The books, provided through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, address topics such as collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, the philosophy and ethics of collecting, and culturally specific conservation issues. Some volumes in the collection address the conservation of particular types of artifacts, including photographs and Native American artifacts, said Peter Koch, educational associate at the Mountain Heritage Center.

“We see this collection as an update for reference information we already have, but we also consider these books to be a community resource because the center will make them available for use by the staffs of other museums and historic sites around Western North Carolina,” Koch said.

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 IMLS and its partner, the American Association for State and Local History, plan to award a total of 2,000 free sets of the Connecting to Collections Bookshelf by the end of 2008.

“These small libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for America’s heritage,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, IMLS director. “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.”

For more information about the Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, contact the Mountain Heritage Center at (828) 227-7129 or by e-mail at pkoch@wcu.edu.

Maintained by the Office of Public Relations
Last modified: Wednesday, July 2, 2008