Dr. Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), recently announced that 907 U.S. museums, libraries, and archives have been selected to receive the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf.   Of the 907, 13 are located in South Carolina.

 

Radice made the announcement during her opening remarks at the fourth and concluding Connecting to Collections forum, Stewardship of America's Legacy: Answering the Call to Action in Buffalo, NY. This is the third and final installment of the Bookshelf program, which has distributed 2,751 sets of books, online resources, and a user's guide to institutions in every part of the country.

 

"When IMLS and our partners began the journey to help save America's collections three years ago, we knew that money and appropriate resources would prove major barriers between many of our nation's collecting institutions and proper collections care," said Dr. Radice. "With the Connecting to Collections Bookshelf initiative, we were able to offer these institutions tools to help them preserve and conserve their treasures for future generations. We commend them for answering this call to action."

 

The Bookshelf comprises resources for collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries' special collections, with an added selection of texts for living collections. It is a component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a strategic initiative by IMLS to address the challenges described in A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections, an IMLS-funded study conducted by Heritage Preservation.

 

Most recipients have small budgets and staff, and have demonstrated an urgent need for this permanent resource. History museums, historic houses, and academic libraries with special collections are especially well represented among the recipients, as are zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, and nature centers.

South Carolina recipients:
 
Anderson County Library - Anderson
Contact: Ms. Laura Holden
864-260-4500 x 132; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Charleston Museum - Charleston
Contact: Ms. Jennifer Scheetz
843-722-2996; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Drayton Hall - Charleston
Contact: Dr. Carter Hudgins
843-769-2617; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Richland County Public Library - Columbia
Contact: Ms. Debra Bloom
803-929-3471; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Historic Columbia Foundation - Columbia
Contact: Ms. Alexis Thompson
803-252-1770 ext 34; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Crumley Lutheran Archives - Columbia
Contact: Ms. Jeanette Bergeron
803-461-3234; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

McKissick Museum - Columbia
Contact: Ms. Lana Burgess
803-777-5486; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Scarborough-Hamer Foundation - Eastover
Contact: Ms. Rickie Good
803-353-0456; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Florence County Library, South Carolina Room - Florence
Contact: Ms. Margaret Collar
843-413-7073; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Furman University Library - Greenville
Contact: Ms. DebbieLee Landi
864-294-2392; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kalmia Gardens of Coker College - Hartsville
Contact: Ms. Mary Ridgeway
843-383-8145

Marion County Library - Marion
Contact: Mrs. Salley Davidson
843-423-8304

Culture and Heritage Museums - York
Contact: Mrs. Danielle Failor
803-684-3948 ext 34; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
The IMLS Bookshelf was made possible by a cooperative agreement with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) with support from the Getty Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.

 

"Given the Getty's longstanding commitment to the care of museum and archival collections, we are pleased to partner with IMLS and other foundations to provide key conservation resources to the institutions that most need them," said Getty Foundation Director Deborah Marrow.  "We are delighted to help make this important material reach so many institutions around the country," said Ellen Holtzman, Program Director for American Art at the Henry Luce Foundation.  "The Kress Foundation is delighted to be working with IMLS to ensure the broadest possible access to this important reference resource," said Max Marmor, President of the Kress Foundation.

 

To see the complete list of recipients, visit http://www.imls.gov/news/2009/061709_list.shtm.