Connecting to Collections: The National Tour Kicks off in Atlanta

Heritage Preservation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services are building on the success of the Connecting to Collections National Summit last June, taking the initiative on the road to four cities around the country. Each meeting will reach a broad audience and inspire participants to share lessons learned and make collections care a top priority.

The first forum will be Preserving America’s Diverse Heritage on January 31 and February 1, 2008, at the High Museum of Art and Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 300 participants from 41 states and the District of Columbia will hear top conservators and other distinguished professionals address issues such as caring for objects of cultural sensitivity and photographs and audio-visual materials, as well as the need for improved storage and emergency planning.

Lonnie Bunch, Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, will be the keynote speaker. He will be introduced by Shirley Jackson, Mayor of Atlanta. UPS is sponsoring the evening’s reception, and Scott Davis, its Chairman and CEO, will also make remarks.

One panel will discuss ways of enhancing public outreach and fund-raising on behalf of collections. The forum will provide extensive opportunities for participants to get to know each other and the representatives of funding agencies and national organizations who will attend.

A second forum, with a theme of Collaboration in the Digital Age, is scheduled for June 24-25 in Denver, Colorado. Two more forums will follow in 2009: one with a focus on living collections in San Diego, California, and one on training in Buffalo, New York.