FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Updated July 24, 2007
Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov
Please note that the RFP for Connecting
to Collections: The National Tour has been modified.
Changes were made in Section I.C (Scope of Work) in order
to clarify the goals of the IMLS for the four forums.
In addition, two items were added to Section VIII (Other
Information) to include information regarding payment
and termination of the cooperative agreement, once it
is awarded. Please delete the previous version and access
the current version at: www.imls.gov/pdf/RFPNationalTour.pdf.
IMLS Invites Proposals for Cooperative Agreement to Support
Connecting to Collections: The National Tour
Deadline for Applications:
August. 17, 2007
Washington, DC--The Institute
of Museum and Library Services invites proposals for a
cooperative agreement to support Connecting to Collections:
The National Tour, a series of four meetings, to be held
in major American cities during 2008 and 2009. The forums
will build on the success of the national summit on collections
care recently held in Washington, D.C. The application
deadline is August 17, 2007, and the cooperative agreement
will be awarded September 7, 2007.
The goal of the National Tour is to raise
awareness of the importance of collections care among
representatives of small and mid-sized museums and libraries.
It will also provide the audience with conservation/preservation
tools to begin addressing the challenges outlined in the
Heritage Health Index (HHI, www.heritagepreservation.org/hhi).
This first major survey of the state of our nation’s
collections, supported by IMLS and Heritage Preservation,
found that 26 percent of American museums and libraries
lack environmental controls, that 65 percent of these
institutions have experienced damage to collections because
of improper storage, and that 77 percent do not allocate
funds specifically for conservation or preservation.
All four meetings will focus on collections
care expertise, technology and collections care, connecting
to the public, and fundraising. Each meeting will also
explore a particular issue in conservation/preservation
facing museums and libraries today. The anticipated schedule
includes:
• Atlanta, Georgia, on January 24-25, 2008. The
forum, which will be held at the High Museum of Art, will
focus on topics and issues associated with diverse ethnic
and cultural collections.
• Denver, Colorado, May 1-2, 2008. The forum, which
will be held at the Denver Art Museum in collaboration
with the Denver Public Library, will focus on collaboration
in the digital age.
• San Diego, California, in January 2009. The forum,
to be held at the San Diego Zoo, will focus on the care
of living collections.
• Buffalo, New York, in June 2009. It is anticipated
that this forum will be held at the Art Conservation Department
at Buffalo State College and focus on training in collections
care
In addition to the professionals representing
small and mid-sized museums and libraries, each meeting
will include leaders from foundations; regional and national
organizations focused on conservation and preservation;
library and museum boards; and local, state, or federal
government.
Attendance is expected to be at least 150
at each forum, and IMLS anticipates awarding 30 travel
stipends to representatives from small and mid-sized libraries
and museums for each meeting. In addition, the forums
will reach 10,000 people via webcasts, DVD’s, or
other communication technologies. For more information
on the request for proposals, please go to www.imls.gov/pdf/RFPNationalTour.pdf.
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