Sustainable Preservation Practices for Managing Storage Environments

Recipient: Reilly, James M (Rochester, NY 14623-5604 USA) in affiliation with Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY 14623 USA)

Goal: Funding supports five workshops and nine webinars for staff of museums, libraries, and archives about managing collection environments in sustainable ways. Participants will learn to assess the preservation quality of environmental conditions and the needs of collections materials, and to understand the impact of local climate and the basics of HVAC operations. Strategies for reducing energy cost and consumption in cultural repositories without sacrificing the preservation quality of collection environments will also be identified.

Description: The project entitled Sustainable Preservation Practices for Managing Storage Environments will enable cultural institutions with significant humanities research materials to avoid risks to collections while they support sustainability efforts and pursue opportunities for energy cost reduction. Through a series of 5 regional workshops and 9 webinars directed at a national audience of collection care, preservation and facility management staff, the project will convey the latest knowledge and techniques for managing the storage environment in sustainable ways. Nationally recognized experts in preservation environmental management and energy efficiency will present the latest research and field practice in leading US and European museums and libraries. Environmental assessment tools and methods that will be presented have been developed through previous NEH projects and will be based in part on actual case studies, for example through a decade of contracts with the Library of Congress.

Grant: 200056 / PE-50050-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Education and Training,   Year Awarded: 2010

Preservation and Access Virtual Education Laboratory for Digital Humanities

Recipient: Wallace, David (Ann Arbor, MI 481091107 USA) in affiliation with University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA)

Goal: Funding supports the development of curriculum modules and a virtual laboratory for graduate-level coursework in preserving and enhancing access to digital humanities resources as well as for use in the Digital Preservation Management Workshop, a continuing education program hosted annually at the University of Michigan by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).

Description: The University of Michigan School of Information (SI) seeks funding to develop and implement a virtual laboratory featuring digital access and preservation tools. These tools will be integrated into Masters??? level coursework in two specializations preparing information management and cultural heritage professionals: Preservation of Information (PI) and Archives and Records Management (ARM). These tools will also be assessed and integrated into the Digital Preservation Management Workshops hosted by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). Educating a new generation of digital archivists or curators is essential to create, build, and sustain digital humanities collections and to ensure that they are accessible to humanities scholars in a variety of fields. Specifically, this proposal seeks support to: develop and implement curricular modules; develop and implement an IT teaching virtual lab; disseminate tools, specifications, and curricula modules.

Grant: 200049 / PE-50043-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Education and Training,   Year Awarded: 2010

From Theory to Practice: Internships in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation

Recipient: Pearlstein, Ellen Joyce (Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA) in affiliation with University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA 90024 USA)

Goal: Funding supports stipends for seven graduate students from the UCLA/Getty Master's Program to complete summer and third year internships in archaeological and ethnographic conservation.

Description: This two-year proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities seeks $201,512 in support of stipends for seven graduate students from the UCLA/Getty Master's Program to complete summer and third year internships in archaeological and ethnographic conservation. Funding is sought to permit students to take advantage of unfunded opportunities for training presented by collection-rich and resource-poor institutions in both the United States and abroad. Through these internships, students work with experts at some of the culturally richest and most staff-needy institutions, increasing student skills while promoting the significant impact conservation has on the stewardship of collections. Funds are also sought to permit students to attend and present work at two of the annual conferences of the Association of North American Graduate Programs in Conservation.

Grant: 200052 / PE-50046-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Education and Training,   Year Awarded: 2010

Art Conservation Facilities Improvement and Conservation Science Endowment

Recipient: Hamm, James Frederick (Buffalo, NY 14222-1095 USA) in affiliation with SUNY Research Foundation, Buffalo State College (Buffalo, NY 14222 USA)

Goal: Expansion of conservation facilities and endowment for a professorship in conservation.

Description: The Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department requests an NEH Challenge Grant of $200,000, with the total sum of $1 million intended for facilities improvements and a conservation science endowment. The expansion of department facilities will allow for enhanced relationships with community partners and the transformation of the department through the development of the Buffalo Conservation Consortium, an entity that will provide conservation services to regional humanities institutions while giving students unparalleled opportunities in conservation treatment experience. The conservation science endowment will help complete a campaign that will support a professorship as well as art conservation research. The professorship is currently funded by a Mellon Foundation grant; an endowed position will allow for leadership in the field and improved instruction for our students, enabling them to become skilled custodians of our nation's historic, cultural, and artistic heritage.

