Treasured objects and artifacts held by the Park University McAfee Memorial Library will be preserved for future generations with help from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections Bookshelf. This core set of conservation books, DVDs and Online resources was donated by the IMLS, the primary source of federal funding of the nation's museums and libraries.

"The resources provided through the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf will serve as a solid foundation in the preservation of our print, photographic and other historic collections housed in the Frances Fishburn Archives and Special Collections," said Ann Schultis, Park University director of library systems. "Carolyn Elwess, our archivist, will find these resources especially helpful."

Park University 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. The IMLS 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 pleased to announce the first group of IMLS Bookshelf recipients. These small libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for America's heritage," said Anne-Imelda Radice, director of IMLS. "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."

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 multifaceted, multiyear 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.

IMLS and its co-operator, the American Association for State and Local History, will provide 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf by the end of 2008 throughout the country.

To learn more about the Institute of Museum and Library Services visit www.imls.gov.

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