Heritage Health Index Developing Nationwide Survey
Experts nationwide are participating in the Heritage Health Index, a major initiative to measure the condition and needs of the nation’s collections. Heritage Preservation is coordinating the Heritage Health Index in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and with funding from the Getty Grant Program.
The Heritage Health Index survey will gather data on collection conditions and preservation needs in the nation’s archives, historical societies, libraries, and museums. In addition to providing a national context in which individual institutions may evaluate their progress, the results of the Heritage Health Index will improve long-range planning within the fields of preservation and conservation, inform decision makers and funders on the need for additional resources, and educate the public about the critical work collecting institutions do to preserve our nation’s heritage.
Because a sample of collecting institutions across the nation will be asked to complete the survey, involving institutions in its development is essential. Heritage Preservation President Lawrence L. Reger explains, “A survey like the Heritage Health Index is much needed and is long overdue, but to ensure its success we must have the cooperation of as many institutions as possible, and this begins with the survey development.”
Even before officially launching the project in summer 2001, Heritage Preservation sought input from leading preservation professionals on planning the initiative. In October 2001, Heritage Preservation convened an Institutional Advisory Committee of national associations and federal agencies that advocate for collecting institutions. The meeting of 50 participants represented the diverse universe that the Heritage Health Index will include and provided institutional perspectives on what the survey should capture.
From February to May 2002, Heritage Preservation will assemble nine Working Groups to discuss specific preservation issues that the survey should address. Each group will consist of professionals whose work includes preservation activities, such as administrators, conservators, preservation officers, archivists, curators, librarians, and registrars. Working Group participants will also reflect the diversity of the type, size, and geographical location of institutions to be surveyed. The Working Groups are organized by similar materials and formats and include:
- archaeological and ethnographic objects
- books, manuscripts, records, maps, newspapers
- decorative arts, sculpture, mixed media
- electronic records and digital collections
- furniture, textiles, historical objects
- moving images and recorded sound
- natural science specimens
- paintings, prints, drawings
- photographic materials.
Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, said, “The Heritage Health Index partnership is a formidable one. The Getty, Heritage Preservation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services have each contributed a wealth of expertise to help museums achieve the highest standards in conservation. Bringing in a wide group of professionals will help the partnership develop the most comprehensive survey of the nation’s collections.”
Heritage Preservation has selected Aeffect, Inc. to advise on statistical validity and design of the survey. Based in Deerfield, Illinois, Aeffect, Inc. provides research and consulting services to organizations in the corporate, government, and non-profit sectors. The firm has worked with cultural organizations serving both local and national audiences, including the Norman Rockwell Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Lake County Discovery Museum, and Shedd Aquarium. Aeffect has also consulted with the Institute of Museum and Library Services to assess the prevalence of museum-library partnerships in the United States and to evaluate the impact of grant programs. Aeffect’s research and consultation helps these and other clients better understand and respond to their audiences, refine program offerings, and guide institutional strategic planning.
About Heritage Preservation – Heritage Preservation is a national organization dedicated to preserving our nation’s heritage. Its members include libraries, museums, archives, historic preservation organizations, historical societies, conservation organizations, and other professional groups concerned with saving the past for the future. For additional information on the Heritage Health Index, contact Kristen Overbeck Laise, Heritage Preservation, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005, 202-233-0800, klaise@heritagepreservation.org, or www.heritagepreservation.org.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services – IMLS is an independent Federal agency that fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning by supporting the nation’s museums and libraries. Created by the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996, P.L. 104-208, IMLS administers the Library Services and Technology Act and the Museum Services Act. IMLS has an annual budget of approximately $230 million. The Institute receives policy advice from two Presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed entities: the National Commission for Libraries and Information Science and the National Museum Services Board. For more information, including grant applications, contact IMLS at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20506, 202-606-8536, or www.imls.gov.
About the Getty Grant Program – The Getty Grant Program is part of the J. Paul Getty Trust, an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The Grant Program provides critical support to institutions and individuals throughout the world in fields that are aligned most closely with the Trust’s strategic priorities. It therefore funds a diverse range of projects that promote learning and scholarship about the history of the visual arts and the conservation of cultural heritage, and it consistently searches for collaborative efforts that set high standards and make significant contributions. Since its inception in 1984, the Grant Program has supported over 2,500 projects in more than 150 countries. Further information is available from the Getty Grant Program,1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90049, 310-440-7320 or www.getty.edu.