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George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History
Natural objects held by College of the Atlantic's George B. Dorr Museum will be preserved for future generations with help from a core set of conservation books, DVDs and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf is one of 3,000 donated by the IMLS and the American Association for State and Local History. The IMLS is the primary source of federal funding of the nation's museums and libraries.
As the only year-round natural history museum in Maine, the Dorr Museum has extensive species collections, some of which are on display in the museum while others are used widely in teaching on and off campus. Most of these specimens were created by COA students in the early years of the museum. More recently, the Dorr Museum has involved in students in the long-term preservation of these specimens with funding from IMLS and private organizations.
With this set of books, the understanding of how to handle conservation within the Dorr won't be left to memory or to chance. "These libraries, museums, and archives are in the forefront of our call to action on behalf of America's collections," said Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of IMLS. "According to a recent national survey, our important collections are at great risk, and without them, the American story simply cannot be told to future generations."
"We are deeply grateful to the IMLS for selecting the Dorr Museum as a recipient of these valuable resources on best practices in collection care," said Steve Ressel, academic director of the Dorr Museum. "IMLS' continued support validates our ongoing efforts to preserve natural history collections for future generations." The Dorr Museum received this resource based on an application describing the needs and plans for the care of its collections. The "Bookshelf" 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. For more information on the conservation initiative, please go to www.imls.gov/collections.
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