Preservation Assistance Division

Preservation Assistance Division
Name	Preservation Assistance Division
Formation	1970s
Type	Cultural heritage preservation office
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Parent organization	Institute of Museum and Library Services
Leader title	Director
Region served	United States

Preservation Assistance Division The Preservation Assistance Division is a specialized office within a federal cultural agency dedicated to supporting the conservation, preventive care, and stewardship of library, museum, archive, and historic collections across the United States. It provides guidance, technical assistance, training, and small grants to help institutions and communities manage risks to collections, improve storage and handling, and extend the useful life of cultural materials. The division interacts with a network of federal programs, professional associations, and academic research centers to disseminate best practices and standards.

Overview

The division serves as a focal point for conservation policy and practice among institutions such as the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and Records Administration, New York Public Library, and regional partners like the California State Library and the Chicago History Museum. It issues guidelines influenced by international standards developed by bodies including the International Council on Archives, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, International Council of Museums, and standards from the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works and the National Information Standards Organization. Through its publications and workshops, the division addresses challenges exemplified by events like Hurricane Katrina and Northridge earthquake, coordinating advice used by institutions such as the New Orleans Public Library and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

History and Development

The division emerged during a period of heightened federal interest in cultural heritage prompted by legislation like the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the establishment of agencies such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. Early collaborations involved conservation laboratories at universities like Harvard University, University of Delaware, and University of Pennsylvania, and professional societies including the Society of American Archivists and the American Library Association. Major impetus for growth came after disasters such as 1972 Buffalo Creek Flood and programmatic reviews by panels linked to the Presidential Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Over ensuing decades the division incorporated advances in preservation science from research centers at Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Conservation Institute and the Library of Congress Preservation Research and Testing Division.

Programs and Services

Services include preventive conservation consultations used by institutions from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Kansas Historical Society, hands-on training aligned with curricula from institutions like Columbia University and Northwestern University, and guidance documents drawing on standards from the American Alliance of Museums and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The division runs emergency preparedness initiatives modeled on case studies from September 11 attacks response efforts and toolkit development inspired by the Getty Conservation Institute. It offers environmental monitoring advice referencing technology from vendors used by Brooklyn Museum and recommends integrated pest management approaches adopted by entities such as the National Gallery of Art.

Grantmaking and Funding

Grant programs administered by the division have historically provided seed funding similar to awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with grants supporting conservation assessments for institutions like the Tennessee State Museum and small capital projects at organizations comparable to the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History. Funding mechanisms align with federal grant administration practices seen at the Institute of Museum and Library Services and leverage partnerships with philanthropic initiatives such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Competitive and non-competitive awards have funded training scholarships, preservation surveys, and acquisition of storage supplies used by regional networks like the Southeast Museum Conference.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The division collaborates with national organizations including the American Association of Museums (now American Alliance of Museums), the Association of Research Libraries, and the Council of State Archivists. It works with academic centers such as the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and the Center for the Conservation of Cultural Property to sponsor fellowships and internship placements, and partners with emergency response groups like HERITAGE EMERGENCY NATIONAL TASK FORCE and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on disaster planning. Collaborative projects have incorporated research from laboratories at Yale University and University of Texas at Austin and have drawn on standards promulgated by the National Park Service.

Impact and Notable Projects

Notable outcomes include nationwide preservation needs assessments that informed state-wide initiatives in New York State, California, and Texas, emergency response protocols used after Hurricane Maria affecting institutions in Puerto Rico, and conservation treatment grants that enabled major objects to be stabilized for exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago. The division’s guidance has supported digitization planning efforts paralleling projects at the Digital Public Library of America and the HathiTrust, enhancing long-term access for collections held by tribal institutions such as the American Indian Museum affiliates and community archives like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Administratively, the division operates within a larger federal institute and is led by a director who coordinates conservation specialists, preservation officers, grants managers, and outreach staff. Leadership has included professionals previously affiliated with organizations such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Archives and Records Administration, and collaborates with advisory groups drawn from the American Institute for Conservation and the Society of American Archivists. The division’s advisory panels and peer reviewers often represent institutions like the Princeton University Library, University of Michigan libraries, and major museum conservation departments.

Category:Preservation