Grant: 193711 / CH-50611-10,   Division: Challenge Grants,   Program: Challenge Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Advancing Access and Preservation Best Practices in Florida

Recipient: Nemmers, John R (Gainesville, FL 32611 USA) in affiliation with University of Florida

Goal: Funding supports archival education and training for 130 archivists, librarians, and curators to attend four workshops in the state of Florida on preservation and access practices and standards.

Description: The University of Florida will partner with the Florida Center for Library Automation, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Miami, and the University of South Florida to provide training to archivists and others who care for historical records through a workshop series covering preservation and access standards and practices including: 1) preservation and management of photographs, 2) minimal level processing of multi-format archival collections, 3) descriptive standards, and 4) archival information systems used to document and access historical materials. NEH funding will support a regional education program, which will provide training at no cost to participants. A secondary goal is to establish a level of expertise among key Florida archivists and professionals so that they can implement and sustain an in-state education program. A third goal is to determine educational needs through surveys and evaluative tools.

Grant: 200050 / PE-50044-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Education and Training,   Year Awarded: 2010

Environmental Monitoring of the JCHS Facility

Recipient: Carr, Joseph Daniel (Madison, IN 47250 USA) in affiliation with Jefferson County Historical Society (Indiana)

Goal: Funding supports the purchase of equipment to monitor environmental conditions in a facility housing approximately 5,000 photographs, 5,000 county and city records, 2,000 items of clothing, and 1,000 Civil War artifacts. The focus of the collection is the history of the town of Madison, Jefferson County, and the surrounding area. Additionally, a conservator will train the staff of the historical society in the use of the monitoring equipment.

Description: The Jefferson County (In) Historical Society has completed a Conservation Assessment; it was conducted by Martin Radecki, from the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Using that assessment, we have developed a long term plan for the management of our collections. Our top priority is to achieve a complete understanding of our facility's environment and make needed adjustments. To that end, we will purchase 3 Temp & Humidity Data Loggers, 4 Hanwell Lux Bugs w/data loggers for monitoring light and ultra violet light, and a psychrometer. After installation, we will use these instruments to monitor the environmental conditions for the period of Jan 1, - Dec. 31, 2010. Since the present staff is not experienced in using this technology, we will bring Radecki back to Madison for two days to set the equipment up and teach us how to use it. At the end end of the period, we plan to use Radecki again to analyze the data and make recommendations. Total project cost is $6,372.

Grant: 199457 / PG-50713-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Preserving a Unique Historical Record: The Archives of the Austen Riggs Center

Recipient: DiFazio, Robert (Stockbridge, MA 01262 USA) in affiliation with Austen Riggs Center, Inc.

Goal: The purchase of archival supplies and storage furniture to preserve 600 linear feet of administrative records documenting the treatment of mental illness in the United States from the early 20th century to the present. Founded in 1919, the Austin Riggs Center pioneered alternative approaches to traditional custodial state mental hospitals.

Description: The grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities would support the purchase of storage cartons, shelving and other supplies to remove at-risk archival records from danger and to begin the process of organizing the collection. The purchase of these materials will enable the Austen Riggs Center to act on the immediate steps recommended in the recent preservation assessment. Riggs has earned an important place in the history of medicine and is an essential chapter in the history of both psychiatry and psychoanalysis in America. It is the only remaining institution of its kind in the United States and the historical records of other similar institutions have, in many instances, been lost. Since Riggs continues to thrive, there is an opportunity to preserve and organize its rich archival holdings and to procure additional materials that relate to Riggs history and the history of similar institutions.

Grant: 199461 / PG-50717-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

The Chickasaw Nation Archives Collection Preservation Assessment

Recipient: Hudson, Amanda (Ada, OK 74820 USA) in affiliation with Chickasaw Nation (Ada, OK 74821-1548 USA)

Goal: A preservation assessment of approximately 150 linear feet of archival holdings, along with the purchase of preservation supplies. The materials include oral histories, maps, photographs, correspondence, and family genealogies documenting the history and culture of the Chickasaw Nation from the early 1800s to present.

Description: The National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grant will support two activities. The first will be preservation site survey/conservation management consultation of the current archives collection housed in the Chickasaw Nation Department of Libraries, Archives and Collections. The second activity will purchase preservation and storage supplies, including acid-free archival boxes, interleaving paper, archival file folders and any other supplies recommended by the consultant to support preservation of the library's collection.

