule tentatively includes:

     Atlanta, GA
     Jan. 31-Feb.1, 2008

        The forum, which will be held at the High Museum of Art,
        will focus on issues related to diverse ethnic and cultural
        collections.

    Denver, CO
    June 2008

        The forum, which will be hosted by the Denver Public
        Library, will focus on collaboration in the digital age.

    San Diego, CA
    in Jan. 2009

        The forum, which will be held at the San Diego Zoo, will
        focus on the care of living collections.

    Buffalo, NY
    in June 2009

        The forum will be hosted by the Art Conservation Department
        at Buffalo State College and focus on training in
        collections care.

In addition to the professionals representing small and mid-sized
museums and libraries, each meeting will include leaders from
charitable foundations; regional and national organizations focused
on conservation and preservation; library and museum boards; and
local, state, or the federal government. Attendance is expected to
be at least 200 at each forum and approximately 10,000 additional
people via webcasts, DVDs, and other communication technologies.

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
<URL:http://www.imls.gov>.

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 <URL:http://www.heritagepreservation.org>.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:25
                 Distributed: Saturday, October 6, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-21-25-020
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