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Northern State University Receives Conservation Bookshelf
Released February 28, 2008
(Aberdeen, S.D.) Treasured objects and artifacts held by NSU’s Williams Library will be preserved for future generations with help from the “IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf,” a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries. IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf by the end of 2008.
“We are pleased to announce the first group of IMLS “Bookshelf”
recipients. These small libraries and museums are taking up the
charge to care for America’s heritage,” said Anne-Imelda
Radice, Director of IMLS. “A recent national study tells a
sobering story about the state of America’s library and museum
collections. Without immediate action we stand to lose important
collections that are at the heart of the American story.”
Williams Library is among the first to receive this essential set
of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans
for care of its collections. The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections
typically found in art or history museums and in libraries' special
collections, with an added selection of texts for zoos, aquaria,
public gardens, and nature centers. It addresses such topics as
the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management
and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation
issues.
The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of “Connecting to
Collections: A Call to Action,” a conservation initiative
that the Institute launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in
response to a 2005 study by Heritage Preservation documenting the
dire state of the nation’s collections. The multi-faceted,
multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight on the needs
of America’s collections, especially those held by smaller
institutions, which often lack the human and financial resources
necessary to adequately care for their collections.
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 Northern State University
Northern State University is a premier residential institution characterized by outstanding instruction, extraordinary community relations, and unparalleled extracurricular opportunities. In August of 2007 NSU was named by US News and World Report as one of the best undergraduate public institutions in the Midwest. For more information about NSU, visit our Web site at www.northern.edu.
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