FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2008

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

IMLS Director Visits Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts

IMLS Director Anne Radice, Debra Hess Norris, and Ingrid Bogel of the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) tour its conservation lab and peruse a volume from the 18th century. (Photo by CCAHA.) Click image for a larger version.

Washington, DC— Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), visited the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) in Philadelphia on June 10 to celebrate Pennsylvania’s Connecting to Collections State Planning Grant program. These IMLS grants aim to foster partnerships among organizations in states for such activities as providing safe conditions for their collections, developing an emergency plan, assigning responsibility for collections care, and marshalling support for and raising public awareness about collections care.

“Many of you who are here today work in libraries, museums, archives, and historical organizations and have been the recipients of IMLS funding,” said Ingrid Bogel, CCAHA Executive Director. “Without this important source of support, our work would be much more difficult. We are all extremely grateful to Dr. Radice and the hardworking staff at IMLS.”

“I have great respect for conservators and for the field of conservation,” Radice said. “I understand that this initiative will be a great undertaking for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I trust that under the capable direction of Ingrid Bogel, and with the help of all of you, this program will flourish.”

CCAHA will share leadership of this project with three other key organizations: the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations, and PALINET, a cooperative membership organization of libraries, information centers, museums, and archives. On June 19, these four groups will meet with 12 stakeholder organizations, representing almost 4,000 institutions, to discuss plans to survey collecting organizations throughout the state and to hold four focus groups in different parts of the state. The results of the survey and focus groups will serve as the basis for drafting a preservation plan for collections.

“Dr. Radice's commitment to and passion for the preservation of our nation's cultural heritage is exemplary,” said Debra Hess Norris, CCAHA Board Chair and Chairperson of the Art Conservation Department at the University of Delaware. “We are grateful for her visionary leadership of the IMLS and for Connecting to Collections: A Call for Action, an initiative that will ensure that at-risk collections housed in museum and libraries throughout the United States are preserved for the enrichment of future generations.”

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.

About the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia is one of the largest regional conservation laboratories in the country. Its mission is to provide expertise and leadership in the preservation of the world's cultural heritage. CCAHA, a non-profit organization, specializes in the treatment of works of art and artifacts on paper, such as drawings, prints, maps, posters, historic wallpaper, photographs, rare books, scrapbooks, and manuscripts, as well as related materials such as parchment and papyrus. CCAHA also offers on site consultation services, educational programs and seminars, internships, and emergency conservation services. For more information go to: http://www.ccaha.org