Grant: 199467 / PG-50723-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Conservation Survey of Paintings Collection

Recipient: Evans, Douglas (Greensburg, PA 15601 USA) in affiliation with Woods-Marchand Foundation (Greensburg, PA 15601-1898 USA)

Goal: A conservation survey of 489 oil paintings from the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. The collection of fine and decorative American art contains nationally recognized works, such as Rembrandt Peale's "Porthole Portrait of George Washington" and Mary Cassatt's "Mother and Two Children," as well as a unique assembly of art from southwestern Pennsylvania. Exhibits, publications, and educational programming highlight significant developments in American art from the colonial to the contemporary periods, as well as reflect state and regional history within the national context.

Description: Working with a conservator, Museum staff will reevaluate the paintings identified in the Museum's most recent survey (1994) and prioritize needs outlined in the Museum's conservation plan. This reevaluation and prioritization will assist the Museum in seeking additional funds for conservation.

Grant: 199471 / PG-50727-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Assessment of the D.J. Angus Photograph Collection

Recipient: Richard, Nancy (Allendale, MI 49401 USA) in affiliation with Grand Valley State University

Goal: Hiring a conservator to conduct an evaluation of the D. J. Angus Photograph Collection. The assessment will emphasize storage and environmental conditions and recommend best practices for digital reformatting. Approximately 2,000 prints (1902-1962) are adhered to now disbound photo album pages. Angus (1887-1966) was a pioneer in electrical engineering and manufacture, and his collection documents engineering feats and construction and disasters such as floods and tornados, and also includes travel photos and family photographs.

Description: The Grand Valley State University Special Collections and University Archives is seeking funding in the form of a $6,000 grant to hire a photograph conservator. The purpose of the grant would be to conduct an overall evaluation of the photographic materials in the D.J. Angus Photograph collection including the storage and display areas. This assessment will provide a more in depth evaluation of the proper storage conditions and environment needed to improve the housing of the collection with particular focus on the 35mm negatives and the 16mm films. The evaluation would also provide recommendations in best practices for creating sustainable digital collections, reformatting for access, and care and handling of materials during digitization.

Grant: 199487 / PG-50743-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Assessing Two Centuries-Old Humanities Collections of the Hampden-Sydney College Library

Recipient: Gigliotti-Guridi, Chandra L (Hampden-Sydney College, VA 23943 USA) in affiliation with Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943 USA)

Goal: Funding supports a preservation needs assessment of two special collections that have recently been moved into a new library building, and the purchase of preservation supplies as recommended by the consultant; the assessment will address current storage conditions and long-term care.

Description: Hampden-Sydney College, a small private liberal arts college in south central Virginia, proposes to hire a consultant to conduct a preservation needs assessment of two historical collections in its Library: the UPLS Collection offers insight into nineteenth century history, life and humanities study, and the Rare Book and Manuscript Collection includes a number of rare documents that provide a broader view of human endeavor over many centuries. We request funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities to cover the fees and expenses of a preservation specialist from Lyrasis (formerly SOLINET) to assess these two collections and create plans for their restoration and preservation. We anticipate the project to begin when funds are available in January 2010 and to be able to render a final report in July 2011. With grant funds, we can assure these works will be available for our students, humanities scholars, and the community for generations to come.

Grant: 199513 / PG-50769-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Preservation Assistance for Emory and Henry College Archives

Recipient: Vejnar, Robert Jerry (Emory, VA 24327 USA) in affiliation with Emory and Henry College

Goal: Funding supports the purchase of preservation and storage supplies to rehouse the college's archives and manuscript collections documenting the religious, educational, and local and regional history of southwestern Virginia.

Description: This grant would pay for Emory and Henry College (a coeducational, non-profit, four-year liberal arts college located in southwestern Virginia, and the oldest institution of higher learning in the region) to purchase preservation and storage supplies to house materials comprising the College's archives. Items to be purchased include acid-free archival boxes and file folders, storage shelving, and photograph sleeves.

Grant: 199528 / PG-50784-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Purchase of Environmental Monitoring Equipment and Storage Supplies

Recipient: King, Lyndel I (Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA) in affiliation with University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Goal: Funding supports the purchase of equipment to monitor light in the galleries of the Weisman Art Museum and archival storage supplies for its works of art on paper. Half of the museum's diverse collection consists of works on paper, including prints, drawings, and photographs from such notable artists as Honoré Daumier, John James Audubon, Marc Chagall, Jacob Lawrence, and Alfred Stieglitz.

