A Maine beaver on display in the College of the Atlantic George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History...A Maine beaver on display in the College of the Atlantic George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History.

The grants will allow the museum to outfit two new collections storage spaces in COA’s nascent Center for Human Ecology. The purpose-built spaces will be outfitted with a movable high-density storage system, including museum-grade cabinets and shelves, related archival collections storage supplies, and a walk-in freezer for integrated pest management, said Dorr Museum director Carrie Graham.

“We are so excited, and grateful, for the grants from the IMLS and the Dorr Foundation, which will allow us to care for our objects much more effectively than we have been able to do in our current spaces. It’s also going to allow us to have our collections much more organized and accessible, which will allow us to increase our use of them,” Graham said.

Mark Riewestahl 21 cleans a taxidermied coyote, one of 3,000 animal specimens maintained by the C...Mark Riewestahl 21 cleans a taxidermied coyote, one of 3,000 animal specimens maintained by the COA George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History.COA students will play an integral role in carrying out the relocation project, and have already begun that work as part of the Spring 2019 Collections Care Course with conservator Ron Harvey and COA Kim M. Wentworth Chair in Environmental Studies Steve Ressel, Graham said. In that course, students studied best practices in collections handling, transport, organization, storage, and safety, conducted background research related to the installation of the collections storage system, evaluated the types of cabinets needed, and calculated the total volume of the existing collections.

“Students play an integral role in museum operations, and in the case of collection care and management, the awarding of these generous grants to the museum will allow us to realize the hard work of the many students, past and present, who’ve been committed to enhancing the long-term preservation of museum collections,” Ressel said.

COA established the Dorr Museum in 1982 to deepen public understanding of Maine’s natural history through student work. With 13,000 visitors per year, it is one of fewer than five museums in Maine devoted entirely to natural history, with mammal, bird, herpetology, entomology, zoology, geology, and skeletal collections and dioramas, all of which have been prepared by COA students as part of their academic experience. The collections offer hands-on experiences to learners of all ages through natural history and art courses at the college, public outreach activities, school group programs, and loans to other institutions throughout the state, Graham said.

Conservator Ron Harvey, right, instructs a COA student on collections care as part of preparation...Conservator Ron Harvey, right, instructs a COA student on collections care as part of preparations at the COA George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History to move the museum's collections inot new, state-of-the-art spaces.“The Dorr is fully integrated into the academic program at COA,” Graham said, with students receiving hands-on training in museum education, exhibition preparation, and collections care and management. Over the years, COA students have gone on to post-graduate positions at institutions including the Smithsonian, Field Museum, Boston Museum of Science, Portland Children’s Museum, Abbe Museum, and Peabody Essex Museum.

“To our knowledge, COA is the only institution in the US that offers coursework and related experiential collections care training at the undergraduate level,” Graham said.

Currently, collections are housed in four different spaces across two buildings, none of which were designed for such purposes. The relocation project will be guided by best practices established by the Society for Preservation of Natural History Collections and advances the prioritized long-term recommendations in the Dorr’s 2001 Conservation Assessment Report.

“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities.”

Skulls of whales and other sea creatures are an important part of the collections of the COA Geor...Skulls of whales and other sea creatures are an important part of the collections of the COA George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History. COA students create every exhibit in the museum, care for all of the collections, and operate the on-campus facility, where they welcome thousands of visitors a year.The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. They advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Their vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. 

College of the Atlantic believes that education should go beyond understanding the world as it is to enabling students to actively shape the future. Every COA student designs their own major in human ecology—which integrates knowledge from across academic disciplines and seeks to understand and improve the relationships between humans and their natural, built, and social environments—and sets their own path toward a degree. The intentionally small school of 350 students and 35 faculty members was founded in 1969 and offers Bachelor of Arts and Master of Philosophy degrees. Learn more at coa.edu.