The Akron Art Museum is pleased to announce that it has been selected to receive the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Connecting to Collections Bookshelf.  The IMLS Bookshelf is a core set of conservation books and online resources donated by the IMLS in cooperation with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).  The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries' special collections.  It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.  Some of the publications included are The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping (published by the British National Trust in 2005), the Field Guide to Emergency Response (published by Heritage Preservation in 2006), Photographs: Archival Care and Management (published by Society of American Archivists, 2006) and The Nature of Conservation: A Race Against Time (published by The Getty Conservation Institute, 1986).

The Akron Art Museum is honored to be one of 907 museums, libraries and archives to be selected as a recipient of the Bookshelf and is proud to add such a fine resource to our reference collection.  This resource will be made available not only to the Akron Art Museum but also any interested institutions or persons concerned with preserving their own collections as well.  The IMLS Bookshelf will be available in the reading room of the Martha Stecher Reed Library at the Akron Art Museum. 

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. It is part 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.

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 123,000 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. 

Ellie Ward

Librarian, Martha Stecher Reed Library

Akron Art Museum

One South High

Akron, OH  44308-2084

330.376.9186 x 221

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