Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center
Receives Conservation Bookshelf From Institute of Museum & Library Services
For Immediate Release
3 April 2008
Contact: Thomas Hunter, Assistant Director, 315 428-1864, x 320
IMLS Contact:
Jeannine Mjoseth,
202-653-4632
Treasured objects and documents held by the Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center (OHA) will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries. IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf by the end of 2008. Of 851 recipients in the first round of selection, OHA was the only museum in Syracuse, NY to receive these preservation and conservation resources.
OHA’s collections of museum objects, manuscripts, photographs, and many other items significant to the history Syracuse and Onondaga County, NY will benefit from these newly acquired resources. “It is an honor to be chosen as one of the Bookshelf recipients,” said Thomas Hunter, OHA’s assistant director. “OHA’s curatorial staff will utilize these preservation and conservation tools to enhance the quality of care of our community’s magnificent material culture.”
“We are pleased to announce the first group of IMLS Bookshelf recipients. These libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for America’s heritage,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS. “A recent national study tells a sobering story about the state of America’s library and museum collections. Without immediate action we stand to lose important collections that are at the heart of the American story.”
OHA is among the first to receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections. 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 addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.
The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the Institute launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in response to a 2005 study by Heritage Preservation documenting the dire state of the nation’s collections. The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight on the needs of America’s collections, especially those held by smaller institutions, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to adequately care for their collections. Click here for more information on the conservation initiative.
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.
