Hello everyone,

I thought this would be of interest – it is very good news. I attended the Fall 2008 meeting a representative of the ARLIS Southern California Chapter and it is wonderful to see this initiative moving forward!

I have also posted this to the ARLIS-CA list, so apologies for duplication.

Best,

Robert Gore

 

Dear Robert Gore,

 

As a participant in one of the regional meetings for the California Connecting to Collections Project in Fall 2008, we want to share some great news with you.

 

Based on your excellent feedback and involvement, a proposal for an implementation grant in support of our statewide plan was made to the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and has been funded!

 

In partnership with the California Preservation Program, Balboa Art Conservation Center, California Historical Society, California State Archives, California State Library, California State Parks, California Library Association, and other partners, the California Association of Museums (CAM) will administer a two-year, statewide preservation information, education, and training project for California heritage institutions. This project will serve as a test bed for an ongoing service, whose goal will be to develop a self-sustaining culture of preservation management. The program will deliver the following services to the California heritage community:

·        a 24/7 collection emergency hot line, plus email and telephone reference;

·        eight two-day workshops on institutional disaster preparedness and response;

·        eight "emergency networking" workshops using scenario planning and inter-institutional collaboration;

·        four preservation grantwriting/fundraising workshops;

·        and a collections stewardship campaign targeted to trustees.

Statewide implementation grants were offered for the first time this year by IMLS to support activities identified through previously awarded Statewide Planning Grants. In addition to our California collaborative, implementation grants were awarded to the Connecticut State Library, Delaware Division of Libraries, Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services, and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. To read a press release about IMLS Connecting to Collections recent grants, click here.

Your participation in the important regional discussions about the preservation needs of California heritage institutions in 2008 was key in helping to create a shared vision to support preservation efforts among heritage institutions in California.

 

We look forward to working with you as we strengthen the ability of California's heritage institutions to preserve their collections for the benefit of our state's citizens and visitors. 

 

Additional information on the specific programs of the grant will be available soon. If you have any questions, please contact us at [log in to unmask].

 

Sincerely,

 

Celeste DeWald and Barclay Ogden

Co-Coordinators, Californians Connecting to Collections Project