FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2005
Press Contacts
202-653-4630
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov
America's Collections at Risk
Results of the First Comprehensive Survey Are In
Washington, DC—Roughly
190 million objects held by archives, historical societies,
libraries, museums, and scientific organizations are in
need of conservation treatment according to the first
comprehensive survey ever conducted of the conditions
and preservation needs of our nation’s collections.
Conducted by Heritage Preservation in partnership with
IMLS, the Heritage Health Index found that immediate action
is needed to prevent the loss of millions of irreplaceable
artifacts.
At a December 6 news conference in New York City, Heritage Preservation presented highlights from the survey report, A Public Trust at
Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections. The report concluded that:
- Sixty-five percent of collecting institutions have experienced damage to collections due to improper storage.
- Eighty percent of U.S. collecting institutions do not have an emergency plan that includes collections, with staff trained to carry it out.
- Forty percent of institutions have no funds allocated in their annual budgets for preservation/conservation.
“The collections of libraries, museums, and archives have incredible power,” said IMLS Acting Director Mary Chute. “They
can change both our minds and our hearts. They inform and inspire our children, advance scientific discovery, and help us celebrate achievement
and resolve that our generation will do better. The Heritage Health Index can act as a call to action and inspire a new and renewed commitment
to caring for America’s collections.”
The report calls on individuals in the private sector and at all levels of government to assume responsibility for providing support
that will allow collections to survive. It also calls on institutions to develop emergency plans to protect collections, to give priority
to providing safe conditions for collections, and to assign responsibility for collections care to staff members.
For more survey results, including the complete
report and recommendations for collection-holding institutions,
visit the Heritage Health Index page of the Heritage Preservation
Web site: http://www.heritagepreservation.org/HHI. |
