Since its introduction through a national summit in 2007, the Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections initiative has developed a bookshelf, organized a series of forums, developed an online community, and funded statewide planning and implementation grants to raise public awareness of the importance of caring for our treasures - underscoring the fact that these collections are essential to the American story. Join representatives leading statewide efforts to learn more about program development in the western states.

1. An Update on the Connecting to Collections Initiative
in the Western States
Western Museums Association Annual Meeting
Palm Springs, California
October 23, 2012

2. Our Presenters Today
Connie Bodner Keni Sturgeon
Supervisory Grants Management Curator and Museum Director
Specialist Willamette Heritage Center
IMLS Salem OR
Washington DC
Eric Taylor Kara West
Heritage Lead Assistant Director for Field
4Culture Services
Seattle WA Balboa Art Conservation Center
San Diego CA

3. Connecting to Collections:
A Call to Action
Heritage Health Index, 2005
Four challenges
– Safe conditions for collections
– Emergency plans
– Training
– Strengthen commitment to
supporting collections care

4. Connecting to Collections Elements
• National Conservation Summit, 2007
• Four themed forums, 2008-2009
• Two Raising the Bar Workshops, 2010
• The Bookshelf Project
• Statewide Planning Grants, 2009-2011
• Statewide Implementation Grants, 2010-2012
• Continuing Conversation Exchange, 2011-2012

5. Connecting to Collections Funding
Office of Museum Services, 2006-2012
• 1,124 awards for collections care and conservation
• $23 million to organizations in all 59 states, territories,
and commonwealths

6. Connecting to Collections Resources
Guide to Online Resources
http://www.imls.gov/collections/guide_to
_online_resources.aspx
C2C Online Community
http://www.connectingtocollections.org/

7. Eric Taylor
Heritage Lead
4Culture
Seattle WA

8. Keni Sturgeon
Curator and Museum Director
Willamette Heritage Center
Salem OR

9. Oregon
Connecting to Collections
(OR C2C)
Umpqua River Lighthouse; Beaver Brand Oregon Prunes label from the Oregon State Archives; an artifact at Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Park

10. Oregon C2C Partners
 Northwest Archivists
 Oregon Heritage Commission
 Oregon Historical Society
 Oregon Library Association
 Oregon Museums Association
 Oregon State Archives
 Oregon State Library
 Tamaśtslikt Cultural Institute

11. Connecting to Collections
 What
 A national initiative
 raise public awareness of the importance of caring for our treasure
 Underscore that these treasures are essential to the American story
 How
 An IMLS grant that supports assessment of preservation and disaster
response training, collection care and support based on the Heritage
Health Index

12. Oregon C2C Call to Action!
 Needs Assessment and Planning
 Develop collaborative relationships
 Nurture collective advocacy

13. March
2011
Connecting to Collections
Needs
Project:
Assessment
Report
What Archival, Library, and
Museum Personnel Need to
Preserve Oregon’s Heritage
Collections

14. Project Components
 C2C Steering Committee Meetings
 Regional forums
 Statewide survey
 Needs Assessment Report
 Leaders’ Summit
 Action plans and presentations
 IMLS C2C Implementation Grant submission

15. Survey Respondents

16. Survey Respondents, cont.…

17. Findings: Staffing of Institutions/Preservation
 Whole Institution  Expressly for Preservation

18. Findings: Learning Needs
 47 specific learning needs in 6 areas
 Collections in most urgent need of care
 Learning forms

21. Findings: Disaster Preparedness
 15% have a plan and are ready for the worst
 85% do not have a disaster preparedness plan that is
current and ready to be activated
 40% are in some stage of plan development or have
stalled in their planning.

22. Findings: Advocacy Needs
 Becoming better able to write winning proposals and
grants
 Becoming better able to engage the public in
financially supporting preservation
 Becoming better able to recruit a workforce of staff
or volunteers

23. Findings: Planning Needs
 Developing long-range preservation plans and
setting priorities
 Fund-development planning
 Disaster response and recovery planning

24. Findings: Technology Needs
 Keeping up with technological change
 Being able to resolve formatting issues
 Understanding applicable web trends
 Being able to use a computer
 Being able to apply technology efficiently
 For a cadre of respondents, basic computer skills:

25. Findings: Information Needs
 Respondents want samples, tools, and lists that they
can access on-line.

26. Networking Ideas
 Create a web-based portal
 Establish an online network
 Offer regionally-based formal training
 Facilitate communication

27. Findings: Oregon’s Priorities for Planning
 Collection Care Training
 Strategic planning and priority setting
 Collection Management Training
 Disaster Preparedness Planning
 Practical Technology for Preservation
 Informational Website
 Preservation Advocacy
 Networking for Preservation

28. Heritage Leaders’ Summit, March 7, 2011
Leaders representing the following groups:
 Oregon Heritage Commission
 Oregon Historical Society
 Oregon Library Association
 Oregon Museums Association
 Oregon Parks & Recreation
 Oregon State Library
 Oregon State Archives
 State Historic Preservation Office
Museums: Douglas County Museum, Washington County Museum, Willamette
Heritage Center
Tribes: Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation
University/College Libraries & Archives: Lewis and Clark College, Portland State
University, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Oregon Health & Science
University

