FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2009

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

Treasures Preserved with Grants from the
IMLS American Heritage Preservation Program

Washington, DC—An 18^th century wool quilt, a 19^th century Alutiiq spruce root basket, and 20th century posters from World War II will be preserved for future generations with grants from the new American Heritage Preservation Program awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Through this new public-private partnership, 39 museums and 14 libraries and archives will receive individual grants of up to $3,000 to preserve treasures that convey the essential character and experience of the United States. In the program’s inaugural year, 53 grants totaling $152,308 were awarded. Click here view the winners of this year’s grants.

“With these awards, communities will be able to rescue exceptional objects that link their pasts to their futures,” said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, IMLS Director. “This grant program is an important part of IMLS’s Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action , a multi-year, multi-pronged initiative to protect our national treasures.” Nearly 190 million objects in U.S. collections are in immediate danger of deterioration and need restoration or conservation, according to the Heritage Health Index report.

In this first round of grants, AHP grants were awarded to museums, libraries, and archives to treat, re-house, and improve the storage environments of important collections. Outstanding examples of funded projects include:

• Canton Historical Society in Canton, MA, will use the funds to clean and stabilize the fabric of the 1787 Martha Howard Quilt, an exceptionally fine example of an early New England quilt with calendared wool and delicate stitching detail still intact. The quilt was made by the wife of an early minister of the Congregationalist church in town, with direct ties to current residents and several other community organizations.
• The Baranov Museum in Kodiak, AK, will use the funds to treat a rare 19th century Alutiiq spruce root basket discovered in an archaeological excavation in 2008. This project will also allow for the creation of a permanent support for storage and exhibition of the basket.
• The Phillips Free Library in Homer, NY, will use the grant funds to restore a portrait painted by a local artist, Sanford Thayer, who was both a celebrated portrait artist and teacher of some renown in the community. The conservation measures will allow the portrait to remain on exhibit in the library.
• The library at the Delaware County Community College will use the funds to conserve 19 original World War II posters that were collected by a member of the community when he was a young man in the 1940s. The posters were produced by various government and civilian agencies and were used to encourage the enlistment of men and women into military service, the purchase of war bonds, donation of blood, planting of Victory Gardens, and a general encouragement of patriotism to win the war. The preservation measures will allow the posters to be made available for exhibit at the college, to be loaned to community organizations, and used by history faculty at the College and requesting schools.

Approximately 150 grants of $3,000 each will be awarded over the next three years to preserve specific items, including works of art and historical documents, held in small museums and libraries.

The next application deadline is Sept. 15, 2009. For questions about museum projects, please contact Christine Henry, Senior Program Officer, at 202-653-4674. For questions about library or archival projects, please contact Kevin Cherry, Senior Program Officer, at 202-653-4662.

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 Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy
Building on a long-standing tradition of investing in the communities it serves, Bank of America this year embarked on a new, ten-year goal to donate $2 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the health and vitality of their neighborhoods. Funded by Bank of America, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation gave more than $200 million in 2008, making the bank the most generous financial institution in the world and the second largest donor of all U.S. corporations in cash contributions. Bank of America approaches giving through a national strategy called “neighborhood excellence” under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associate volunteers contributed more than 900,000 hours in 2008 to enhance the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.