FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2008

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

Museums, Libraries, and Archives Urged to Apply for Free
IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf

Deadline extended to April 30, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC--The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in cooperation with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), has extended the deadline for applying for the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of books, online resources, and a user’s guide that are essential for the care of collections. The bookshelf has received support from the Getty Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.

A simple electronic application for the free IMLS Bookshelf is available at www.aaslh.org/Bookshelf.
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. Recipients of the Bookshelf will also receive a guide with answers to common questions about collections care that can be answered by the Bookshelf. A guide to online resources on collections care has also been prepared by Heritage Preservation (HP), a national non-profit organization working to preserve America’s collective heritage. Both documents are available online on the IMLS Web Site at www.imls.gov/collections.

Two panels of experts, convened by HP, made recommendations to IMLS on the contents of the bookshelf. Among the publications selected were The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping (published by the British National Trust in 2005), the Field Guide to Emergency Response (published by Heritage Preservation in 2006), and Essentials of Conservation Biology (published by Primack in 2006).

The IMLS Bookshelf will be awarded free in this last application period March 1 – April 30, 2008, with recipients announced in July 2008. Instructions, qualifications, and the content of the IMLS Bookshelf, along with the online application, can be found at www.aaslh.org/Bookshelf.

Priority will be given to smaller institutions, but large museums and libraries with special collections are also eligible to apply. Federally operated institutions, for-profit institutions, and libraries that do not hold special collections are not eligible to receive the Bookshelf. For more information on the IMLS Bookshelf, email Terry Jackson at jackson@aaslh.org, or call 615-320-3203.

The Bookshelf is part of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a multi-year initiative to help improve the care of our nation’s collections. IMLS began the initiative in response to A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America’s Collections, a 2005 Heritage Preservation study supported by IMLS, which documented the dire state of the nation’s collections. See www.imls.gov/collections for more information.

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.

The American Association for State and Local History is a non-profit membership organization comprising individuals, agencies, and organizations acting in the public trust, engaged in the practice of history, and representing a variety of disciplines and professions. It provides leadership and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all Americans. To learn more, visit www.aaslh.org.

The Getty Foundation provides support to institutions and individuals throughout the world, funding a diverse range of projects that promote the understanding and conservation of the visual arts. The Foundation is part of the J. Paul Getty Trust which also includes the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Conservation Institute. To learn more, visit www.getty.edu/foundation.

The Henry Luce Foundation was established in 1936 by the late Henry R. Luce, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc. With assets of approximately $750 million, the Luce Foundation supports American art, higher education, Asian affairs, theology, and women in science and engineering. To learn more, visit www.hluce.org.

The Samuel H. Kress Foundation was created in 1929 to promote the collection and distribution of works of European art to American museums, the preservation of significant monuments of European art and architecture, and the nurturing of professional expertise in art history and art conservation.To learn more, visit www.kressfoundation.org.