NEWS from SAUGATUCK/DOUGLAS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Kathy Sturm
(269) 561-2305
ksturm14@gmail.com

SAUGATUCK-DOUGLAS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
RECEIVES "CONSERVATION BOOKSHELF" AWARD
 

SAUGATUCK, AUG. 15, 2008 -- The Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society has been awarded an "IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf" from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.

The Bookshelf comprises a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources that detail professional standards for the collection, preservation and storage of historical materials, such as the artwork, photos, maps, recordings, documents and artifacts continually being gathered by the Historical Society. It addresses essential topics including the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness and culturally specific conservation issues.

"The Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society is truly honored to receive this award", says Society President Kathy Sturm. "Our community has entrusted the Society with many treasures over the years and the Society has always done its best to preserve and protect our artifacts. The IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf will do much to help SDHS further improve its procedures and more effectively manage both the Historical Museum and the Old School House Discovery Center now being completed."

"This couldn't have come at a better time," adds Harold Thieda, Historical Society Archives Committee chair. "Having current, professional guidance will be immediately useful to our volunteer staff as we plan to consolidate our collections from four different storage locations around the area into our new archival room at the Old School House Discovery Center."

The IMLS Bookshelf is awarded competitively to libraries, museums and archival organizations based on submitted applications describing their needs and plans for care of their collections. Most recipients are small organizations having limited budget and staff, demonstrating urgent need for this permanent resource.

As part of a conservation initiative that the Institute launched in 2006, the Bookshelf was made possible by a cooperative agreement with American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), with support from the Getty Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation and Samuel H Kress Foundation. Recipients in this second round of Bookshelf competition, announced on August 5, included 776 organizations representing every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.

The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, visit www.imls.gov.

The Historical Society was founded in 1986 with seventy Charter members, "to discover, procure and preserve whatever may relate to the civil, religious, social, cultural and natural history of Saugatuck, Douglas and surrounding area". As a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization now with more than 400 members and membership open to all, its mission remains "to provide leadership in enabling the community to connect with and understand its past, to preserve the quality of community life and to use the area's history to shape its future". For more information about the Society and its many volunteer opportunities, visit www.sdhistoricalsociety.org.

# # #