Heritage Health Index Selected Data

Small Institutions

A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America’s Collections revealed that conservation and preservation needs are more acute at small collecting institutions. In the case of archives, libraries, and archaeological repositories/scientific research collections size was determined by number of collections items, for public libraries by service population, and for historical societies and museums by institutional budget (see Chapter 2, Heritage Health Index Methodology, pp. 17-19 for full definitions of size). Almost three quarters of collecting institutions in the U.S. could be considered small and these institutions hold 15% of the 4.8 billion collections items in the U.S. Much of the Heritage Health Index data is reported by size of institution and following graphs highlight particular areas of concern for small institutions.

Representation by Size of Institution

Representation by Type of Small Institution

Museums includes arboreta, botanical gardens, aquaria, nature centers, planetaria, zoos.

4.8 Billion Artifacts Are Held in the U.S. (by size of institution)

Includes items for which institutions take a preservation responsibility.

Institutions' Percentage of Collections Accessible Through a Catalog (by size)

Small Institutions' Percentage of Collections Accessible Through a Catalog (by type)

Institutions with No Emergency Plan with Staff Trained to Carry It Out

Small Institutions with No Emergency Plan with Staff Trained to Carry It Out (by type)

Institutions' Staffing for Conservation/Preservation (by size)

Multiple responses allowed.

Small Institutions' Staffing for Conservation/Preservation (by type)

Multiple responses allowed.

Institutions' Annual Budget for Conservation/Preservation (most recently completed fiscal year, by size)

Includes funds for staffing, supplies, equipment, surveys, treatment, preservation reformatting, commercial binding, consultants, contractors, and other preservation costs.

Small Institutions' Annual Budget for Conservation/Preservation (most recently completed fiscal year, by type)

Includes funds for staffing, supplies, equipment, surveys, treatment, preservation reformatting, commercial binding, consultants, contractors, and other preservation costs.