Description: The Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota requests funding for the purchase of an Elsec 764 ultraviolet (UV) light meter for gallery and storage light monitoring, plus one fifteen-drawer archival flat file and Solander boxes to upgrade our current storage system for works of art on paper. These goals are based on recommendations made in an NEH subsidized survey performed in 2001, and they represent two main areas of concern: high light levels in the galleries and overcrowded and inadequate storage for works of art on paper. Purchases using funds provided by this grant will directly support the preservation of all our unique collections in two ways: by allowing us to monitor, record, and mitigate excessive light conditions, thus protecting them from excessive levels of visible and ultraviolet light; and by housing the works on paper collections in storage in archival, stable, and uncrowded storage units.

Grant: 199538 / PG-50794-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Preserving and Providing Access to Non-Western Textiles

Recipient: Nelson-Mayson, Lin (Saint Paul, MN 55108-6136 USA) in affiliation with University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA)

Goal: Funding supports the purchase of preservation materials to rehouse an international collection of textiles. The collection contains hand-woven, hand-printed or dyed, and hand-embroidered items from Africa, the Americas, and Asia and includes shawls from India, textiles from 16 different African countries, Navajo rugs and blankets, and reverse appliqué molas (blouses or blouse panels) from Panama and Guatemala. These items are used in scholarly research and in educational and public programming to explore the history and culture of these regions and the effects of globalization and new technologies on traditional clothmaking techniques and materials.

Description: The Goldstein Museum of Design (GMD,) part of the College of Design (CDes) at the University of Minnesota, requests $6,000 to purchase archival materials for re-housing a historically and culturally significant group of 1,000 textiles from around the world. Completion of this project would relieve object crowding and provide safer and easier access to this core group of textiles. The impacts of this dramatic storage upgrade would include long-term preservation of the textiles and much-enhanced accessibility for scholarship, object documentation, and exhibition and for use in university classes and outreach programs.

Grant: 199544 / PG-50800-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Plan for Integrated Pest Management

Recipient: Rauscher, Carol (New York, NY 10038 USA) in affiliation with South Street Seaport Museum

Goal: Hiring a consultant to develop a plan for integrated pest management and to conduct training for staff. The museum houses a wide range of materials documenting the maritime history of New York City. The main collection includes some 30,000 objects, including ocean liner memorabilia, ship models, scrimshaw, and maritime prints and paintings; more than 25,000 books, ship plans, maps, and navigational charts; thousands of photographs and slides; and numerous manuscripts, ephemera, and documents related to seafaring and ocean trade.

Description: South Street Seaport Museum proposes to hire a consultant to develop an integrated pest management program to implement in the collections storage areas.

Grant: 199556 / PG-50812-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Carnegie Hall Archives Audio Visual Preservation Assessment

Recipient: Francesconi, Gino (New York, NY 10019 USA) in affiliation with Carnegie Hall Society

Goal: Hiring three consultants to assess the society's archival master recordings of concerts, television programs, and music education programs that have taken place at Carnegie Hall. The audio collection (1938-1990) includes 3,314 items in at least 13 different formats, and the videos (1951-1998) include 1,998 items in at least 11 formats. The consultants will advise the society on long-term preservation strategies for this large and diverse collection of materials.

Description: The NEH Preservation Assistance Grant would enable Carnegie Hall to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the audio-visual collections currently held in its Archives. The assessment would be the first step toward developing a plan for preserving this vital collection, which includes audio and video recordings of thousands of concerts that have taken place at Carnegie Hall, television broadcasts of performances, and master tapes of Carnegie Hall's music education programs. Much of this collection is in danger of becoming unusable because of obsolete formats and unusable media. To conduct this assessment, Carnegie Hall will engage the firm AudioVisual Preservation Solutions.

Grant: 199559 / PG-50815-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Survey of Gilded Frames, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum

Recipient: Davis, Mary Jo (West Burke, VT 05871 USA) in affiliation with St. Johnsbury Athenaeum (St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 USA)

Goal: A conservation assessment of the Athenaeum's gilded frames, which hold its collection of 19th-century European and American paintings, including masterworks by Albert Bierstadt, Worthington Whittredge, Chauncey Bradley Ives, and Adolphe William Bouguereau. The frames, most of which are original to their paintings, are displayed in the same manner and locations as they were in the 1870s, giving visitors a more complete view of the era's art and architecture.

