Treasured objects and artifacts =
held by the=20
Amargosa Valley Library will be preserved for future generations with =
help from=20
the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation =
books,=20
DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and =
Library=20
Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the =
nation=E2=80=99s museums=20
and libraries. IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for =
State and=20
Local History (AASLH), will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS =
Bookshelf by the end of 2008.
Items held in the Amargosa Valley =
Library's=20
special collections include archival newspapers and newsletters, =
photographs of=20
the Valley, VHS tapes of community events, and transcripts of interviews =
with=20
community members. Many of these materials are several decades old, and =
are in=20
need of special care in order to ensure their =
preservation.
=E2=80=9CWe are=20
pleased to announce the first group of IMLS Bookshelf recipients. These =
small=20
libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for =
America=E2=80=99s heritage,=E2=80=9D=20
said Radice. =E2=80=9CA recent national study tells a sobering story =
about the state of=20
America=E2=80=99s library and museum collections. Without immediate =
action we stand to=20
lose important collections that are at the heart of the American=20
story.=E2=80=9D
The=20
Amargosa Valley Library is among the first to receive this essential set =
of=20
resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for =
care of its=20
collections. The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found =
in art or=20
history museums and in libraries' special collections, with an added =
selection=20
of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens, and nature centers. It =
addresses=20
such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections =
management=20
and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific =
conservation=20
issues.
The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting =
to=20
Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the =
Institute=20
launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in response to a 2005 study =
by=20
Heritage Preservation documenting the dire state of the nation=E2=80=99s =
collections.=20
The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight =
on the=20
needs of America=E2=80=99s collections, especially those held by smaller =
institutions,=20
which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to =
adequately care=20
for their collections.
Click =
here for=20
more information on the conservation =
initiative.
About the=20
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of =
Museum and=20
Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the =
nation=E2=80=99s=20
122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to =
create=20
strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and =
ideas. The=20
Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and =
local=20
organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance =
learning and=20
innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about =
the=20
Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov/.=20