29. Leaders’ Summit Results
Ask Oregon Heritage Commission to appoint a cross-
disciplinary (Archives, Libraries, Museums) Oregon
Preservation Advisory Board.
Purpose: planning and strategizing
Make-up: representatives of professional organizations and agencies
When: April through July, 2011

30. Suggested Initial Planning Agenda
1. Develop plan for requesting grants and other
funds to implement recommendations
2. Statewide Inventory of critical objects and
collections to ensure they are given attention
3. IMLS Implementation grant ($50-250K)

31. C2C Implementation Grant
To fund a collaborative effort by professional
organizations, nonprofits and state agencies to help
heritage organizations in all Oregon’s regions to
efficiently preserve and develop their collections,
provide trainings and support for preservation, and
perpetuate these efforts by creating a network of
mentors and a virtual resource.

32. C2C Implementation Grant
1. Virtual resources.
2. Computer technology.
3. Technical assistance.
4. Support network.

33. C2C Implementation Grant
What we have done: Formed a Collections Preservation
Cabinet.
What we will do:
 Hire a program coordinator.
 Undertake training in each of the seven regions.
 Create a regionalized network of trained mentors.
 Create an online resource.

34. C2C Implementation Grant
What we will not do:
Address all the issues identified (such as providing
technology) because some are:
 beyond the scope of the grant guidelines
 are part of larger issues facing the state
 do not have a sustainable solution at this time

35. C2C Implementation Grant
Impact:
 30-50 additional organizations with disaster preparedness plans.
 Volunteers and staff receive knowledge & training in collections
care.
 Creation of a statewide portal for relevant collections information.
 A network of mentors created.
 Continuation of collaboration.
 Reach most rural areas of the state.
 More people with knowledge about collections care/disaster prep.
 Mentors trained to train staff to care for collections beyond
expiration of the grant.
 Increased cooperation.

36. C2C Implementation Grant
Timeline:
 October 1, 2012. 1st step = get permission from the Oregon
Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee to spend the
funds. Contracting begins December-January.
 Training sessions for mentors in the spring, summer and
fall of 2013.
 Mentor site visits beginning in the summer of 2013.
 Webpage development begins in early January 2013 and be
fully functional by that summer.
 The project will conclude Sept. 30, 2014.

37. Kara West
Assistant Director for Field Services
Balboa Art Conservation Center
San Diego CA

38. CALIFORNIANS
CONNECTING
TO COLLECTIONS
a statewide preservation
project that provides
information, education,
and training to California
heritage institutions.
Western Museum
Association
Annual Meeting,
October 23, 2012

39. PLANNING

40. NEED

41. VISION
A self-sustaining culture of
preservation management in
California heritage institutions
PROJECT PRIORITIES
• Providing safe conditions for
collections
• Marshaling public and private
support for collections care

42. IMPLEMENTATION
Providing safe Marshalling
conditions for public and
collections private support
Disaster Project
preparedness Development
workshops workshops
Disaster Stewardship
networking campaign for
workshops trustees
24/7 emergency
hotline and
reference system

43. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
WORKSHOPS:
11 workshop series serving 197
participants from 118 institutions
with 109 disaster plans completed.
DISASTER NETWORKING
WORKSHOPS:
4 out 6 workshops completed
serving 84 participants from 41
institutions.

44. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
WORKSHOPS:
4 out of 8 workshops serving 93
participants from 87 institutions with
73.5% planning a preservation
project proposal.
STEWARDSHIP TOOLKIT:
2,155 mailed; 763 visits online; 2.5 pages; 5:21 time.
PILOT COLLECTIONS CHARRETTE FOR
PRESERVATION LEADERS:
30 participants from 19 institutions collaborated to draft
a solutions to collection care problems.

45. Steering Committee
NEXT STEPS: meeting Oct. 30th
Presentation at
Museum Trustee
Association Forum –
Nov. 2nd
Explore webinar as a
future format
Pursue funding for a
sustainable
preservation
assistance service
FOR MORE http://calpreservation.org/cpp/projects/
connecting-to-collections
INFORMATION: Kara West, C3 Steering Committee Member
and Assistant Director for Field Services
Balboa Art Conservation Center
kwest@bacc.org
619-236-9702

46. Lessons Learned
Connecting to Collections has become a brand.

47. Lessons Learned
Creativity can be our friend.

48. Lessons Learned
Commitment to collections care can be very
effective at the grassroots level.
http://www.vamuseums.org/

49. Lessons Learned
Disaster planning and
emergency response can be
learned, practiced, and exist
beyond a binder on the shelf.

50. Lessons Learned
Regional networks can be effective in big states and
across small ones.

51. Lessons Learned
Museums, libraries, and archives have more in
common than we thought and can benefit by
working together.

52. Lessons Learned Review
6. Connecting to Collections has become a brand.
5. Creativity can be our friend.
4. Commitment to collections care can be very effective at the
grassroots level.
3. Disaster planning and emergency response can be learned,
practiced, and exist beyond a binder on the shelf.
2. Regional networks can be effective in big states and across
small ones.
1. Museums, libraries, and archives have more in common
than we thought and can benefit by working together.

53. Questions?

54. Thank you!
To learn more, visit www.imls.gov.