A description of the various programs related to the Institute of Museum and Library Services program Connecting to Collections with an eye towards how Vermont collecting institutions have been involved. Presented at a New England Conservation Association meeting held September 10, 2010 at Shelburne Museum

1. Connecting to Collections:
A short review (with a Vermont bias)
in anticipation of the Raising the Bar webinars
Nancie Ravenel, Objects Conservator, Shelburne Museum
New England Conservation Association Meeting, September 10, 2010

2. Heritage Preservation’s
Heritage Health Index,
published 2005
■ 190 million objects held by archives,
historical societies, libraries, museums,
& scientific organizations in the United
States are in need of conservation
treatment
■ 65 percent of collecting institutions have
experienced damage to collections due
to improper storage
■ 80 percent of collecting institutions do
not have an emergency plan that
Available at http://imls.gov/collections/about/pubs.htm
includes collections, with staff trained to
carry it out
■ 40 percent of institutions have no funds
allocated in their annual budgets for
preservation or conservation.

4. Dr. Anne Imelda Radice
http://www.imls.gov/images/bioRadice_300.jpg

5. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/
WhiteHouseSouthFacade.JPG
Dr. Anne Imelda Radice
http://www.imls.gov/images/bioRadice_300.jpg

6. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/
WhiteHouseSouthFacade.JPG
Dr. Anne Imelda Radice
http://www.imls.gov/images/bioRadice_300.jpg

7. Available at http://imls.gov/collections/about/pubs.htm

8. The National Summit
27-28 June, 2007, Washington, DC
• Connecting to Expertise
• Connecting to Technology
http://imls.gov/news/2007/images/summit/crowd2.jpg • Connecting to the Public
Summary at http://imls.gov/collections/summit/summary.htm
• Connecting to Funders

9. 15 institutions in Vermont
received a bookshelf
http://imls.gov/collections/bookshelf/biblio.htm

10. The online companion
to the Connecting to
Collections
bookshelf is available
to everyone
http://imls.gov/collections/resources/index.htm

11. Vermont received a
Connecting to
Collections Statewide
Planning Grant in 2008

12. National Tour Forum Attendees
from Vermont
Atlanta - Preserving America’s Diverse Heritage
WASHI, West Burke
Denver - Collaboration in the Digital Age
University of Vermont, Burlington
San Diego - It’s Alive! Petals to Primates:
Preservation Challenges of Living Collections
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center,
Burlington
http://imls.gov/collections/Tour/images/Norris.jpg
Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington
Buffalo - Stewardship of America’s Legacy:
Answering the Call to Action
Shelburne Museum, Shelburne
Woodbury Community Library, St. Johnsbury

13. If you missed the forums
they’re available online
Links to the webcasts at http://www.imls.gov/collections/Tour/index.htm

14. National Impact
•2,751 bookshelf sets awarded
•42 Statewide Planning grants
•1,163 attendees: National
Summit & National Tour stops
http://imls.gov/collections/about/pdf/CtoC_Map_Jul09.pdf

15. An Aside:
The International Forum
hosted by
the Salzburg Global Seminar and IMLS,
28 October-1November, 2009,
Salzburg, Austria
Report available at http://imls.gov/collections/about/pubs.htm

16. Nobody from Vermont
got to attend the
Connecting to the
World’s Collections
forum☹
-BUT-
the Salzburg Global Seminar
has an office in the Marble
The Marble Works by Don Shall Works, Middlebury, Vermont☺
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donshall/3541447981/in/faves-nancieshelburnemuseum/

17. 60 participants from 32 •Emergency •Assessment &
Preparedness Planning,
countries •Raising Awareness & •Collaboration
Report available at http://imls.gov/collections/about/pubs.htm Support •Sustainability
•New Preservation •Indigenous
Approaches Communities, Access &
•Education & Training Cultural Rejuvenation

18. Connecting to Collections: Raising the Bar workshops
organized by Heritage Preservation
with support from IMLS, the Peck Stacpoole Foundation, and the Bay and Paul
Foundations.

19. Debbie Hess Norris
delivered the keynote,
"It Won’t Be Long… Funding
and Advocacy for Collections
Care Here, There and
Everywhere"
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3856698&id=35035829447&ref=fbx_album

20. Three panels,
each consisting of a 20
minute talk followed by
break out groups
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4108055&id=35035829447&ref=fbx_album#!/photo.php?
pid=4108021&id=35035829447&ref=fbx_album&fbid=404487749447

21. Some ideas from Anne Edgar
•make a list of priority periodicals
•personalize contact
•know their lead time
•pitch stories with a “hanging peg”
Nationaal Archief / Spaarnestad Photo, SFA003003315
Dutch woman hanging out the laundry on a balcony. The Netherlands, 1965.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationaalarchief/4397796031/

22. From my talk Outreach through Media [New]

23. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4108055&id=35035829447&ref=fbx_album

24. Some key points from Lee Price
•make a strong case
•don’t get creative when writing grants
•slow and steady wins the race
Tortoise and the Hare by Nancy Quiny Schon (1994)
photo by Wally Gobetz
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/4880558709/in/photostream/

25. Dale Wheary’s Case Study
Maymont Mansion:
Fundraising through Friend Raising
Maymont House by PhotoPhiend, http://www.flickr.com/photos/photophiend/3521421126/

26. Baltimore program
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4108054&id=35035829447&ref=fbx_album Davenport program

27. Susan Blakney’s Case Studies
•adopt-an-object
•school programs
•rentals to support conservation
http://www.barrowgallery.org/programs.php

28. www.ala.org/preservationweek/
includes an Event Toolkit
& other online resources

29. Connecting to Collections: Raising the Bar
webinars coming to a computer near you!
October - December,
2010
contact Lauren Hunley,
lhunley@heritagepreservation.org
for more info
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lselibrary/4416711433/