FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2008

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

IMLS Announces 2008 Award of 19 Connecting to Collections:
Statewide Planning Grants

WASHINGTON, DC--The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today awarded 19 Connecting to Collections: Statewide Planning Grants that will be used to create conservation plans for collections held in libraries, museums, and archives. The Statewide Planning Grants are an important component of the IMLS initiative, Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a multi-year, multi-faceted national plan to raise public awareness and inspire action on collections care. Click here to view the winners of this year’s grants.

Under the new program, 19 states will receive $720, 497, matched with $527,930 of non-federal funds, to implement recommendations of the Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America’s Collections, which found that the nation’s collections are at great risk. The IMLS-supported report recommended that collecting institutions provide safe conditions for their collections, create an emergency plan for collections, designate a person for collections care, and raise public awareness and support for collections care.

“These 19 projects represent movement toward collaborative thinking among collection-holding institutions that have a strong commitment to collections stewardship,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, IMLS Director. “IMLS funding will assist these relationships in blossoming into powerful alliances that will serve collections and the people who use them for years to come.”

In the first year of this two-year initiative, IMLS received 26 applications from 23 states and territories requesting more than $1 million. Over the next two years, IMLS hopes to make one grant to each eligible state or territory; the next deadline for applications is in October 16, 2008.

The best proposals, in addition to meeting the review criteria, shared the following characteristics:

• Project goals were tied directly to the findings of the Heritage Health Index.
• The application engaged a broad array of partners across the state, including museums and libraries of many disciplines, archives, representatives from the philanthropic community, and state government officials with relevant collections oversight or disaster preparedness responsibility.
• The proposed partnership coalition included the “major players” within the state and will reach out to institutions of many sizes in an inclusive planning process.

Visit the new Connecting to Collections Web site to learn more about this multi-year, multi-faceted national 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.