Description: The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, a designated National Historic Landmark, was built in the Second Empire style in 1871. An art gallery was added in 1873 to house philanthropist, Horace Fairbank's, extensive and significant collection of 19th century European and American paintings, including an exquisite group of Hudson River School landscapes. The focus of the survey will be to examine, gather information and prioritize the need for conservation treatment of the collection's gilded frames (most, if not all, are original to the paintings). A detailed survey of this type has never before been conducted at the Athenaeum and was recommended in January, 2009, by Thomas J. Branchick. Branchick is the Director and Conservator of Paintings at Williamstown Art Conservation Center in Massachusetts, and has been overseeing the Athenaeum's art collection for over 20 years. Branchick's report states that over 30 of the collection's frames require immediate conservation treatment.

Grant: 199562 / PG-50818-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

General Preservation Assessment of Archival Material and Artifacts

Recipient: Vincent, Karen M (Muncie, IN 47303 USA) in affiliation with Minnetrista Cultural Foundation, Inc.

Goal: A general preservation assessment of approximately 20,000 artifacts and 600 linear feet of company and family records, many of them connected with the Ball Brothers' glass works, which operated in Muncie from 1887 to 1962. The collection includes canning jars, bottles, clothing, furniture, folk and decorative arts, and other materials related to the heritage of east-central Indiana.

Description: Minnetrista will hire a professional conservation specialist to conduct a general preservation/conservation assessment of its artifact and archival collections. The purpose of the general preservation/conservation assessment is to gather the information necessary to develop a long-range preservation/conservation plan and to identify areas of immediate concern in collections care and handling, storage, and environmental conditions. The consultant will also advise on the development of the long-range preservation/conservation plan. Data gathered will also drive any necessary revisions in the collections management policy.

Grant: 199568 / PG-50824-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Conservation Assessment for Historic Textiles of the Museum at Eldridge Street

Recipient: Dimun, Bonnie (New York, NY 10002 USA) in affiliation with Eldridge Street Project, Inc./Museum at Eldridge Street

Goal: Funding supports a conservation assessment of 60 items in the textile collection of the Museum at Eldridge Street. The collection includes many items used in Jewish religious practices. These textiles are also used in exhibitions and educational programs documenting the immigrant experience on the Lower East Side and Jewish-American traditions and culture.

Description: With NEH support, we will contract noted textile conservator Judith Eisenberg to assess the conditions of the most fragile items in the collections of the Museum at Eldridge Street: the textiles.There are 60 fabric-based items: 25 torah covers; 3 bimah covers; 7 arc curtains; 4 arc valances; 4 covers for the Torah between readings; 9 tefillin or tallit (prayer shawl) bags; 2 tallit collars; 4 tallits; 2 fabric circumcision scrolls; and 1 large textile of undetermined purpose. Ms. Eisenberg will examine each textile, write a condition report, a proposal for treatment, provide an estimate of the time needed for treatment, prioritize the conservation needs for the textiles, and make recommendations for storage and exhibition for each textile. The project will begin in January 2010 and is expected to take forty hours of Ms. Eisenberg's time. We will also provide Nancy Johnson, archivist at Eldridge Street, with a fee of $35/hour to assist Ms. Eisenberg to access textiles from storage.

Grant: 199569 / PG-50825-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010

Rehousing of the Southern Missions Photograph Collection

Recipient: Scott, Elizabeth B (Colchester, VT 05439 USA) in affiliation with St. Michael's College (Colchester, VT 05446 USA)

Goal: Funding supports the purchase of preservation supplies to rehouse 106,457 images in the Southern Missions Photograph Collection that document the work of the Society of St. Edmund in the southern United States since 1937 and in a mission in Caracas, Venezuela. The society's main focus is on education, medical care, and social services for African Americans. These supplies are recommended by the consultant who assessed the collection in 2008.

Description: The Saint Michael's College Archives Department will purchase preservation supplies for the collection of photographs known as the Southern Missions Photograph Collection, currently stored off-site in Selma, AL. (The collection is slated to be moved to Saint Michael's College in the fall of 2009). The supplies to be purchased will partially fulfill the recommendations of SOLINET Consultant who performed a preservation assessment of the collection in October 2008. This assessment was funded by an NEH Preservation Assistance Grant. The requested grant will provide a greatly needed launch to the rehousing and relocation of the collection.

Grant: 199574 / PG-50830-10,   Division: Preservation and Access,   Program: Preservation Assistance Grants,   Year Awarded: 2010