New Report From IMLS: “Protecting America’s Collections: Results from the Heritage Health Information Survey”

From the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS):

The Institute of Museum and Library Services released a new report today, Protecting America’s Collections: Results from the Heritage Health Information Survey. The findings shed light on the challenges faced by libraries, museums, and archives as they care for their collections, as well as the many strides they have made over a decade.

 

More than 31,000 of the nation’s collecting institutions—those with non-living, tangible, and digital collections—hold our national heritage in trust. Their collections contain more than 13 billion items, from furniture to photos and sheet music to soil samples, all cataloged, shelved, stored, and protected to varying degrees.

 

The Heritage Health Information Survey (HHIS), conducted in 2014, assesses the preservation and conservation needs of today’s collecting institutions and provides selected updates from the Heritage Health Index of 2004.

“This report highlights the real need for collections preservation and shines a light on the challenges faced by our cultural heritage institutions—especially smaller organizations,” said IMLS Director Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew. “We hope this report provides illuminating information for libraries, archives, and museums, and helps grant-making organizations focus their investments and initiatives on core areas of need.”

Resources

Direct to Full Text Report
62 pages; PDF.

• Infographic
• Fast Facts and Figures
• User’s Guide and Data File Documentation 
• User’s Guide and Data File Documentation Appendices
• Data files (SPSS) (CSV)
• Heritage Health Information Survey Homepage (HHIS)

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Associations and Organizations, Data Files, Funding, Libraries, News, Preservation