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Goldstein Museum of Design receives boost to conservation efforts
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 3/10/2008 ) -- Treasured objects and artifacts held by the the University of Minnesota will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf -- a core set of conservation books, DVDs and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation's museums and libraries. The Goldstein Museum of Design is among the first to receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections. "We are pleased to announce the first group of IMLS Bookshelf recipients," said Anne-Imelda Radice, director of IMLS. "These small libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for America's heritage. 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." IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf by the end of 2008. The Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries' special collections, with an added selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens and nature centers. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness and culturally specific conservation issues. "We are thrilled to receive the Bookshelf and valuable resources as we have a large and diverse collection that actively contributes to our mission of teaching, research and exhibition of design," said Lin Nelson Mayson, director of the Goldstein Museum of Design. "We are continually looking for ways to maintain and enhance our collection -- the core of our institution." 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 study, "A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections," found that 190 million objects need conservation treatment and 80 percent of collecting institutions lack an emergency plan for their collections and trained staff to carry it out. The multi-faceted, multi-year Connecting to Collections 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, visit http://www.imls.gov/collections/ About The Goldstein Museum of Design The Goldstein Museum of Design, the only design museum in the upper Midwest, is part of the University of Minnesota and housed in the College of Design. Founded in 1976, the museum's foundations lie in the work and collections of Harriet and Vetta Goldstein, professors in the university's Design Department from 1910 to the late 1940s. Exhibition topics cover the breadth of design -- from clothing and textiles to decorative art and graphic design. Most exhibitions are accompanied by public programs for university and community audiences. ---------- |
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